Is TASP running in 2027? No. Telluride Association discontinued TASP, the Telluride Association Summer Program for juniors, in 2022 and folded it into TASS, the Telluride Association Summer Seminar, a free humanities seminar for sophomores and juniors with two areas of study, Critical Black Studies (TASS-CBS) and Anti-Oppressive Studies (TASS-AOS). On September 21, 2026, Telluride announced it will not offer TASS summer sessions in 2027 while its board reviews the program, and its application portal says no applications are open. The last cycle, for summer 2026, was due December 3, 2025, fewer than one in five applicants were interviewed, and Telluride does not publish an acceptance rate.
Facts come from tellurideassociation.org, its application portal and named third-party guides as of November 2026, all linked in the Sources section.
TASS vs TASP: what changed
Families still search for TASP because it ran for almost seven decades. Here is how the names fit together.
| Program | Years | Who it served | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| TASP, Telluride Association Summer Program | 1954 until 2022 | High school juniors | Discontinued for 2022 |
| TASS, Telluride Association Sophomore Seminar | 1993 until 2022 | Sophomores, Critical Black Studies | Renamed and expanded for 2022 |
| TASS, Telluride Association Summer Seminar | 2022 to 2026 | Sophomores and juniors | Two areas of study, CBS and AOS; paused for 2027 |
In a letter to 2022 applicants, Telluride said TASP had been discontinued, the Sophomore Seminar would continue under the new name Telluride Association Summer Seminar, a second subject area would be added, and eligibility would expand to juniors. Students at each program site are grouped by grade level. So "TASS vs TASP" is no longer a choice between two programs: TASS is the only Telluride summer program, and it is the successor to both.
TASP began in 1954 at Telluride House at Cornell University, where Telluride says it used the house while it sat empty over the summer. Over the years it also ran at other campuses. Telluride counted some 3,400 living TASP alumni.
Why TASS is paused for 2027
Telluride's board announced the pause on September 21, 2026. It said the decision followed challenges during the 2026 program year, including the early end of the 2026 Ithaca session. In July 2026, Telluride closed the residential program at its Ithaca, New York site after three unrelated staff departures took staffing below the levels required for a licensed residential youth program. Telluride said no part of that decision related to student conduct or safety incidents, paid for students' travel home, and the concurrent session at the University of Maryland continued.
The 2027 review covers curriculum, staffing, student recruitment and safety, communication with families, and day-to-day operations. Telluride says its core values are not under review and that it intends TASS to return "renewed and refreshed." It has not announced whether TASS will run in 2028. Questions go to tass-queries@tellurideassociation.org.
What this means by grade:
| Student in fall 2026 | What the pause means |
|---|---|
| Junior (class of 2028) | No TASS before college. This was the last eligible summer. |
| Sophomore (class of 2029) | No TASS in 2027. Could apply as a junior for 2028 if TASS returns and eligibility is unchanged. |
| Freshman (class of 2030) | Could apply later as a sophomore or junior if TASS returns; watch Telluride's news page. |
What TASS is
TASS studies how power and privilege shape social structures through humanities and social science courses. Each applicant chooses one of two areas:
- TASS-CBS explores history, politics, literature, art and other contributions from people of African descent.
- TASS-AOS examines literature, history, art and other disciplines to investigate how forms of power shape social structures.
Each weekday there is a three-hour, college-level seminar taught by two faculty members, with reading, films, discussion and essays written over the summer with feedback. There are no grades. Two resident advisors and teaching assistants, called factotums, live with the students and lead writing workshops. Outside class, students govern themselves: they plan activities and community service, manage a program budget and practice transformative justice to work through conflict. There is a public speaking program and guest lectures.
In 2026 the program ran five weeks, June 21 to July 25, at Cornell University and the University of Maryland. The 2024 program ran June 23 to August 3 at Cornell, Maryland and the University of Michigan. Students commit to the full program, may not hold a job or take other classes during it, and live under a low-tech policy that restricts phones and laptops.
