COSMOS 2020 Thread

@cosmosstudent colleges won’t automatically see anything about COSMOS or any activities you did. When you fill out applications, you will list and describe each of your activities. For COSMOS, you should definitely tell them what cluster you did. I chose to also include my campus, but you don’t have to.

@juicyoranges17 No single thing will get you rejected. Not having a ton of STEM ECs is not going to immediately disqualify you, nor will the number of APs you’ve taken or your GPA. Most applicants are academically qualified for COSMOS. It’s a pretty self-selecting group. The biggest thing clusters look for is: how passionate are you about the cluster you’re applying to? This will mostly be answered through your essays, but also the way you describe your ECs. The other question is: will this person benefit from being at COSMOS? Every year super qualified applicants are rejected because the cluster faculty feel like there are people who will get more out of being at COSMOS.

Edit: I attended COSMOS UCSD in 2018 for one of the bio-related clusters, so feel free to PM me or reply and ask me any questions you have about COSMOS in general, or UCSD or bio-related clusters in specific.

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Anyone know which clusters are primarily or somewhat focused on chemistry?

@ltwixster : Thanks a lot for your reply. Also are some clusters easier to get vs others

@cosmosstudent 100% yes. Overall I believe COSMOS has about a 25% acceptance rate (or at least it did two years ago, don’t quote me on that). There are clusters with acceptance rates approaching or exceeding 50% and some, like mine, that were 10%.

It’s not a hard and fast rule, but generally the biology clusters are the hardest to get into, the bioengineering and medical ones even more so. I’ve heard computer science related ones are also very difficult. As for the easiest, I’m not totally sure as I don’t remember everything and my information is a little outdated now.

@juicyoranges17

I got into UCI cosmos last yr but didn’t attend. Just show them that you are passionate about what you have done in your volunteering. I told a story and it worked in my essay.

Good luck!

Can anyone elaborate on the engineering clusters (intro to robot vehicles, autonomous vehicles) at UCSD? I really want to experience UCSD as it is possibly a top school for me next year when I apply and I have extensive robotics and programming experience (FRC Captain of Team 254, Research in CS last summer, AP CS, etc.).

Also, does COSMOS take test scores into account at all?

Lastly, I am a junior who applied last year to the same clusters and sadly did not get in. Does the fact that I am a junior and the fact that I applied previously affect my chances this year?

I don’t know what the rates were for other campuses, but UCI acceptance rate was less than 10% last year and an amazing experience for anyone considering it!

@sharksFTW123

Did you write about STEM-related volunteering or just volunteering in general?

Thanks for your input! It is very helpful!

Hi I am a Sophmore and I want to get into cluster 6 (biomedical sciences) at UCI I have a 3.95 GPA, I have established a club where I teach biology to underprivileged kids, and I am VP of the student doctor club. I know that COSMOS acceptance is mostly based on your essays, which I am not too confident about. It would be extremely helpful if someone could edit or give some advice? I could post my drafts of my essay on this

Will they care if I only have 1 reference even though 2 are recommended?

@dylan52180 from what I have been told, they ask for 2 because they want to see if multiple people can vouch for your character and how one of them describes you versus the other. it theoretically should not hurt to put only 1, but 2 gives you a slight edge up on their character evaluation (I think).

okay i need a lottttaaa help. Which campus will be the easiest to get admitted to. and I wanna do artificial intelligence/coding. I really need help.

I can’t PM until I have 15 replies, so here goes. I’m interested in Cluster 8 at UCSD. It’s a first choice cluster, and I don’t have a second at UCSD. I do like 2 clusters at UCI, so I’m wondering if my chances would be better at UCI since I have 2? I’m a junior and I’m in a Biotechnology program at my school. Also, is there some freedom at UCSD? Since I’m a junior and I drive, etc. it would be nice to explore off campus if they let you with a buddy. Thanks for any info.

@dbysfbay I would just apply for the cluster you’re most interested in. You might have a better chance applying to two, but if your application to one cluster at UCSD is really strong and you can’t convey the same passion for the others at UCI, then apply for the UCSD one.

UCSD has very little freedom. For the first week or two you will go to class in a group, spend the day with your cluster, go to your designated dining hall for lunch, and then go back to the dorm area where you will spend the whole evening. There are mandatory evening activities that you have to participate in, etc. After a few weeks they will give you free rein of the campus and you can go to the union or other stores on campus during lunch and between the end of lab time until dinner, but you still cannot leave campus at all on your own. And you always have to be with a buddy.

@houalsc mine happened to be somewhat stem related and the other one was business-related

Thanks ltwixster!
I called and talked to the COSMOS admin, she is very nice. She said many times they don’t even get to your second choice bc they have so many applicants and they fill up first choice and don’t even look at the second, if that makes sense. She answered a lot of my questions. I think I’m going to apply to the UCSD one and not put a second choice.

Is the UCSD program just not prestigious at all? Is there no point in applying if it isn’t to Davis?

Also, when do they release decisions?

I’m a freshman, and this is my first time doing this, so I’m pretty confused. When they ask for my gpa (in the School Info section), should i put my gpa for 8th grade or for my first semester in 9th grade? For the reference portion I’m asking my 8th grade math teacher, who I know will write a good reference letter, but she retired this year (I was the last class she taught). Will cosmos accept the reference? And lastly, for activities, it asks “weeks per year” but some days the teacher who hosts the club is absent, I’m sick, school’s canceled, etc. so should i just estimate how many weeks there was that club in a year?