Many students at Oak Park High School are looking for a fulfilling summer program to apply to that can enlighten them intellectually and help in the college application process. Amongst juniors, the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) has been a popular choice.

“I think it’s an excellent program,” chemistry teacher David Sloan said. “Any program that gets a student to see how science is applied in the real world is going to beneficial to the student.”

COSMOS is a UC-centered summer program that emphasizes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Over the course of four weeks, students attend lectures, conduct laboratory experiments and participate in field trips to deepen their understanding of their chosen topic.

Junior Sarah Goldberg is one of many students applying for the program.

“I’m interested in it because the topics are interesting,” Goldberg said. “It’s one of the few programs that last longer than just a week. I feel like it’ll actually go into depth [on the subject].”

Junior Sarah Lee agrees, commenting that she “really want[s] to know more about science and engage in a hands-on experience” and believes that COSMOS can offer these resources.

While COSMOS does offer a wide variety of topics and clusters for students to choose from, junior Aneesh Gowri discusses what he believes is one of the main reasons COSMOS has such a wide appeal.

“UC campuses are attractive and close to home,” Gowri said. “They’re also really good colleges. The program is cheaper for California students and the program is really good.”

COSMOS is currently located on four different UC campuses: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz.

“Having it at UC Davis is a bonus because that’s a school I’m considering,” Goldberg said.

The selection process for COSMOS is highly competitive. The acceptance rate varies slightly from school to school, but overall, the schools can only accept about 150-200 students each. In 2014, UC Davis had 1200 applicants competing for 200 spots.

To apply for COSMOS, students must obtain a letter of recommendation from a science and/or math teacher. Sloan has been asked by 12 students for a letter. So far, he hasn’t turned anyone down.

“They’ve all been top-notch students, so I haven’t had a reason to say no,” Sloan said. “[COSMOS is] very selective, and you have to be a top-notch student to get in, and I think that everyone at Oak Park is going to be a top-notch student.”

Although many students are applying, some are not sure they would actually go if they got in.

“It’s kind of expensive, so [I’ll go] if I don’t get anything better that’s free,” Gowri said. “I wasn’t going to apply at first, but I started my application last weekend because I need at least five back-up options in case UCLA and USC don’t accept me because God forbid I don’t do anything over the summer.”

But overall, the popularity of COSMOS is obvious.

“I’ve been asked about other programs in past years, but this school year it’s just been COSMOS,” Sloan said.