Who was eligible in the last cycle
| Requirement | TASS 2026 |
|---|---|
| Grade | High school sophomores and juniors (rising juniors and rising seniors) |
| Age | At least 15 at the start, under 18 at the end of the program |
| US students | Birthdates between July 26, 2008 and June 21, 2011 |
| International students | Must be sophomores; birthdates between July 26, 2009 and June 21, 2011 |
| Areas of study | One per year; a sophomore who attends one area may apply to the other as a junior |
| Limits | No one may apply more than twice (stated in the 2022 rules) |
Telluride says it admits applicants from all backgrounds, welcomes applications from Black and Indigenous students, other students of color and students who have experienced economic hardship, and seeks students who are "intellectually curious, community-minded, and self-motivated." In 2022 Telluride said TASS-CBS would prioritize Black students and TASS-AOS would prioritize Black, Indigenous and other students of color and students who have experienced economic hardship.
What TASS costs
TASS is free. Telluride covers tuition, books, room and board, field trips and facilities fees for every student, and there is no application fee. Students pay for travel, but Telluride can cover all or part of it. Students who would normally work in summer or support their family can receive additional aid to replace those earnings. Aid decisions are separate from admission decisions, so asking for aid does not affect the outcome. For other no-cost options, see free research programs for high school students.
Dates and deadlines
| Milestone | TASS 2026 (last cycle) | TASS 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | October 15, 2025 | No cycle; TASS paused |
| Applications due | December 3, 2025, 11:59 p.m. Eastern | None |
| Interview notification | January 2026 | None |
| Interviews | February 2026, virtual | None |
| Final notifications | March 2026 | None |
| Program | June 21 to July 25, 2026 | No summer sessions |
Before the pause, Telluride's deadlines moved earlier: January 3, 2024 for the 2024 program, then December 3, 2025 for 2026. If TASS returns, expect an early-winter deadline and check Telluride's news page, since it posts updates there. For programs that are running in 2027, see summer research programs for 2027 with deadlines and odds.
The Telluride acceptance rate
Telluride does not publish an acceptance rate. The one official number: in its FAQ for educators, Telluride says fewer than one in five applicants receive an interview, and it advises teachers not to write letters unless a student reaches that stage.
Other figures are older or unofficial:
- Wikipedia cites a 4.4% admission rate for TASP as of 2012.
- College Essay Guy says TASS accepts roughly 3 to 5% of applicants each year, without a source year.
- Pioneer Academics reports estimates below 5%, attributed to student posts online.
Seminar sizes are not published. The fair reading is that TASS, like TASP before it, is among the most selective free summer programs in the country, and the first cut, from application to interview, removes four out of five applicants.
What the application asks for
| Component | What Telluride asked for |
|---|---|
| Essays | The most important factor in admission. In 2022 Telluride moved to three essays of 400 to 500 words each, with new prompts |
| Short answers | Required alongside the essays in the 2026 application |
| Recommendation | Not required to apply; may be requested from students selected for interview |
| Interview | For selected applicants, held virtually or by phone |
| Transcript | Reported by Pioneer Academics as required; Telluride's FAQ pages do not list it |
| Test scores | Not listed by Telluride |
| Fee | None |
The 2026 application required applicants to certify that their essays and short answers were their own, that they did not use ChatGPT or any generative AI tool, and that they would attend the full program. Telluride's parent FAQ says parents may discuss ideas, but "the writing must be entirely your child's own." Applicants paste essays into text boxes, so draft and proofread them in a word processor first. Telluride told 2022 applicants not to model new essays on applications from earlier years, and old TASP prompts, which once allowed essays up to 1,500 words, are no guide to the current format.
How to write strong TASS essays
If TASS returns, the essays will decide most outcomes. Telluride's own language points to what readers want.
The odds, frankly
Even in a normal year, most strong applicants to TASS are turned away, and many of them write essays as good as those admitted. In 2027 the odds are zero, because there is no program. A student who planned a summer around Telluride now needs another plan, and juniors need it this fall.
That is not a reason to lose the year. The skills TASS builds, close reading, argument, sustained writing and work you can discuss in depth, can be built through a serious independent project. Students with a humanities or social science interest can look at psychology research in high school for one route, the fellowships open to high school students, and research programs for 10th graders for sophomores who will still be eligible if TASS returns.
If you do not get in
Whether TASS turned you down or simply is not running, the goal is the same: a summer that produces evidence of serious intellectual work before senior year. Most students admitted to selective colleges with a strong academic profile built it on their own timeline, with a mentor, over months, not in one selective summer program.
