Research Science Institute (RSI) 2009

Pre-College Issues Summer Programs
141

<p>I hate to double post, but here are some more questions I encountered after perusing the application once again:</p>

<ol>
<li>How long range are the goals? Only scientifically/educationally/professionally? Personal?</li>
<li>What exactly constitutes Beginning/Intermed/Advanced for programming?</li>
<li>What is their definition of modelling and data analysis experience?</li>
<li>Required to list all SAT I scores? SAT II scores not necessary, right?</li>
<li>Only talk about AP scores from sophomore year? Not this year going to take? Can we omit scores if we so choose?</li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks!</p>

142

<p>^
1. My long range goals went up to Ph.D. level and talked about what I wanted to do for research later in life.</p>

<ol>
<li>I'm not really sure about this, but here's what I thought (for Java)
Beginning - up to Arrays, Classes, Methods, some searching sorting (I marked this one)
Intermediate - up to Stacks, queues, trees
Advanced - pretty much can do anything you want with Java</li>
</ol>

<p>That said, I don't think it matters that much, I'm sure others had different standards to judge their technical skills.</p>

<p>3....The application seems to have changed slightly, last year they didn't ask anything about data analysis, etc experience. So I guess I can't help you there, emailing Cliff might be a good idea</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Well you aren't required to list all scores. In fact if you just listed PSAT scores, you would be fine.</p></li>
<li><p>You can talk about the AP tests you're planning to take this year, that's what I did. Not sure about omitting scores, I mean it's not like you have to send scores from AP to RSI...you self report (are you planning to omit a test with a 3 score? B/c I would put it on anyways...)</p></li>
</ol>

143

<p>Okey doke, Thank you so much gblob! That really helped a lot :D</p>

<p>(and while I do have a 3 on an AP test actually, I was just wondering if I had the option if the need arose)</p>

<p>Again, thanks!</p>

144

<p>You're welcome!</p>

<p>
[quote]
AS far as the field/subfield go - do the two most interesting problems in your field have to / should they pertain to your subfield? I don't understand whether they expect you to pick two random ones that may have nothing to do with the subfield or two that have everything to do with your subfield (as I would probably end up doing).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I think it should. I would do it just to be safe. For me I did (last year it was like list 3-5 problems)
1. Math/Number Theory: Birch-Swinnerton Dyer Conjecture, Generalized Taxicab Number Problem, Riemann Hypothesis, and Collatz Conjecture.
2. CS/Algorithms: Mostly on primality testing, efficiency, and prime number generation</p>

<p>Note this is what you are interested in, it (it refers to subfield) does not necessarily mean what you will work on during your mentorship. For instance, I listed Number Theory as a subfield of math that I'm interested in, it actually turned out that I did a project regarding algebraic geometry (closely related field) for RSI.</p>

145

<p>oh ok then so i can put biology/metabolic diseases and biology/cancer then???</p>

146

<p>To answer you dododo, yes and no - in previous years on the app they didn't explicitly state their desire for two separate fields; however, on this application they request that you please choose two different fields. So basically it comes down to "Are you willing to risk your application to have the same field?" There's no telling what can happen. You could always email them and ask them as well if you really feel the desire to. In the end, you should probably do what you feel is right, since, heck, that's what admissions have been peddling on everything forever "Be Yourself", "Be True to Yourself", etc. Anyways, yeah.</p>

147

<p>Yea..about the field, how do you guys know which fields you are planning to do? How do you know about those fields...thanks</p>

148

<p>Well, I know I'm doing Comp Sci for one because I'm a computer person... and I have a strong interest in physics as well... It's basically whatever you have an interest in. You can kinda make up subfields as long as they are significant portions of the field</p>

149

<p>Hey, I'm a sophomore and attend a relatively competitive public high school in CA and was wondering if I had a chance at RSI next year.</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 UW
PSAT: (haven't received scores yet)</p>

<p>Awards: USAMO, AMC School Winner, AMC National Distinction, ARML 4th Place, Best Delegate (Gavel) at Stanford MUN Conference 2008, Outstanding Delegate at Davis MUN Conference 2008, Honorable Mention at Stanford MUN Conference 2007 , Distinguished Delegate at Harvard Model Congress 2008, Received the top student in department award for 4/5 departments last year (i.e. English, History, Math, Science) </p>

