<p>About how many programs are you applying to, considering that a lot are super competitive.</p>
<p>As a sophomore who will not be 16 by the time summer starts, I have limited options (especially considering how expensive many of the ones I am eligible for are); therefore, I’m only applying to two programs. As a backup, I’ll probably just take classes at the local university or whatever.</p>
<p>There’s a third program I want to apply for, but it says that the program is “generally directed towards rising seniors, although this is not a hard-and-fast requirement.”</p>
<p>But the program’s application opens in April, after I’ll get acceptances (or denials) from some other programs.</p>
<p>Current junior/rising senior - only applying to one. I actually applied to three last year as a sophomore (all math camps), but I figured that if I get rejected from the one I’m applying to, I can just do independent research at a local university.</p>
<p>When my daughter was a junior, she applied to four competitive summer scientific research programs. She was rejected by three, and accepted by the most competitive program – very ironic and unexpected, but a great experience for her. It’s difficult to guess which programs will accept you or not.</p>
<p>@mommyrocks Would you be able to share which programs those were? Did she have trouble getting lots of recommendations from teachers? My teachers made it very clear that they didn’t want to write any more than 1 or 2!</p>
<p>@toofless My daughter did not have any pushback from her teachers regarding the recommendations, luckily. I think if she had she would’ve just selected a variety of teachers. One program was the state governor’s honors program to study a subject at a university over the summer, and another one was at the University of Wyoming: <a href=“http://www.uwyo.edu/epscor/fellowships-and-student-programs/srap/index.html”>http://www.uwyo.edu/epscor/fellowships-and-student-programs/srap/index.html</a>. The other programs she applied to are very selective niche opportunities only offered to a few students nationwide based on their past interests and achievements, so I won’t mention those (would be pointless as you would know about them if they were available to you). </p>
<p>The summer after her freshman year she was offered the chance to conduct research at a local prestigious university with a professor there, just from having emailed the professor and proposed a research project, but the glitch was that she would have to come up with her own lab supplies (needed chemicals and such), and that turned out to be way more expensive than expected, so she was unable to pursue that opportunity. For that, the professor never asked for a reference – the resume with the email sufficed. Maybe you can initiate something like that as well (only without the needed expense) if recommendations continue to be an issue.</p>
@toofless I’d imagine your teacher would be like mine and only write one recommendation and then just reuse it for all programs since they’re asking similar things. Also, several programs I’ve encountered simply require an online form.