SPARC (Summer Program for Applied Rationality and Cognition) is a two-week in-person summer program hosted at a college campus in California. The historical 2026 program ran July 22 – August 1 at California State University East Bay. The curriculum focuses on applied rationality, using techniques from decision theory, behavioral economics, and statistics to improve mental habits and form accurate beliefs. Classes are discussion-based and cover topics like noticing, cognitive biases, superforecasting, and statistical street fighting. The program also includes various activities and a speaker series.
Applications checked November 4, 2026: the official Apply page marks 2026 admissions closed and announces that summer 2027 applications will open in January 2027. It gives no exact opening day, application cutoff, or 2027 program dates. The old January 24, 2026 deadline could not be reverified and is retained only as qualified history in the 2026 notes.
The published FAQ confirms free participation, boarding and food, plus need-based travel scholarships for admitted students, without a numeric cap. No travel-aid maximum is published. The FAQ's eligibility guidance and April 15 decision target are general published guidance, not separate confirmed 2027 dates or guaranteed admission criteria.