<p>APs (by the end of sophomore year): AP Calc BC, AP Physics B, AP Physics C: Mech, AP Physics C: E&M, AP Biology, AP Macro, AP Micro</p>

<p>Leadership:
Elected Freshmen Class President
Elected Sophomore Class President
Appointed Math Club President by Mathematics Department (9-present)
Site Council (9-present)
Elected to the city's Youth Advisory Council (9-present)
Elected VP of MUN (50 member club) (10-present)
Elected VP of HMC (25 member club) (10-present)</p>

<p>Mathematics:
Founder and President of school math club
Qualified for USAMO 2008
USAMO Index of 235.5
AIME 2008I score of 9
AMC: 145.5/150
AMC School Winner
AMC National Distinction
Member of the highly competitive, San Francisco Bay Area ARML A Team 2008-present
Member of SFBA(A) Team that ranked 4th place inter/nationally (only 5 or 6 teams outside of the US) at the ARML contest
MATHCOUNTS 2007 - Chapter (Tied 2nd), State (Tied 5th)
Working on an Annual Math Competition for Middle Schools in the Area (10-20 schools(loosely based on AMC/ MATHCOUNTS))</p>

<p>Athletics:
Member of Varsity Water Polo Team 2007-present
Member of Varsity Swim Team 2007-present
Awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Member of a competitive swim team 2000-2008</p>

<p>Volunteer/ Community Service:
Over 300 hours volunteering in libraries and tutoring socioeconomically disadvantaged children
Designed and executed a two week day program to educate orphans in rural villages in India (Am currently fundraising for the orphanage)</p>

<p>Have some more significant ECs, but they aren't all that relevant to math or science.</p>

<p>Math Classes Completed by Junior Year: Algebra- Calculus BC, WOOT, Multivariable Calc, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations
Science Classes Completed by Junior Year: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, AP Biology, AP Physics B+C, AP Environmental Science, AP Chemistry</p>

<p>So essentially do I have a genuine chance at RSI, and if I do, what should I do over the course of the next year and a half to improve my chances? Is research experience necessary for RSI?</p>

150

<p>to answer the previous post:</p>

<p>in a word...duh</p>

<p>I think you have a better shot than most, and if you put a lot of effort in your app, you could definitely make it. </p>

<p>Did you honestly think you might not be qualified? (I don't mean to sound rude, but I am just curious because it seems like lots of totally qualified people think they "don't have much of a chance".)</p>

<p>Just put a lot of work on your essays.</p>

<p>Research is not necessary, but it helps.</p>

<p>For teh next year, try to get near perfect on SAT or PSAT. Thta's pretty much all you can do.</p>

<p>I wouldn't worry so much about getting involved in research in the next year. Focus on your olympiads.</p>

151

<p>Yea, I ditto what hopeful said. How can u possibly not think u'll get in..... The things that make u a shoo-in at RSI is:</p>

<p>USAMO
USABO
USACO, and etc
Siemens
ISEF
PUblished Papers in either/both Nature or Scientific American</p>

<p>But as long as ur essays are good. Seesh I hate humble people. -_-</p>

152

<p>Well, I don't have much knowledge with regards to RSI, so I wasn't sure as to how much of a shot I had. Thanks for the great advice guys!</p>

<p>
[quote]
Yea, I ditto what hopeful said. How can u possibly not think u'll get in..... The things that make u a shoo-in at RSI is:</p>

<p>USAMO
USABO
USACO, and etc
Siemens
ISEF
PUblished Papers in either/both Nature or Scientific American</p>

<p>But as long as ur essays are good. Seesh I hate humble people. -_-

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Really, aren't there at least 150 or so kids in your grade that would have such accomplishments when you are applying to RSI? I would assume that a decent amount of them would apply to RSI.</p>

153

<p>WAT!!!! Ru kidding?!?! Not all kids are science math oriented. and i happen to go to a school which is pretty much humanities oriented, so no definitely not. i bet most of them don't even kno what an internship at a lab is or have ever been to USABO or anything like that. so are u being sarcastic??? even the top h.s. in the US (ex. TJHSST, Andover, Exeter) don't have 150+ students like that or even apply to RSI. No offense, or anything, but I really feel like u don't belong in any US school I know of.</p>

154

<p>And how can you possibly have 150+ USABO, USACO, USAPO etc qualifiers if these places only pick the top 50 or so scorers??? and you realize that nature and scientific american are the most presitiogus journal science publishing places right? becuase i fell like ur misunderstanding what i said.</p>

