SPARC (Summer Program on Applied Rationality and Cognition)

# SPARC (Summer Program on Applied Rationality and Cognition) SPARC is a free program for talented high schoolers to develop quantitative skills and apply them to the world. Run by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and staffed by researchers and practitioners from academia and industry, SPARC teaches the kind of applied mathematical thinking — modeling, decision-making, cognition — that sits between olympiad math and real research. The 2026 session runs July 22 to August 1 at California State University East Bay. ## What You'll Do - Take small, discussion-based classes covering undergraduate and graduate-level quantitative concepts - Apply mathematical tools to practical reasoning, cognition, and real-world problems - Learn directly from guest speakers drawn from academia and industry - Live and study with a small cohort of mathematically talented peers from across the country ## Who Should Apply High school students with strong quantitative backgrounds — many participants have math competition experience, though it is not required — who want to use math as a thinking tool rather than only a contest skill. The program is free for all admitted students, which makes it accessible regardless of family finances. ## Outcomes Alumni leave with exposure to advanced material years ahead of the standard curriculum, a dense network of quantitatively ambitious peers and instructors, and a distinctive, highly selective program on their record. Applications for each summer typically open in winter and close in early spring.