science summer programs for high school?

Hi, I am a current freshman in high school and looking for summer science programs to attend this summer (in 2017). I’ve heard of a lot of prestigious ones like RSI and the MIT ones, but those are mainly directed towards high school sophmores, juniors, and seniors.
Does anyone have any recommendations? I’d prefer ones that you have to actually apply to, and not just pay a lot of money to get into.
I’m considering COSMOS and CTY (lots of friends have told me they had a great social experience there) too, is anyone willing to give me some insight on those?

I went to COSMOS at UCSD and it was a WONDERFUL experience, academically and socially. I know a lot of incoming sophomores that attended and had a great, yet challenging time there. It was a good type of challenge though because they had upperclassmen that helped them. What questions do you specifically have?

If I attend, UCI is very close to home and I’m definitely going there.
My friend went there as an incoming junior-- she went to UCI and even though she’s had straight A’s for her entire school career, she still did not receive her first choice. I’ve heard that UCI has a 70 percent acceptance rate? Or something like that. Do you think I can get in even though I’m not the brightest person in my year? I’m one of those people who are in honors classes and all, but don’t have the BEST grades (I might end up with a B or B+ in science this semester, unfortunately).
And also, do a lot of incoming sophomores get in compared to juniors and seniors? I feel like they would give priority to older students.