155

<p>I'm talking about 150 people in your grade...in the entire country! lol
Sorry I guess what I said wasn't too clear</p>

<p>Coming from a humanities and athletics oriented school, there are probably 10 people in the whole school who have heard of any of those things, and I'm the only one to have accomplished any of them...in our entire district :)</p>

<p>Although, I'm sure that at least 30 Exeter kids apply to RSI</p>

156

<p>Well it wouldn't exaclty be 150, cuz they would be all different grade levels. And probably some of them are dorks and have never heard of RSI. But really if u've been to USAMO and stuff, there's really no reason to go to RSI, unless u want the experience. And sry for being all *****y lol... :) anyway, that's why RSI only has a 3% admissions rate, but also, people who are URMs can get in quite easily apparently -_-</p>

157

<p>there's affirmative action at RSI too? WHY? Obama was elected president guys, it's time we get rid of AA....</p>

<p>no, I was counting all of the people who made everything you listed, and I agree with the idea that a large number of them are probably dorks...</p>

<p>3%? really? wow</p>

158

<p>lol yea. it's 50 kids for all the people in the US and roughly 1000-1500 applicants apply every year. no wonder it's so presitigious! it's even harder than getting into med school lol, even if med school accepts like 5 percent -<em>-. anyway, yes apparently so -</em>- why do u think when u come to forums like these u hear about people who got into RSI and never had any research experience or anything special like USAMO or stuff like that. the reason is cuz they're minorities apparently. -<em>- yea, sometimes i wish they did get rid of affirmative action. i mean yea ur a minortiy so what? but for poor people it's different cuz u lived in a crappy environment to begin with. i kno a couple of URMs who lived in a reallly wealthy town and they were rich tooo. It just so happened that all of them were hispanic, but still got into harvard, yale, and princeton. which is unfair. just cuz they were hispanic doesn't mean they should accept all of them who have decent grades and stuff -</em>___-.</p>

159

<p>
[quote]
-<em>- yea, sometimes i wish they did get rid of affirmative action. i mean yea ur a minortiy so what? but for poor people it's different cuz u lived in a crappy environment to begin with. i kno a couple of URMs who lived in a reallly wealthy town and they were rich tooo. It just so happened that all of them were hispanic, but still got into harvard, yale, and princeton. which is unfair. just cuz they were hispanic doesn't mean they should accept all of them who have decent grades and stuff -</em>___-.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>amen 10 char</p>

160

<p>
[quote]
why do u think when u come to forums like these u hear about people who got into RSI and never had any research experience or anything special like USAMO or stuff like that. the reason is cuz they're minorities apparently.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Err, yeah right. I'm Asian and I got in, and I'm pretty sure Asian is not a URM. Never been to a USAMO/other olympiad in my life, nor any science fair, etc. Did one research exp. before RSI, but at the time I applied, I had no results.</p>

<p>
[quote]
there's affirmative action at RSI too?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>No, I'm pretty sure there's no racial affirmative action, but I think there is some geographical affirmative action. That's why we get people from states like UT and ID going to RSI. Mrs. D really hates affirmative action. But think what would it be like if all 50 domestic students came from CA.</p>

<p>
[quote]
But really if u've been to USAMO and stuff, there's really no reason to go to RSI, unless u want the experience.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well if you're serious about math, I wouldn't see why you wouldn't go if you got in. I mean even Eric Larson (IMO silver when he was a soph) went to RSI, thus skipping going to the IMO this year. Other really good math people such as Marianna Mao and Patricia Li both went to RSI. So why not?</p>

<p>
[quote]
The things that make u a shoo-in at RSI is:...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I personally doubt this list. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have a passion for it, although it usually follows.</p>

<p>@DataBox: As an 08 RSI math person, I think you have a good shot at RSI. That said, I give you no guarantee that you will get admitted, since there is a pretty low acceptance rate (indeed it is ~3%). I mean you've done WOOT!. If you're really interested in doing math for a career, do some research with a professor at a local university, that'll help you in the long run, and for applying to RSI. If you're curious look at Post #106.</p>

<p>Lol, you think the RSI domestic student admit rate is low. In Singapore, there are 1500 applicants and they choose 6 of them that get to go to RSI...</p>