<p>I was again reading the application, and I noticed that it said that none of the materials may be folded. Does this mean that even the recommendations can't be folded, and that they have to be submitted in bigger envelopes? Because that would mean that, since everything must arrive in one envelope, these bigger envelopes have to be in an even bigger envelope...</p>
<p>Oh, I have another question, too. What does it mean when it says teachers have to review part 2 of the application to ensure accuracy? This is never mentioned again in the application.</p>
<p>oh yea and also how did u guys write so much for ur essays??? (this is for the rsi admitted people--- i just wrote mine, and it's pretty good, but i don't understand how u could possibly write 3 typed pages single spaced with .25 inch margins.... did u guys explain things in great detail???)</p>
<p>You do need lots of detail - the more you can tell them about your scientific experiences, the better you will look.</p>
<p>I was wanting to get some advice on what my current chances of getting in are. I plan to take both the ACT and SAT in the spring, and therefore I do not have these available for the application. I am pretty worried because I had a bad PSAT test day (yeah, i know boo hoo) and got a 212. I hope my ECs can counter this poor score.
Extra Curriculars:
Research with a lab for 2 years
Science Olympiad for 6 years (1st Place in state)
Math team VP
GPML (missouri's math league) state qualifier 10th grade
Debate Team Captain
Debate Letterman
Foreign Musical Instrument for 6 years
MTV MADE (who knows, it might look good)
Missouri Scholars Academy (330 of missouris top sophomores)
National Spelling Bee 8th grade
Varsity Scholar Bowl
Model UN
Some other ones that i am forgetting</p>
<p>GPA (4.0 unweighted, rank 1 out of about 480)</p>
<p>omg, you were on MADE??? I LOVE THAT SHOW!!! were you on a recent episode?</p>
<p>RSI rocks!!! Almost everyone of the RSI 2008 Rickoids got accepted to Stanford, Yale, and MIT early!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>Hey, thanks. Yes I was on a recent episode of made. just go to made.mtv.com and click full episodes and then scroll down to football player. btw, ANYONE have an answer to my prior post (about 4 posts back)</p>
<p>your ECs are nice! but it might hurt u a bit uz it seems that u have a lack of focus. but anyway, scores don't count as much as everyone makes it out to be... but u have a chance.</p>
<p>Wow a lot of questions...a lot of them I don't really know how to answer, sorry guys</p>
<p>Chancing for RSI is hard, because RSI is not like college admissions where the general process is known, how RSI admits people is a mystery to pretty much everyone (including the ones who get in)</p>
<p>
[quote]
do the recs have to be from my math or sci teachers? i want to have a teacher do a rec for me and she knows my mathness but she isnt a math/sci teacher.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well you are applying to a math/sci program... I would suggest getting 2 recs from math/sci teachers and use your other non-math/sci teacher as a supplementary recommendation. Although have your non-math/sci teacher write about your non-math/sci side not about your mathness, it'll make you seem more balanced.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I also have NO (gasp!) reasearch experience (like real research experience in doing a real project, not volunteering). How much will that hurt me?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>There are lots of people who get into RSI and haven't done research before. Research is just one way to show that you are passionate about something, there are many other ways. CC is not a representation of all of RSI.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I was again reading the application, and I noticed that it said that none of the materials may be folded. Does this mean that even the recommendations can't be folded, and that they have to be submitted in bigger envelopes? Because that would mean that, since everything must arrive in one envelope, these bigger envelopes have to be in an even bigger envelope...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I emailed Cliff a similar question the year I applied. </p>
<p>My question was: "All my teachers gave me their recommendation letters folded in a 4 by 8.5 envelope (not sure of the exact size, but the normal size) but then I read that you weren't supposed to fold your application. So were the letters not supposed to be folded? Will I be fine?"</p>
<p>The response I got back was: "Many teachers will seal their recommendations in a standard-sized business envelope. Just include these with the rest of your packet and there will be no problem."</p>
<p>
[quote]
oh yea and also how did u guys write so much for ur essays??? (this is for the rsi admitted people--- i just wrote mine, and it's pretty good, but i don't understand how u could possibly write 3 typed pages single spaced with .25 inch margins.... did u guys explain things in great detail???)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yeah, I went into a lot of detail.</p>
<hr>
<p>Comments: </p>
<p>Not everyone at RSI 08 met the 220 PSAT minimum, I got a 214 and still got in, my ECs aren't that great...There are others who got in the 210s and still got in.</p>
