<p>i just talked to a finalist from last year, and that person did get a semifinalist packet...she doesn't remember if she received it before or after the announcement, though.</p>
<p>Awww....I was so close to completely destroying my hopes. Now thanks to you, they have been elevated once again, only to be senselessly dashed just one day later. Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>Yeah, my (finalist) friend got a semifinalist packet. I didn't ask when he got it, though. Meh. I think they intend to send all of them at the same or close to the same time. Pretty pointless to send someone a semifinalist packet <em>after</em> he finds out that he's a finalist, don't you think? It's like PCH showing up at someone's door with a huge check, then a week later sending them a letter saying that they have a chance of winning umpteen millions of dollars.</p>
<p>Anywho, good luck.</p>
<p>Yes, that makes sense and puts a big hole in this "theory". The most likely reason that they would hold off on sending the finalists certificates is because the finalists will get more awards anyway. But chances are if this were the case, they would never bother sending the semifinalist stuff--they wouldn't just delay it.</p>
<p><em>covers ears</em>
<em>realizes that doesn't work on a message board</em>
<em>closes eyes to type</em>
<em>keeps hopes way, way down</em></p>
<p>But my top-secret sources at Science Service told me with utmost confidence that that Weirdgermanname Game girl from Siemens was the very first semifinalist they eliminated from consideration. Happy now??</p>
<p>awww, that's so sweet of you. Very happy now indeed, thanks :-D</p>
<p>How come some people from Massachusetts were in the Siemens Southwestern regional finals, and some people from Texas were in the New England region finals?</p>
<p>Conflict of interest. Kim and Amrita were RSI and worked at MIT (correct me if I'm wrong, Kim!), so they couldn't compete at MIT. The kids from Texas, meanwhile, did their research at UT Austin, which was were Siemens Southwestern regionals were. The 2-for-2 trade worked out quite nicely, apparently.</p>
<p>I could be wrong, but I thought the kids from Texas had parents who worked for UT, rather than having done their research there. Anyway, yes, Amrita has a mentor at MIT and I went to RSI, so we got a free trip to the South. Far more exciting than just taking the T in (and much easier to explain to teachers).</p>
<p>I still think that Amrita and I gained more by the 2-hour time difference (easy to get up in the morning) than we could have by knowing people at MIT or being familiar with the area, but hey... fine by me.</p>
<p>Well, being familiar with the area wouldn't help much and they certainly don't discriminate based on that, I think. After all, nationals were in NYC, so the first day I left school, took the train to the city, met my mentor, then took the subway down to the hotel :p Yes, though, travelling certainly is fun. I even got to explore the lovely city of Pittsburgh (although I really wanted to go to the M.I.T. regional! But despite the location that would have hurt me both because it was so early--I wouldn't have been nearly ready--and because Kiran was there!!).</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm not quite sure how much you and Amrita gained either way, being as neither of you won (but then again, Desh is the man ;)), but, OK :p (I jest, of course) Would be nice to see Amrita in D.C. as well...</p>
<p>hey! I could have slept through my presentation. Instead, I, um, blushed through it? (<em>shakes fist at Siemens for sending us embarrassing videotapes</em>) I, for one, consider that a gain.</p>
<p>then again, I had perhaps an easier time sleeping than other SW finalists anyway, as my dad and I were able to wrangle a room with two beds. :-/</p>
<p>Oh boy, I haven't even watched my videotape yet. I felt great doing it (as opposed to the disaster that was my nationals presentation!), but I am much too sheepish to watch myself nonetheless :-[</p>
<p>And really, it was that hard to get two-bed rooms? Siemens must have let your region down. Accomodations were decent at CMU and absolutely fantastic--the Embassy Suites, probably one of the nicest hotels in the city--at nationals. You have no idea how nice it was to have an entire suite to myself for a night :p</p>
<p>Not that there were any, you know, wild parties consisting of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll, of course........~looks around~</p>
<p><em>laughs</em> of coouurse not.</p>
