Guys this is really important for me…
Do we need proof to waive the application fee, or will they check afterwards, etc.? Also, will waiving the fee negatively impact our chances in any way? My family isn’t all that well off, but I don’t want to do anything to detract from my application.
Thank you guys for your responses…I will just be sure to Priority Mail.
@feedtheduck Based on other threads, you should need no proof, just check this box. And no, it shouldn’t impact your chances at all.
@gangstaduck I wonder if that’s true about gender, because you DO mark gender on the application, but not race. In either case though, I don’t think being female would give you a significant advantage, because there always seems to be relatively few girls in the program anyways. I’m pretty sure merit matters far more than gender.
Has anyone figured out how to do the online payment for the application fee? (Didn’t actually end up mailing it out before lol, freaked out and took it back to keep revising)
@Mjag1898 You have to go through the CEE donation page and in the comment section, note that it is the application fee. Seemed a bit sketch to me though so I just went with a check.
@daniiiis I will be getting my transcript on monday
@tooty44 the first two papers were single authored, the third paper I’m the first author of three with an undergraduate and a graduate at MIT.
Do we mail our application forms to this address?:
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 215
McLean, VA 22102
@tooty44 yes, that’s the address on the application.
@daniiiis I wouldn’t send it without your transcript. It says on the first page of the application that applicants who don’t conform to the requirements will not be considered. I would make a big effort on Monday to contact the office/person at your school in charge of transcripts. Go in person if you have to.
My school doesn’t give official transcripts to students and require them to provide a postmarked envelope to mail the transcript there, with other materials if needed. I’m a little late (my teacher rec came late), and I was planning on sending my application Priority, but with my school’s policy, should I just mail the other parts of my application first with an unofficial transcript and hope the official one gets there in time or just hope my school makes the whole package in time? Also, I thought we only needed unofficial confirmation of our PSAT scores, not AP? If I took an SAT but failed relatively, can I omit the score? Thank you very much!
^Re: to be on the safe I would call CEE by phone and ask your question about the transcript.
@msdarcy Thanks for the advice–that’s what I was planning to do anyways. However, my school only has two administrators at the moment and both know me but seem to not like me very much, so it’s quite intimidating to go to the office and I get the feeling they don’t really take me seriously. Not to mention my classes haven’t started yet so they are not expecting students in the office, and I have been there three times in the last week, so my presence has not been very well received.
I submitted my transcript request in the first week of January, and on the form it said the transcript would be ready in 3-5 days. I went to the office today only to be told that they thought I wanted my updated transcript, which would not be available for “a whiiile.” They told me I could pick up an outdated transcript tomorrow. I was so nervous I was about to cry…I don’t know what got into me because I am usually an excellent public speaker but it’s so difficult to explain myself over and over to doubtful and unwelcoming looks. I understand that they are the ones doing me a service, but it’s just all very frustrating and stressful.
I will print out my unofficial college transcript tomorrow and see if they can sign it it for me when I go to pick up my outdated transcript. Then I can finally mail it tomorrow. I should be okay because I am willing to pay whatever for the shipping and VA is close. I am just glad that I am fortunate enough to be free most of the day and have a car so that I can get to the office whenever. sigh It’s just all got me panicking and I thought the least stressful part would be getting the transcript…
I suppose worst case scenario I could just drive the 5 hours the the CEE office. Haha :,)
It’s not too late to mail the app Tuesday by priority mail is it?
@meaa7130 You might want to try express mail if on tuesday, just saying 
(at least thats kinda of what I’m doing)
Oh, and if you have like big awards that trump out all of your small awards, is it still a good idea to mention small awards?
(okay, yes, this is a bit late :P)
@meaa7130 Tuesday should be fine unless you like in Hawaii/Alaska
Does anyone know if RSI would take a separate letter of rec sent from a different state (my mentor lives somewhere else and it might be too late to have him mail the letter over to me)
So, do our counselors have to send official transcripts and standardized test scores by Friday?
What did you guys put as “awards”? Because I did win siemens semifinalist… But that’s pretty much it for science-y awards and I don’t know what else to put…
Gosh I’m flipping out about this awards thing… I know a lot of people say you don’t need extensive awards to get in, but the piece of paper looks so bare. And imagine, some people are gonna use 2 pages… when I can barely use 1/2 
If I send the app now and it’s late (CA -> MA), do they still collect my $60? It does say “Partial applications or applications received after January 16, 2015 (January 16, 2015 postmark is NOT acceptable) will be considered incomplete and will not be considered”… I really hope having it “not be considered” also entails the destruction of any checks enclosed. Does anyone know what happens in this scenario?
@meaa7130, I’m pretty sure it’s fine. Quality vs. quantity - out of pure speculation I’d wager the CEE people really don’t want to wade through two pages of bs per applicant (even if they are getting $60 per application).