<p>I emailed some lady named Maite who is the head of RSI I believe, she said that you can only apply as international if you are from that country.</p>
<p>Aww shoot. I finally got my application mailed out overnight, and I realized that I forgot to mention a major research presentation that I was just recently invited to make. I was really excited to put it on my application, but somehow....I forgot to add it on. I have absolute no idea of how I forgot, but nonetheless I did. Is this totally helpless?</p>
<p>What? You can only apply as international if you're international?</p>
<p>Yeah, I went to ISEF last year. There were 9 of us '06ers and at least 12 '05ers. All of the '05ers hung out together pretty much the whole time; it was one of the biggest cliques at ISEF :D THere was a RSI breakfast with Matt McGann, as well as a MIT luncheon...good times. Ahhh I REALLY hope I make it again this year...</p>
<p>wtrbear, email Maite and tell her that you forgot to mention it in a letter. i don't know much about international admissions, but i think you have to apply to RSI through your country (each country has different programs that get students to RSI). but i think there was a girl in '05 who lived in CA but she wasn't a US citizen and was accepted as an int'l</p>
<p>Does anyone know how long it takes for mail to go from New Jersey to Virginia? I'm really worried, because I had everything done weeks ago, but because of midterms and other obligations, the two teachers I asked for recommendations STILL haven't given them to me. They both promised that they would by tomororw, and at first, I thought it was postmarked by Feb 9th, but now that I check, it says at the CEE office by Feb 9th. If I get it to the post office by tomorrow afternoon, do you think it'll make it? And if it doesn't, would it count against me? Also, my transcript was sent out today too, but separately because my counselor wouldn't let me attach it with the rest of the application. Is that okay as well? I'm worried that the transcript will get there before the app, and they'll be confused.</p>
<p>NJ to VA isn't all that far. Send by priority mail, or whatever the fastest thing is. I was under the impression that all application materials needed to be sent together. I don't know if it's like a college, where they have a special file for you upon receipt of separate items. But I'm sure that, with 1300 applicants, they've seen all sorts of different cases. Why wouldn't your counselor let you include the transcript with your application? It's not like your transcript is something confidential, at least not if it's YOURS. Wow, this makes me love my school and its flexibility with such things. I can just walk in, request a copy of a transcript, and I'll have it by the end of the day. </p>
<p>And another thing, which goes for all of you who will be applying to college next year: Please make sure you give your teachers/counselors enough time in advance to write and return your recommendations!!!!!!!!!!! This is why I sent my RSI application in so early. I gave the rec forms to my teachers really early, just in case they took awhile, and luckily they did them pretty quickly. And with college stuff next year, get your rec forms to your teachers within the first couple weeks of school if you're applying ED/EA. I know they'll appreciate it.</p>
<p>I'm finished with my app and everything is ready to be sent, but looking back on the questions, I'm suddenly confused. For #2, are you supposed to have TWO combinations or just one? As is, I have biology/neuroscience, and biology/immunology, and three questions each for neuro and immuno. Did I do that correctly?</p>
<p>Ah, thank you so much Spudman! Yeah, I'll probably end up skipping first period to rush and get everything together so my parents can send it out in the morning. Hopefully the few hours will get it there on time... it'd be horrible if I get disqualified because it was late. I gave the recommendation sheets to my two teachers at the beginning of January! I thought a month was enough, but they kept on putting it off, and if it wasn't for the fact that I started really pestering them last week, I think that they would have waited till the last day... Friday.</p>
<p>And yeah, I hate our policy saying how transcripts can't be given to students and that they have to be mailed separately. I attached a note to my application explaining that, so hopefully it's alright. I had to fill out this long-winded request form to give to the guidance secretary so she could prepare my transcript and send it out and all that jazz. I hate how much bureaucracy my school has...</p>
<p>hellancefire: that looks fine, that's pretty much what I did for #2 as well.</p>
<p>hellancefire: I'm sure what you did is fine, but it doesn't make sense to do that when one of the sheets asks you for a field and a subfield with blank underlines (each labeled field and subfield). They are clearly asking for one field, and one subfield.</p>
<p>i feel as light as a porous rock</p>
<p>because</p>
<p>i sent it out!</p>
<p>i am a free man.</p>
<p>so im curious!</p>
<p>how do they evaluate us? dont MIT people read our apps? then why are we sending them to VA?</p>
<p>i guess they first sort out the <220 apps.</p>
<p>last minute question...i'm sending this out overnight tomorrow
for question 2, is it OK to write a paragraph for each field-subfield group rather than listing each problem separately and writing a sentence or two of commentary?
how long should the response to question 1 be? question 3?
thanks</p>
<p>it's not the format of the your answer that matters, it's the context. I wrote my answer to question two in the way you described and it worked out fine. </p>
<p>Note to Kyle: you might also get the axline and have a chance at caltech!</p>
<p>corina: good luck on isef. i hope you make it this year :D. i'm not going to compete this year because all my ib and ap tests come around that time, but i want you to bring my spirit and "sketchiness" to the breakfast when you meet the other rickoids ;)</p>
<p>so what're all your fields and subfields</p>
<p>I'm focusing on Biology, Gene Expression. I wasn't a huge fan of the whole "pick a second choice thing," but oh, well. I'd really like to study the molecular interactions regulating transcription. I mentioned some specific transcription factors I'd like to focus on and the fact that I've done some background reading on it (9 journals, 144 abstracts).</p>
<p>I guess all we can do now is cross our fingers, hope for the best, and try not to think about it until March 31.</p>
<p>whaa...vanilea, isef >>> ap & ib testing. BUt I'll try my best to make it. FOR YOU :)</p>
<p>poignantpianist1, didn't you apply last year as well? i could have sworn...</p>
<p>I hope then don't sort out hte <220 apps. They said it could be offset by other achievements in competitions, leadership, and grades. I really hope they read through all my stuff before making a decision, cuz my score was 217.</p>
<p>field: biology (or behavioral science), sub: neuroscience</p>
<p>I was at ISEF 05 and 06. So that I can connect, and since people should be sending in applications by now, can I have previous ISEF people's name and board title? I still have the huge project list and the awards list. </p>
<p>Mine was Auto Tracking Device (for 05, did not place), and The Context Effect of Sense Stimuli on Declarative Memory (for 06, 3rd Behavioral). I remember having this guy who made a plane smaller than the hand next to me. He pwned the government awards (where the green's at).</p>
<p>YES! I'm a junior member now! (whatever that means, I'm not a noob)</p>
<p>poignantpianist1, RSI is a program started by the great Admiral Rickover and run by the Center for Excellence in Education. It is hosted by MIT, and in the past has been at Caltech and other places. It is not a program through the university. Your applications are sent to Virginia, because that is where you'll find the headquarters of the CEE.</p>
<p>Speaking of sketchiness, I want to visit RSI this summer as a nobody and be the one who administers the Purity Test. Do you guys know when you'll find out about the counselor positions?</p>