<p>Looking for a competitive summer program in California. Preferably not very expensive.
Thank you.</p>
<p>There are a lot of competitive summer programs in CA. Most of which have already been discussed on CC before. Look for the threads with multiple pages of posts. I recommend you first do some of your own research and look through old threads, then look at the program websites and see if you’re interested in the program.</p>
<p>Also, don’t you care about the subject of the program? Like science, or writing, or engineering, etc. If there’s a particular area you’re interested in learning more about, or if you have any idea of what you want to do (research vs. classes for example), that’d really make it easier for people to suggest programs for you… Academic interests & background would be very helpful.</p>
<p>The ones I know of are CSSSA (for students interested in art, and costs $1500 for 4 weeks) and COSMOS (for students interested in science, and costs $2950 for 4 weeks). They are far more expensive for out-of-state students ($5000 and $6000 respectively).</p>
<p>Actually I was looking for something science or engineering related, but creative writing sounds good too. I know that some program have GPA, or SAT (ACT) requirement to get into, and are less expensive.</p>
<p>COSMOS is a great STEM program, especially if you live in CA and only have to pay in-state tuition. There are a lot of different clusters (course topics), some of which are really competitive and some of which are easier to get into. It’s not the most competitive summer program in CA, but if you’ve never gone to any summer programs before and aren’t really sure of what exactly you want to do yet, then COSMOS is a good place to explore & develop your interests. The application isn’t very hard either; no long essays!
Check out what courses they offer and see if you’re interested in any: [COSMOS</a> Overview](<a href=“Page Not Found - COSMOS Platform”>http://cosmos-ucop.ucdavis.edu/)</p>
<p>Another good program to explore your interests is UC Berkeley ATDP. Non-residential. Classes 2-3 times a week, in a variety of topics (writing, science, math, compsci, etc.) $650-$1500 depending on what class it is. [Academic</a> Talent Development Program (ATDP)](<a href=“http://atdp.berkeley.edu/]Academic”>http://atdp.berkeley.edu/)</p>
<p>There are other summer programs that are even more competitive and cheaper (usually, the cheaper it is, the more competitive. Especially if they pay YOU, instead of you paying them). For example, SIMR and City of Hope; two great medical research programs, super-competitive to get in. If you don’t know what you want to do yet though, like I said, first explore your interests through more general programs like COSMOS and ATDP.</p>
<p>If you’ll be a rising senior next summer you could try SSP. It’s a little on the expensive side but it has a great financial aid program if you qualify, and there’s no application fee so there’s no harm in trying.</p>