The Louisiana State University Biology Intensive Orientation for Students (BIOS) Program has been found to be an effective retention initiative for freshman Biological Science majors (S. M. Wischusen, Wischusen, & Pomarico, 2010; S. M. Wischusen, Wischusen, W. E., 2007). Students who attended the five-day camp out-perform their non-participant peers in introductory biology courses and have higher retention, progression and graduation rates. This study uses a cognitive view to explore the underlying factors, self-regulation and self-efficacy, namely that contribute to the program's capacity to help students obtain sustainable academic success. The pre/post-test measurements of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, as well as qualitative measures, were employed to evaluate the program as a format for developing self-regulation and self-efficacy. BIOS was also shown to calibrate students' self-efficacy and self-regulation for optimal performance in Biology 1201, the introductory course for science majors. Camp participants exhibited higher self-efficacy, self-regulation, and final Biology 1201 grades than their non-BIOS peers. These results offer insight into the mechanism behind the success of science boot camps and the role of motivation and metacognition in STEM retention initiatives.