<p>yeah so when they receive your application, they’ll send back the postcard… that way you know they’ve received it.</p>
<p>Hi, I’m applying to RSI this year and have a few questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Is there a specific list of research fields and subfields? I’m pretty sure one of my main fields will be Biology with a subfield in Cancer/Molecular Biology (does that sound okay as a subfield?), but I have absolutely no clue as to what my second field will be. I know I can definitely talk a lot about my first field, since I have taken courses on the subject and worked in a research lab that focuses on molecular medicine. I’m really passionate about that subject. But as for the second field… I thought about either Chemistry with a subfield in Nanotechnology, or Biotechnology (I don’t know if that would count as a subfield under Engineering or Informatics (or field: Business and Management >> subfield: Biomedical Innovation), or if it’s too related to Biology)… could Epidemiology or Statistics be a field? I thought about Genetics, but that would fall under Biology again.</p></li>
<li><p>I have almost no experience with any of the computer platforms listed, except for Mathematica and LaTeX (beginning experience). I do have experience with data analysis in Microsoft Excel, and I’ve taken AP Statistics (5). I’m also experienced with HTML coding and the TI-Nspire emulator. I don’t know if these would count as “computer platforms”, though.</p></li>
<li><p>Would the people who have attended RSI mind listing their test scores/accomplishments? Thank you so much.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I’m with lemur in terms of research fields, i have one main field but i don’t know what to put for my other main field…</p>
<p>Hey guys, i’m new to college confidential so let me know if anything is out of line… i’m also applying to RSI (first at my school… this otta go well…). lemur and nspired, what areas interest you the most? bio? chem? physics? etc? out of those, what parts do you like the best? thermochem? electrochem? etc?
i think that’s the best way to put it… but i’m not the be-all-end-all… in no way…</p>
<p>yeah my thing is just finding another main category. they need to give a list of the main fields they have…</p>
<p>you guys can put pretty much anything, as long as its a somewhat legitimate field in the sciences. If you’re interested in biology with a subfield in ornithology, so be it. as long as you back up your passion for your field.</p>
<p>if i put say biology, would botany be a subfield or a main field? cause i mainly want to do biology related…</p>
<p>Hi! New here and also applying to RSI. I’m a bit uncertain about the essay part of my application.
Do you guys know if it’d be okay something somewhat well-known as a question of interest, so long as I have a pretty in-depth knowledge of it? For example, if I were to choose something related to prime numbers or Diophantine equations, would that be too common?</p>
<p>^I think that would be fine. They don’t need you to have a really obscure subject to demonstrate your knowledge.</p>
<p>Would it be better to put a subfield that requires less background to work in rather than a subfield that you might not be prepared for? I’m putting Physics as a field, but I put Cosmology as a subfield; I’m worried that this may require too much background such that I won’t be able to make that much research progress. A standard textbook on the subject assumes quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and special relativity. I would be coming in with only AP Physics C knowledge.</p>
<p>On a related note, I can’t decide which field to put as first choice. My other field and subfield are Mathematics and Combinatorics. I feel like I have a more solid background in combo than in astrophysics, but I’m somewhat more interested in researching astrophysics.</p>
<p>For one field I know I am doing bio-biotech with an interest in Telomerase and telomeres. But I’m at a loss fot topic 2… I want to do chem or biochem but Idk what second field or problem to do…</p>
<p>can botany be a main topic or is that just bio…gah i want to do bio only…</p>
<p>Hey for our Research Fields, can they be related to mathematics? Or does that not constitute research? It seems everyone is putting science related topics.</p>
<p>Also, what format are you guys typing your essay responses in? Font face, size, margins, etc?</p>
<p>Oh, haha and by modeling, do they mean like 3D modeling in programs like Blender and 3ds max?</p>
<p>Eobaggs, I have so far done size 12 times new Roman but I haven’t finished yet. And I believe you.can do math. I wasn’t sure what they meant so I pinned it to data modeling… like graphs… maybe I’m wrong</p>
<p>Eobaggs, I have so far done size 12 times new Roman but I haven’t finished yet. And I believe you.can do math. I wasn’t sure what they meant so I pinned it to data modeling… like graphs… maybe I’m wrong</p>
<p>you can CERTAINLY do math. In fact, math may be the best field at RSI ;)</p>
<p>Seriously, though, I did Math/Number Theory as my first field/subfield, tons of people will be doing math research there.</p>
<p>^Ooh, math person. What is doing math research like? I get the impression that it goes something like</p>
<ol>
<li>mentor picks a topic and question
2a. you gain background
2b. you work on question</li>
<li>you get stuck</li>
<li>you ask mentor for help</li>
<li>repeat 2-4 until finished</li>
</ol>
<p>Also, what kind of math research happens at RSI? I imagine that there’s a lot on combo and NT, but what else? It would also be helpful if you could give a general idea of the kinds of problems math people work on.</p>
<p>Haha, that’s something close to what goes on at RSI. You talk to your mentor and discuss your question with him/her. They suggest a topic for you, but there’s definitely room to ask for some other problem of interest.</p>
<p>For the rest of the six weeks, you’re pretty much on your own. You see your mentor for an hour or two every weekday, but other than that, the time is yours. (This is starkly different from, say, bio kids or chem kids because they spend the entire day in lab.) You just have to be motivated to work on your project on your own, so there’s pros and cons to this.</p>
<p>Yes, there is a lot of NT and combo, some people also do applied math but often they are not considered “math people”. 
Outside of that, you can pretty much choose <em>anything</em> you want to work on. With the emphasis on <em>anything</em>. There’s lots to look at in number theory and combinatorics, which is why those are popular, but there were also a graph theory project, several optimization projects, and even a “voting theory” project our year…</p>
<p>uhhhhh… do the research fields have to be completely different? i was going to pick statistics/process control and applied math/graph theory… do you guys think this will work?</p>
<p>these two topics can be quite similar and i’m interested in how to use graph theory to improve process control… kind of linking the two. but then i don’t have two “distinct” fields & i can’t think of anything else more interesting.</p>
<p>@energize: I researched astrophysics at RSI, even though my astrophysics background was perhaps weaker than my math background. But astrophysics was really what I was interested in, and RSI sets up some really interesting projects with the Harvard-Smithsonian Institute and the MIT Kavli Institute of Astrophysics (where I worked!)</p>
<p>My essays discussed my interests in cosmology, and my first field was Physics/Mathematical Physics. Definitely apply as astrophysics! Don’t worry too much about background knowledge - the first week I did a lot of reading, but the material was really interesting. Plus your astrophysics mentor will be there to help you along the way!</p>
<p>I must disagree with buzzer11 and say that physics is definitely the best field at RSI :)</p>
<p>@momo899: My fields were very similar, so just put down what you’re honestly interested in.</p>