<p>flora1116, when do you have to reply back to accept/decline your spot for the summer? Trying to figure out if they have rolling admissions how to handle this for my daughter. She will be applying to some other summer research programs next year, but has CSSI on her list as well. She probably will want to hear back from the other programs before making a final decision. So now that CSSI has rolling admissions, I am wondering how they handle the timeframe you need to respond within.</p>
<p>intparent- Acceptance forms are due June 1st. Hope that helps!</p>
<p>@amanda098 and @flora1116, my son is going to CSSI this summer, too. We’re from Minnesota, so it’s not very far away. His subject choices were in this order: geoscience, chemistry, neuroscience, animal behavior. He’s kind of a physics guy, but is especially hoping for the geoscience because that’s not something he will be exposed to in high school. We hope he learns which classes and research group he gets soon. He’s also going to Northwestern University (near Chicago) for three weeks of honors astrophysics. He’ll get home late on Friday, July 15 and then has to be at Carleton by 3 PM on Sunday, July 17. Just enough time for a haircut! We’ve heard wonderful things about the summer program, and my godson graduated from Carleton and worked closely with the chemistry professor who is part of the summer program. He says the prof is fantastic. My godson is now working on his Ph.D. in chemistry. Where are you two from?</p>
<p>This thread has been inactive for quite a while but…</p>
<p>For people who have attended cssi in the past, was the research intense? More importantly, did you conduct new research and compile new data, instead of spending three weeks looking at research that a professor completed beforehand?</p>
<p>@MomentumA7. My son attended Summer 2011. Did original geology field research for the 3 week project. Loved it. We attended the research presentations (posters) on last day. Much was new research with new data. I remember that for animal behavior, at least one project used previously collected data (from primates in Africa), but the student researchers were enthusiastic because they had made a significant finding that had not been observed before. Neuroscience was all original, I believe. I think chemistry was, too. RE: Carleton College. It is now #1 on son’s list for 2013. So very positive experience overall (even the dorms were OK!). Son liked it better than 3 weeks at Northwestern CTD doing one science topic (did that earlier in same summer).</p>
<p>Thank you for clearing that up, LlantwitMajor.
I was not aware that the originality of the research depended on which topic I chose. This will help me reevaluate the subjects I choose.</p>
<p>I’d also love to hear if the 2011 class had a good experience - flora1116 and amanda098, are you two still around CC?!</p>
<p>Earthparent65, you could send them a private message; it will be delivered to them via email if their email address is still correct on their account.</p>
<p>My D has applied for this summer. After she applied, she got an email with a link to look at the status of her application. But it shows the status of ALL applications. However, we can’t tell which one is hers. Which is weird… They have numbers, no names, and they did not tell her a number for her app. There appear to be about 90 applicants for what I believe are around 60 slots across both sessions (not sure of either number specifically, their website actually does not say how many students per session exactly, but 10-12 per research group, and there are 3 research groups each session… and the lines aren’t numbered on the page I see, so I was sort of visually counting). I see today that many of the applicants have an “X” in their status today that indicates that “Decision Letter Sent” per a legend at the top of the page. It looks like all with Xs are students who applied for the scholarships (but a few who applied for scholarships do NOT have an X – looking over the list, those appear to be applicants who have not provided all the required info - tax returns, recommendations, etc). I think that means we should have some posts out here in the next few days on some results, but some letters are not in the mail yet.</p>
<p>thanks a lot, intparent, both for the messaging tips (can you tell I’m new to this?!) and for the application status details. Good luck to your daughter :-)</p>
<p>Intparent, just went to the site, using the link from the confirmation email my son received - in that same letter was his ID number referring to the row with his application status. No decision letter yet sent out for us, but then again, he just got the confirmation letter last week. Thanks again for the help.</p>
<p>Yes, I was wondering if I missed the number in D’s initial email (which I now can’t find). I will see if she can track it down for me.</p>
<p>I am trying to figure out what is going on with the decision letters and this “rolling admissions” policy. Per Marama’s post, they do a “2nd wave of admissions” a few weeks after the scholarship admission letters go out. This is confusing to me… why would they wait to tell the “regular pay” applicants about their status? EVERYONE who got a decision letter this week is a scholarship app. Are they offering “first choice” of the slots to the scholarship applicants (eg, in the first wave you get an acceptance letter with a scholarship, or you get an acceptance letter without a scholarship BUT with the option to pay full price, or you get rejected). Why would they not send out the acceptances to regular pay applicants at the same time, unless they are waiting to see their “yield” on the scholarship apps?</p>
<p>At least when my daughter attended a couple of years ago, they did exactly that: Wait to see their “yield” on the scholarship applicants. I think it would merit a phone call to them to clarify if things are still being run the same way this year.</p>
<p>I am trying to figure out why they would do that. It essentially gives the scholarship applicants (even those who didn’t win a scholarship, but had good enough credentials to be considered as candidates if they are willing to pay) an edge over a full pay candidate. The opposite of their college admissions strategy, I might add, as Carleton is not need blind in admissions, so you are a bit LESS likely to get in if you apply for financial aid. Makes me think D should have applied for the scholarship even though we don’t really need it just to be considered in the first wave of admissions. 
I don’t think I will call them, as I feel like I would have a hard time asking them that question without annoying them (although their approach is very annoying to me).</p>
<p>Also, my D applied pretty early (well before the scholarship deadline), and had a complete application within a couple days (had everything in). I am starting to feel like chopped liver here…</p>
<p>My D was awarded a scholarship and received the packet today. I think I’m as excited as she is even though the plane ticket’s going to cost me an arm and a leg.</p>
<p>Looks like most of the non-scholarship letters were mailed today (D’s record has an X in the status column today, as do most of the other “regular” applicants). Good luck to everyone!</p>
<p>And it looks like we’re one of the two who haven’t gotten a letter, too funny!</p>
<p>Acceptance packet received by my daughter today! Interesting, it does not tell what research group she will be in (at least I don’t see it in the first glance through the packet, but it has a lot of forms). In fact, it does not even state what session she is accepted for… I assume for her first choice, but don’t know for certain from the materials.</p>
<p>intparent, great news!! my son just realized last night that he had an email from them asking if he had a US passport, so now we know why there’s been a delay since they were pretty strict about no foreign students (and since he’s applying from overseas, they were probably a bit confused by his application). Of course, he got the message on Thursday and hadn’t checked his mail while we were out for Greek Easter vacation…I think this whole summer program experience has been a good one to teach him some operational discipline!! Fingers crossed, we just might meet in Minnesota :-)</p>
<p>Just got done submitting my acceptance forms! Is anyone else going to CSSI this summer? I put the neuroscience program as my first choice - hopefully I’ll be able to get in.</p>