The YRI Fellowship is built for that: ten weeks of one-on-one work with a PhD mentor on a question the student chooses, the student as first author, a paper submitted to IEEE, Springer or Elsevier venues, ISEF and JSHS preparation included, and a letter of recommendation from the mentor. Mentorship continues at no extra cost until the paper is published. 87% of Fellows publish and 73% place at competitions, and Fellows have been admitted to Brown, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Caltech and Harvard. It costs $2,997, with a three-month payment plan and case-by-case scholarships. Admissions are rolling, so a junior who planned on TASS 2027 can start this winter and have a submitted paper before applications open. See how to write your first research paper.
Download the YRI Fellowship brochure
The program, the outcomes, the mentors and the tuition, in one PDF you can read with your family.
Related guides
- Free research programs for high school students
- Fellowships for high school students
- Summer research programs for 2027: deadlines, costs and odds
- How to write about research in Common App essays
- How to get into RSI
- Research programs for 11th graders
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TASP still offered?
No. Telluride discontinued TASP, its program for juniors, starting in 2022. Its successor is TASS, the Telluride Association Summer Seminar, open to sophomores and juniors in two areas, Critical Black Studies and Anti-Oppressive Studies.
Is TASS running in summer 2027?
No. On September 21, 2026, Telluride Association announced it will not offer TASS summer sessions in 2027 while its board reviews the program, and no application is open. Telluride has not said when TASS will return.
What is the Telluride Association Summer Seminar acceptance rate?
Telluride does not publish one. Its educator FAQ says fewer than one in five applicants receive an interview. Wikipedia cites 4.4% for TASP as of 2012, and guides estimate roughly 3 to 5% for TASS.
How many TASS essays are there?
When Telluride last described the format publicly, for 2022, it required three essays of 400 to 500 words, plus short answers, and called the essays the most important factor. Prompts change, so use the application itself, not old prompts, if TASS returns.
Is TASS free?
Yes. Telluride covers tuition, books, room and board, field trips and facilities fees, with no application fee. It can help with travel and can replace lost summer earnings, and aid does not affect admission.
What is the difference between TASS-CBS and TASS-AOS?
TASS-CBS covers history, politics, literature and art from people of African descent. TASS-AOS uses literature, history, art and other disciplines to study how power shapes social structures. Applicants choose one per year.
When was the last TASS application deadline?
December 3, 2025, for the June 21 to July 25, 2026 program. There is no 2027 deadline because the 2027 program is paused.
What should I do instead of TASS in 2027?
Build the research on your own timeline. The YRI Fellowship pairs a student with a PhD mentor for ten weeks, one on one, on a question the student chooses, and ends with a first-author paper submitted to a peer-reviewed venue. 87% of Fellows publish. Admissions are rolling and the application takes ten minutes with no fee.
Sources
- Telluride Association: TASS program page (free, eligibility, 2026 timeline, CBS and AOS, seminar format, aid)
- Telluride Association: An Important Message About TASS 2027 (no TASS sessions in 2027, board review)
- Telluride Association: Ithaca TASS Closing Early (2026 staffing shortfall, Maryland session continued)
- Telluride Association: TASS Application Timeline (no current application cycle)
- Telluride Association: TASS FAQ for Applicants (2026 deadline, dates, Cornell and Maryland, birthdate rules, one area per year)
- Telluride Association: TASS FAQ for Parents (free, travel aid, virtual interviews, full attendance, essays must be the student's own)
- Telluride Association: TASS FAQ for Educators (no recommendation required, fewer than one in five interviewed)
- Telluride Association: TASS Update Letter to Students (TASP discontinued, TASS renamed and expanded, three essays of 400 to 500 words, 2022 rules)
- Telluride Association: History (TASP founded 1954, Sophomore Seminar 1993, Summer Seminars launched 2022)
- Telluride Association: Our Programs (TASS-CBS and TASS-AOS descriptions, costs covered)
- Telluride Association: 2024 TASS applications (January 3, 2024 deadline, June 23 to August 3, three sites)
- Telluride Association application portal: Programs 2026 (timeline, AI and attendance certifications, low-tech policy)
- Telluride Association application portal (no applications open)
- Wikipedia: Telluride Association Summer Program (4.4% admission rate as of 2012, past essay format, names retired in 2022)
- College Essay Guy: A Guide to TASS (3 to 5% estimate)
- Pioneer Academics: TASS 2026 guide (transcript reported as required, under 5% estimate)