<p>This is ridiculously soon, but it's good to see an early start. I'll answer your questions.</p>
<p>You need two teacher recommendations, correct, and the application asks for them to be from teachers in the math/science field. I had my calculus and physics teachers write them.</p>
<p>I don't remember if there was a place for supplementary recs, but I did not submit one, and I don't think it's allowed.</p>
<p>No one has actually gone for astronomy, but I know last year that two Rickoids who went for physics ended up doing research on microlensing events.</p>
<p>Thanks sinistercharity. PKswmr76.. i've read in past threads that there are people there with no research experience, but that it does help a lot. Sadly... my research experience... includes no science fairs. I spent a lot of time on research sophomore year, but it all turned out to be statistically insignificant so I didn't submit it anywhere. This year, I don't even have a mentor yet.</p>
<p>No one really knows what exactly it is that gets you accepted to RSI. It goes without saying, however, that everyone there has ridiculous resumes.</p>
<p>I haven't really taken math classes at my high school (except BC Calc, but the teacher has left), and most of my math classes are at the local university. Are we allowed to ask university professors for recommendations? Or are we just allowed to ask our high school teachers.</p>
<p>"Are we allowed to ask university professors for recommendations? Or are we just allowed to ask our high school teachers."</p>
<p>You should ask university professors for recommendations if they know you well enough and can comment on your academic potential. If you have done some research work under a mentor, a letter from the mentor is also very helpful.</p>
<p>I heard about this program from a friend in Boston... I lived there for two years before I moved to Maryland. It's pretty tough to get in... and the PSATs I took just hours ago today reinforced this assertion. I have participated in several MIT programs before when I was back in Boston, so I know a bunch of people there. I do doubt my performance on the PSAT, and I'm planning on taking the December SAT test and hopefully make up for this test (dang... I hate being careless on math problems... especially when they take 4 points off instead of just 1 if you get one wrong). </p>
<p>I'm co-captain of physics club, pres. of engineering club, and that's about it. I don't have many sports, and I don't really have much time for music (besides singing in the showers). Taking 5 APs now as a junior, BC Calc, AP lang, AP phys, AP US, AP programming II (and I'm only doing well in calc and physics... the others are in the B range) I do a bunch of stuff in my church, which coult potentially count for community service. So based on that record, do I stand a chance of getting in?</p>
<p>hey MITdude, u say u've participated in several MIT programs before...what were they like, how'd u get in? ...oh and i commiserate with you regarding the psat...blah. stupid mistakes.</p>
<p>so what exactly does it take to get into RSI?</p>
<p>i'm a junior, obviously, taking 5 AP classes: eng lit, chem, spanish, u.s. hist, and calc bc - all As. i'm president of the spanish national honor society, member of the science national honor society, member of our science team (JETS), and member of my school's debate team. i have a reasonable amount of community service and i also dance/sing outside of school...</p>
<p>mmm what else...my class rank is #3 and my GPA on a 4.0 scale is 4.0 and on the 6.0 scale, it's like 5.82...</p>
<p>oh a couple more things...i did research at baylor university the past summer for 8 wks (40 hrs a week) and i've also gotten AP scholar with honor...i wanna get into RSI!!!</p>
<p>lol, i have no idea about the requirements, but the programs that I participated in MIT are:
STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) for... 2 years?
SEED (Saturday Engineering Enrichment Program) for a year...
CAI (Chandra Astrophysics Institute) for 1 year
that's about it ><
the programs are AWESOME, but u gotta live in Boston tho. I'm sure these can help on my application to RSI, but I'm still wayyyy too noob compared to those ppl who took linear algebra and won math olympiad several times just finishing middle school >< man... right now i'd better concentrate on my studies... and take the SATs in december. (dude, from what i see, u got like everything u need... and u took a bunch of APs before even junior year unlike my 0 AP record till this year, I'm sure if you try hard, u can get in! I'll see u there next year if we both get in xD)</p>
<p>wow those programs you did sound impressive...too bad I don't live in Boston =( and if YOU'RE noob, I'm definitely a little out-of-it...but thanks! if you're right and i really DO have everything I need, then I look forward to seeing you there next year <em>high five and crossed fingers</em> =D</p>
<p>umm... a bunch of stuff... a little physics, image analysis (those that has been taken and analyzed by astronomers), basics about astronomy (not some noob introduction tho, it's good, u actually learn impressive stuff that's not deep, but cool and enough to show that u have real knowledge in astronomy).</p>
<p>that's a recent news article about CAI... I think it should include a lot more detail than the explanation I offered ><
I've graduated from it, and I received this article from a mentor of mine. </p>
<p>If you have any further questions, just ask away! I'll try my best to answer... but try to be more specific next time =D</p>