<p>How hard is it to get in? I'm currently a sophomore and I was just looking around for summer programs and found these two. I understand that it's MIT, so it's obviously hard to get into, but what exactly do they look for in an applicant? Any alumni here?</p>
<p>Check the RSI 2013 and Mites 2013 College Confidential threads, where there are both alumni and prospective students you can talk to. </p>
<p>As a Mites alumni, I can tell you that the two are completely different programs. I have some friends in RSI, too and I can tell you that these kids are pretty much the creme of the crop. Since it’s your sophomore year, keep working hard, check the requirements of each program on their respective websites(are you in the targeted group? are you taking the psat/sat in the fall?), see which one you are more/most qualified for, and apply next fall. Don’t stress about it now. Since you are already looking into summer programs, you seem to be taking the right steps, but the best thing for you to do to be prepared is to inform yourself of what the programs are and stay at the top of your academic game. Do keep in mind that admission for each is really selective. Only 80 students out of thousands of applicants actually participate. That said, don’t be discouraged, keep trudging on, and get information about the other summer programs available for you and what you want to do in the future. There are TONS of different programs and people who will help you out there.</p>
<p>Both programs are EXTREMELY hard to get into; and they are very prestigious. Each of these two programs would be your “hook” in your application. MITES is like an MIT freshman year demonstration (there are problem sets etc.) for minorities only. RSI is pure college-level research, available for each rising senior. There are also evening lectures by distinguished faculty, like Wolfgang Ketterle who is a Nobel laureate. Both programs are free for those selected.</p>
<p>They both have a 4-5% acceptance rate, lower than selective top colleges.
RSI has an international applicant pool where MITES doesn’t.</p>
<p>Is there anything you guys would recommend that I do this summer to get into RSI? I’m Asian, so I guess it’s pretty hard for me to get into MITES. Is there anything I can do to improve my chances?</p>
<p>@omnipotent24</p>
<p>Have good grades/gpa. Most importantly, show your passion for science and technology in your application. You do NOT have to have lots of stellar achievements. Although having a science olympiad medal would help, you’ll find Rickoids who do not have those type achievements. That said, do not procrastinate and indicate your passion for science appropriately. Show them you spent a LOT of time on your application. I nearly spent my whole semester holiday.</p>
I have no clue about what MITES is (Is it newly started in the last few years?) but RSI is insanely competitive. I know someone who won ISEF 3rd place as a sophomore and overall first place at my Tri State Science Fair, but still got rejected from RSI.
However, two from my very own school got accepted years back (I think like 2006 or 2007, one got in one year and the other got in the next year).
One was on the US Mathematics and US Physics International teams as a sophomore. The next went to ISEF twice (and later became an STS Semifinalist), AND she was born in Argentina and was the daughter of a divorced parent, who was a world renowned physicist.