<p>Why wouldn't you apply to RSI? Despite the low admit rate, if you don't apply the probability of getting into RSI is 0%. At least if you apply it's positive. If you happen to get in, not only will it be really good for colleges, you will have the best summer of your life at RSI. If you get rejected, at least you've started to think about colleges since the essays are somewhat similar. Think of the RSI app as somewhat a college app exercise.</p>
<p>Dang, why is the TASP thread catching up in views and posts?</p>
<p>by detail, do u guys mean like what u did specifically? for example lets say i did a research course where we learned pcr and electrophoresis and stuff.... should i just put " in this course i learned a lot about the techniques in research," or should i put" in this course i learned about pcrs, electrophoresis, etc."? cuz i feel like some of the admissions officiers for rsi won't kno what a pcr or stuff like that is -_-</p>
<p>^ idk really, use common sense, there is no essay "formula" to get in.</p>
<p>The mentors will read your application (that I know for sure), so I think it is safe for you to mention pcr, etc. The mentors will select you.</p>
<p>Looking back at my app, cs/math specific terms I mentioned included: the Hasse-Weil L-function, epllitic curves, Quadratic Sieve Algorithm, RSA-1024, Sieve of Atkin, Frobenius pseudoprimality test, and braid groups.</p>
<p>oh wow! thanks so much. but anyway, so did u put that no. 3??? (the questionwhich asks u what u did in math or science) and also should i just list my extracirriculars for the question that asks u about what are ur other non science/ math extracirriculars or just write about them in detail????</p>
<p>anywho, i also have a problem with my recs: all of them are generic -<em>- sigh. as in they don't include any anecdotes or etc. and just talk about my qualities and how much i was a great student, but never reallly goes in depth -</em>____- will this hurt me?</p>
<p>Hello kids.</p>
<p>^The RSI people aren't going to say, "Well, this kid's rec letter was only and 8.5 out of 10," and cross you off of their list. It is a holistic process; make them think your smart, then make them like you. It really is as easy as that. </p>
<p>I think a lot of the questions on this thread border on the obsessive side (which isn't to say that I am not obsessive, because I am). TRY to hand in the best application possible, and then let it fall out of your hands and your mind, as hard as it may be.</p>
<p>And my PSAT's were good! YAY! I actually got a 770 in reading. That was a cool surprise.</p>
<p>And that is kinda cool that you were on made.</p>
<p>Merry Christmas Everybody, and try to stop worrying so much.</p>
<p>but it's not that great a rec! (no anecdotes, not much detail either, just generic)</p>
<p>^dododo121: don't worry. recs aren't going to make you or break you. If the process is reasonable and at least partly rational, recs will just be an addendum to everything else you have. I mean, come on! Some teachers just suck at writing recs (like mine).
But then again, when you have to hand-select 60 out of like, 900 applicants, the process is at least somewhat mysterious.</p>
<p>lol when giving a teacher a rec, should I give him all my awards that ive won (like a brag sheet?-one of my friends told me to do this)</p>
<p>i know this math teacher pretty well, got an A in the his class this first semester and he was math club sponsor for my school my freshman and sophomore years.</p>
<p>However, I dont think he know about the gravity of some of the competitions ive won (USAMO, ARML,...). Should I purposely brag to him and tell him to emphasize these things when writing my recommendation so it stands out.</p>
<p>I have confidence he will write a good one but I doubt it will be unique unless I tell him to write about my EC awards in math</p>
<p>Also, do you have to send them your SAT scores if you decide to put in on the application. I didnt do so well on the PSAT (well atleast not 220 recommendation) but Im sure i got 100+ on the SAT than PSAT (*10)...I was wondering how we are suppose to "prove" these scores to them.</p>
<p>"I was wanting to get some advice on what my current chances of getting in are. I plan to take both the ACT and SAT in the spring, and therefore I do not have these available for the application. I am pretty worried because I had a bad PSAT test day (yeah, i know boo hoo) and got a 212. I hope my ECs can counter this poor score.
Extra Curriculars:
Research with a lab for 2 years
Science Olympiad for 6 years (1st Place in state)
Math team VP
GPML (missouri's math league) state qualifier 10th grade
Debate Team Captain
Debate Letterman
Foreign Musical Instrument for 6 years
MTV MADE (who knows, it might look good)
Missouri Scholars Academy (330 of missouris top sophomores)
National Spelling Bee 8th grade
Varsity Scholar Bowl
Model UN
Some other ones that i am forgetting</p>
<p>GPA (4.0 unweighted, rank 1 out of about 480)"</p>
<p>Ahh I got a 213 also-bad day
Oh and I saw Natl Spelling Bee...are you supposed to put Middle School stuff on there? (Like Mathcounts), you are Junior right? (because it said you went to some sophomore school)</p>
<p>Deja vu...but I get the hint.</p>
<p>I would say that you have as good of a chance as just about everyone else on here, which is to say there are no glaring RSI-chance-killers on your resume.</p>
<p>After, that, i think it really depends on your essays, you recs, and the fepth of your science knowledge.</p>
<p>HiPeople: Yeah I am a junior. The made epi was filmed in the tail end of my soph year, so</p>
<p>Thanks for giving me an answer on the chance thing. I just thought that my 212 psat would kill it due to the "220 strongly recommend" </p>
<p>standardized tests are bs anyway</p>