Research Science Institute 2006

Pre-College Issues High School Life
481

<p>"All I'm saying is that it seems that if you haven't done some serious research, placed statewide at least in some math or science competition, or gotten a near perfect score on some Collegeboard standardized test, you better hope you can think like Newton and write like Shakespeare when completing that app."</p>

<p>that's actually... wow... i like that. definitely not in any position to evaulate its accuracy, but i like it... i'm going to post it on my xanga. yeah. lol... except it might **** some people off. oh well.</p>

482

<p>yo i was reading some of the principis mathematica the other day, and newton didnt write any formulas, its all geometric and it has like english deifnitions, mad weird</p>

<p>just thought id share</p>

483

<p>I have a question:</p>

<p>I did research in computer science for a year with my own AI project and entered it in Siemens Westinghouse, but didn't place.</p>

<p>I did an internship for research at the University of North Carolina Charlotte over the summer w/ Computer Science that was in a different field, and did not use it for siemens.</p>

<p>Should I put both down for RSI? I'm applying for Computer science,artificial intelligence. I was told that they only look at research done in a university environment, but I didn't have anything like that for my research prj. What would you guys say i do?</p>

484

<p>Put both down; any research experience would be helpful.</p>

<p>I didn't have any university research when I applied to RSI, I did everything at school.</p>

485

<p>Yeah, I would put both down. Anyways, quit touching yourself/elongating, polymerchain, you had been to ISEF twice already when you applied to rsi...lol. I love pizer jokes! congrats on SW Regionals!</p>

486

<p>lol, thanks. oh god, WHY did those terms need to be used in my project?! wierdos like vinayak take them out of context...hehehe.</p>

487

<p>Macho bulge?</p>

488

<p>electron burst</p>

<p>...or was it gamma ray burst?</p>

489

<p>gamma ray burst. plus OGLE and EROS.</p>

490

<p>eros ogles the macho bulge</p>

491

<p>hmmm... I don't really have any major awards in science and math competitions. I am doing ISEF this year, and did Siemens. Do you think that I need to "think like Newton and write like Shakespeare when completing that app?"</p>

492

<p>Well...you need to make it to ISEF first....</p>

493

<p>Yeah yeah! I know, but I'm just saying that is my intention, just as Siemens Westinghouse was my intention ;). </p>

<p>I'm really counting on individual projects I did, and perhaps the essay, because I don't have any crazy SAT scores or huge awards.</p>

<p>If I get one benefit from the whole RSI application, it will be that the questions force me to think about exactly what I'm doing and where I am going(which helps).</p>

494

<p>Here's a question for all the Rickoids. I'm getting the impression that most people here think that "research experience" is a must to get into RSI; I'll state that I don't think that was the case my year. So, which of the following has happened?
(a) Rickoids have gotten smarter,
(b) "Research experience" is easier to come by these days,
(c) Rickoids are more full of themselves than before, or
(d) Rickoids have more opportunity to be full of themselves thanks to CC?
I doubt (a), am sure (b) is true to some degree, but think it's probably just (d).</p>

495

<p>I think it may be that RSI applications are way up, so it's getting more and more competitive as the years go by. So, in essence, its (a).</p>

<p>(others too though)</p>

496

<p>(a) and (b) clearly are contributing factors. i agree with zogoto on the increased competitivity, seeing as RSI is better known than it used to be. opportunities for high school research (of both the quoted and unquoted variety) are more plentiful as well.</p>

<p>i think you're very misled on (d), however. i hope you realize that given the nature of CC, the most active rickoids here also tend to be the most ambitious and accomplished, and that affects their perception of what it takes to get into RSI. of course, the point of this discussion board is to be vocal and give advice to others, so they're not going to be shy about it either. CC isn't going to give you an accurate and complete impression of the opinions of rickoids, so it shouldn't be used as a basis to judge us recent rickoids.</p>

<p>i myself didn't have drop of research experience when i went to RSI, and i know there were a good deal of people there like me. if research were "a must to get into RSI", i, along with many others, certainly wouldn't have been there this summer.</p>

<p>i feel you're being a bit more caustic than is neccessary. sniping at other rickoids, whether from one's own year or not, is damaging to the spirit of camaraderie that so many of us shared and valued so highly at RSI. nobody's going to make you, but i'd really appreciate it if you toned it down a bit.</p>