<p>We actually had very "nice" accomodations in the sense of fanciness... they were just sort of cozy. When we checked in, the woman at the front desk looked at my dad and me for a second, then asked if we wanted one bed or two... some of the other students weren't even given the option. A bonding experience, I suppose, but not much fun the night before a competition.</p>
<p>(I was scared to watch my presentation, too, but it's really helpful... along with having to see that I blush like I'm Scottish, with good reason, I found out that I forgot to smile muchwhich is fixable. Gah, I liked my RSI presentation better... rock paper scissors.)</p>
<p>(Are you really Scottish, or is that just a clever pun based on your last name? ;))</p>
<p>I don't think I really need to watch my presentation for practice or anything. What with all this Siemens business I've presented it SO many times, I think even the sophomores in my research class could present it for me and do quite well with it :p</p>
<p>And I sure hope the people at the hotel didn't expect a 16 year old girl (Intel says you're 16--skipped a grade?) to share a bed with her father...but then again, it is the Deep South! :-X</p>
<p>"But my top-secret sources at Science Service told me with utmost confidence that that Weirdgermanname Game girl from Siemens was the very first semifinalist they eliminated from consideration. Happy now??"</p>
<p>Please don't post things like this. That "weirdgermanname game girl" might be on this board and would be very hurt to see this written about her. Imagine if this were said about you -- how would you feel?</p>
<p>Anyway, you are rumor-mongering. It's ugly and beneath you. </p>
<p>Obviously I'm a parent, and normally would not read the high school discussions, but my s is a semifinalist and I found this thread through a kw search.</p>
<p>I wish you all the best of luck in the ISTS and your future careers.</p>
<p>Hi AnnudduhMom,</p>
<p>Nice to see another of us parental units around :). If you read up the thread, near as I can see, GuitarMan was just joking with flierdeke to help her jitters while they wait for the word, and she seemed to appreciate it in the spirit it was meant.</p>
<p>Pretty nerve-wracking on us moms, too, isn't it? Anyhow, good luck to you and your son. Carry on, kids, just pretend we aren't here. <em>whistles innocently</em></p>
<p>Okay, conyat. I did read the thread, and I think he should refrain from that sort of talk. I still say it's not worthy of him.</p>
<p>Would rather not hang around the 'High School Life' board either, but this is where the 'Official' thread is. I'm not that familiar with College Confidential guidelines to know if the thread can migrate or clone somewhere else.</p>
<p>Funny -- s and I weren't focussed on the Intel run-off until my brother, who's a science teacher at a magnet school in NYC, made a huge big deal out of the fact that s made semifinalist. 'Out here' where we are, no one knows/cares about the ISTS. S did the research, and is still doing it, without the Intel in mind at all. Now, and I guess for the next day or so, we will be thinking about it.</p>
<p>I wish the best of luck to all the semifinalists here, you are all winners.</p>
<p>Exactly--That girl was flierdeke! I would never ever say something like that about someone else without good reason, and without knowing that person would understand, I assure you :) I see absolutely nothing wrong with what I said. She was (jokingly, I'm assuming) talking about her low chances and I just (similarly jokingly) agreed with her, after trying to tell her her chances are probably better than most people's (which I still believe).</p>
<p>Anywho, that being said, before we go back to pretending you two aren't here (I personally don't mind noticing your existences at all but I can't just disobey a mom!), good luck to your son and regardless of what happens with STS, ISEF, etc., wish him for me the best of luck in his research and any future he may have in science or otherwise!</p>
<p>Oh!! --AnudduhMom bursts out laughing--</p>
<p>Gawsh, you kids, I swear. You've got me beat, the whole lotta ya.</p>
<p>I feel like really dense matter now, not that I didn't before...</p>
<p>Big hugs for you, GuitarMan, and all of the rest of you. BTW, S's project was also space-related. Maybe you and he will meet up somewhere, then you can both have a good laugh at my expense (I will pay for it haha)</p>
<p>Not a member of Mensa,
AnudduhMom, who really is getting off this thread now</p>