<p>^if that's the case, then OHHHH crap :/. i guess sometimes, there are disadvantages to living in california and going to one of the top high schools in the nation ahahha.</p>
<p>There definitely is not a disadvantage, I believe, to being in a large state. California had a number of people at RSI last year.</p>
<p>How could you possibly say that you are the most qualified junior in a state...</p>
<p>I remember reading the one per state rumor shot down, much to my Georgian chagrin. The rebuttal (which I believe had a legit source) showed ~2/3 of states with at least one person.</p>
<p>hypothetically...</p>
<p>I think there is a disadvantage to come from a huge state like California, because RSI doesn't really take more than three per state. Also, just because you're the "best in your state" (and I have no idea how you would know that) doesn't mean you have a great chance, because a lot of states don't send any kids to RSI at all...</p>
<p>You don't necessarily have to come up with original problems, and even if you think they're original, it's possible that some team of researchers has worked on them before. The disadvantage to talking about REALLY well known research problem like.. Goldbach's Conjecture or P vs NP... is that there might be a lot of other applicants bringing up the same topic, so I guess it's harder to show that you've actually put a lot of thought into your answer or to show you're a really creative thinker.</p>
<p>Are we allowed to superscript our scores, as long as we provide all score reports?
For example, say I got a 60 in CR last year, but somehow got 55 this year. Can we just say 60, and give that year's report?</p>
<p>Also, I took the ACT, but did very badly. Do Ihave to report it?</p>
<p>I made photocopies of my score reports last year, so you would have to make photocopies of both years’ scores. Maybe you could email them about that?</p>
<p>I'm not sure they'll take superscored PSATs, but it wouldn't hurt to send all your score reports if a superscore would be higher than a single testing session.</p>
<p>I'd have to disagree about the statement that students from California may be at a disadvantage. While it is true that RSI looks to have some level of geographic diversity, a couple years ago there were three students from just one school at RSI. Larger states have more students at RSI as a general rule. They're looking for the top students in the nation and generally that happens to work itself out geographically as well so really I would not worry about getting screwed by CEE based on where you live.</p>
<p>okay so i know everyone is probably really sick of posts like this, but i'm on the fence about applying and need some questions answered. </p>
<p>in terms of scores and grades, i think that's my strongest area. i got a 240 on the psat, 800s on sat II chem and math II, and I am taking the hardest course load at my school and doing very well (i'm at a prep school in CA). took two aps last year (got 5s on both) and am taking five more this year. </p>
<p>but aside from that, i have next to nothing. i love science, but my school doesn't really offer olympiad type stuff (and even if they did, i'm not sure i would do it). no research experience. i've only won a few schoolwide awards. did mathcounts and went to states, but that was way back in middle school. i don't think there's anything to really make me stand out (except i do lots of extracurriculars). on top of all that, i'm absolutely swamped with work and won't have time to work on my application as much as other people. so my essays may not be my best work. is it even worth it to apply? i mean, i know i can't get in if i don't apply. but i'm just worried about spending a lot of time on an application if it is futile. </p>
<p>on another note, hypothetically, if i were to get into rsi, would they be okay with me skipping a couple days at the beginning or end? i have an opportunity to travel abroad for free, and i would like to do that too. if i get in, i probably wouldn't do it, but still.</p>
<p>We are all tired of it. Apply; you've got what, $40 to lose? I'd say that compared to a massively once in a life time chance on so many levels, that's rather inconsequential. Reqs can be your uniqueness, potentially. I was talking to a friend about a similar dilemma (not w/ RSI, though I'm totally in the same boat as you), and he made a good point: when you attempt something, you either succeed and yay, or you fail, and you have a chance to ammend your work ethic and/or expectations. Either way. Go for it.</p>
<p>^ very inspirational :)</p>
<p>hmm about RSI
if i can write great essays but have absolutely no science/math ECs
and definitely no research
since it's RSI
there's still no chance rte?</p>
<p>You have a chance. And it really doesn't matter anyways. Unless 40 dollars is a big deal to you.</p>
<p>and i would have to annoy my teacher for recs, especially since they're all damn busy cuz my school is so uptight</p>
<p>When it gives the checkbox "Please waive the $40 fee", to whom does that apply? Can anyone waive the fee, or do you have to show financial difficulty?</p>
<p>^ yea same question for me...</p>
<p>I can't imagine that it's just an optional donation. That'd be rather pointless. Eg I'm guessing you have to prove financial need</p>
<p>When you have questions about the application, especially a question such as the one about the fee waiver, I would strongly recommend you call or email CEE.</p>