497

<p>It's also very dangerous to call any group of people "full of themselves". Personally, I don't think that "I got into RSI because the admissions committee recognized me as an extraordinarily passionate, inspirational person" is any better, or more humble than, "I got into RSI because of my research experience and good test scores". If anything, it's worse.</p>

498

<p>I'll just respond to your (chengs's) point on being damaging to the spirit of camaraderie of RSI. It somewhat encompasses the CC aspect of this situation.</p>

<p>I appreciate the Rickoid group and the Rickoid experience, but there is something that is also important: outside image. I feel that a lot of what I see Rickoids writing online projects a very elitist, self-centered, and boast-ful idea of RSI. On a related issue, as far as I understand, some of the friction between Mites and RSI (which did not really exist before) is because many Rickoids believe RSI is a superior program or that people in Mites are at MIT just because of race.</p>

<p>What I really mean to say is this: had I seen an online discussion like this before I applied to RSI, I <em>wouldn't apply</em>. I would not want to be a part of this community. Stuff like "We're RSI 2005, the creme de la creme... the new guard, the geniuses of our generation..." --- I acknowledge that he apologized for this, but it's nonetheless disturbing to me. I want people to know that RSI isn't for people who test well, people who have connections, live near biomedical research centers, or people who win ISO medals. I want people to know that RSI is full of <em>nice</em>, fun, "work hard, play hard" people but also that its selection process is entirely imperfect. I want to still believe in the idea that a person who really lives and breathes science with poor or no stats can make it into RSI just for that.</p>

<p>I had this same problem a few years ago when, as far as I know, the first CC thread on RSI began, after RSI '03. Two people dominated the discussion there; one of them was one of your TAs, Jason Chu. And I really like Jason; I just didn't like the image that was projected then either, but I didn't say anything. I realize that you're still in high school, and you're applying for college. You're still in "SAT scores matter" mode, and that might not change for perhaps a year. I just don't feel like many people going into RSI have "research experience". There are very few, albeit not zero, Rickoids who publish before college, and much fewer before RSI. (Congratulations to those non-zero Rickoids of your year who have published.) I also disagree that new Rickoids are necessarily smarter than before; for example, the talk in the math community goes that next year almost certainly a Rickoid will win the Fields Medal. I'm not saying that none of the people from your year will do the same (and I would love for them to), but that you're up against some tough competition, guys. Simple arguments about RSI being better known aren't necessarily correct, either: RSI has also gotten <em>bigger</em>.</p>

<p>And a quick response to randomperson: Perhaps, but the point is you <em>don't know how you got into RSI</em>. I don't think I can say that enough. I wish the conversation focused on things that you <em>are</em> qualified to talk about, like the environment at RSI, sleepless nights, why it's so fun, etc.</p>

<p>But fine, I'll stop "being caustic": I'll stop posting. Cheers; it's your RSI, too.</p>

499

<p>I either think phooey is a complete fake because no one who attends RSI would say that or he's just really bitter.</p>

<p>I, for one, would like to know who yo are, and hope that you're not in RSI 2004 MIT.</p>

500

<p>"I feel that a lot of what I see Rickoids writing online projects a very elitist, self-centered, and boast-ful idea of RSI."
That's dumb. Your perception is very poor because this is every single scientist do in the community. They publish. They write. To stigmatize it with those adjectives and not give any evidences is immature.</p>

<p>" On a related issue, as far as I understand, some of the friction between Mites and RSI (which did not really exist before) is because many Rickoids believe RSI is a superior program or that people in Mites are at MIT just because of race."
Maybe that's what you think but when I was there, that was not how I viewed them. Please don't generalize the views of RSI because we're not all like-minded. They are two very different programs and should not be compared. Lynwood got rejected from MITES. He was black. Guess what? He was also a Rickoid from RSI 2004. The next time you make these stupid remarks, please don't speak for all of us because I'm quite offended.</p>

<p>"What I really mean to say is this: had I seen an online discussion like this before I applied to RSI, I <em>wouldn't apply</em>. I would not want to be a part of this community. Stuff like "We're RSI 2005, the creme de la creme... the new guard, the geniuses of our generation..." --- I acknowledge that he apologized for this, but it's nonetheless disturbing to me. I want people to know that RSI isn't for people who test well, people who have connections, live near biomedical research centers, or people who win ISO medals. I want people to know that RSI is full of <em>nice</em>, fun, "work hard, play hard" people but also that its selection process is entirely imperfect. I want to still believe in the idea that a person who really lives and breathes science with poor or no stats can make it into RSI just for that."
Yada yada yada. Stop whining. My god.</p>