COSMOS Student Profiles
COSMOS is a month-long residential program for California high school students who demonstrate high achievement in science and mathematics and are motivated to explore complex topics in depth. Participants attend classes and live in the residence halls at one of four UC campuses--Davis, Irvine, San Diego or Santa Cruz-- and have the opportunity to engage in social activities during the evening and field trips on weekends. Special events are designed to enhance students' personal, social and academic growth. Each COSMOS site offers different theme-based course clusters that reflect the unique resources and specialties of the campus.
Mansi Shah
University of Southern California
Major: Kinesiology, Pre-Med
Minor in Occupational Therapy
COSMOS UC Irvine '05
Cluster: BioInformatics & Discrete Math
"Nerd camp". This unofficial name of COSMOS conjures up a bag full of memories and my love for science. Camp was a dynamic experience, one which involved a lot of effort and dedication. During the four weeks, I was enrolled in the "bioinformatics and discrete mathematics" cluster. Besides being a really long name, this cluster introduced me to a new field, bioinformatics, which I was absolutely fascinated by. At COSMOS, not only did the professors demand a higher work level, but they also presented us with daily challenges. When most people hear "math and science camp", the first word that jumps out is "boring". COSMOS was perhaps everything but so. It was not only enriching academically, but also socially. I say this because for the first time I was around a hundred or so high school students that shared the same interests and love of learning as me. The nine other girls in my suite, and my night RA were a huge part of my COSMOS experience as well. Our month together started out with everyone unsure of how to break the ice, but ended with tears as nobody wanted to leave. They made COSMOS unforgettable, as some of them are now my close friends. COSMOS, or nerd camp, was an experience in its own, and I am extremely thankful to have had it.