<p>Sorry, I meant some* states, as my companion is criticizing me for saying “many.”</p>
<p>How important are the psat scores in the decision process? I know I screwed up one math and that may put me below the recommended score.</p>
<p>@Mjag1898
How were your SAT scores? I recommend you take that for RSI. If you do better on that you can just omit your PSAT score.</p>
<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>I am applying for RSI 2015 and would like someone to chance me. I don’t think I have much of a chance though. Here are my accomplishments:</p>
<p>Physics Olympiad Participant
Chemistry Olympiad Participant (6th in school)
USACO Bronze Level (scored 533/1000)
Outstanding Scholar Award (School Award)
AP Scholar Award
Scholastic Bronze Key Award for Poetry
Google Science Fair Participant
Siemens Research Competition Participant</p>
<p>GPA: 4.24/4.8
SAT: 750/700/780</p>
<p>Should I leave out the “participant” accomplishments? I don’t know if they add to my application.</p>
<p>@rosebud1997
Should I put all past scores?
I have 2180 SAT(660R 790M 730W) from 2014 March/ 31 ACT (22R 33E 35M 35S) from 2013 February /And probably 225+ on PSAT (probably 72R 80M 75W) and 800s on SAT II(chem physics and math lvl2)</p>
<p>@mercurial23
I wouldn’t list the participant accomplishments in your list of awards, but you can mention these in essays.
@jhgong
I don’t know the exact rules of score reporting, but you may want to clarify with the office if you’d like.</p>
<p>@rosebud1997 @dpandah I don’t have SATs, but I have an 800 on the math 2 subject test. Is that enough of a math indicator? My only reason for doubting it is that test has a huge curve which I’m sure CEE is aware of.</p>
<p>I have a tidbit of advice for all applicants: the essays are the secret to getting in. You need to make yourself sound interesting. Do not write about sitting in your room and studying all day, even if that applies to you. Don’t list off your accomplishments either. Go ahead and mention some of them, but don’t go in depth on anything that would be self-explanatory from skimming through your résumé.</p>
<p>Basically, you want to convince the reader that you’re the kind of guy they’d like to go for a beer with. Just be yourself, and sound interesting. And if you really aren’t interesting at all, I’m terribly sorry. But if you’ve never talked to a girl in your life before, chances are you aren’t the kind of person colleges and prestigious programs like RSI are looking for, nor would you have an enjoyable experience at these programs.</p>
<p>**Qualifications: I had a semi-mediocre record (67/80/67 (W/M/R) = 214 PSAT, B+'s in humanities classes freshman and sophomore year, B- in studio art 2). I didn’t win any competitions. All I had was a math award given by my school and the fact that I skipped two math courses during high school. However, I have an intense drive and an energetic, humorous personality that came through in my essays. Result: I was waitlisted at RSI and got into SSP. (I met people at SSP with better stats than me who got flat-out rejected from RSI. I’m assuming my essays were better.)</p>
<p>That last post reminded me - how many other camps did you guys apply to as backup? I only have 1 other one lined up for now (PA Gov school of sciences)</p>
<p>@dpandah Thank you for your reply @tetratic Please read my previous posts and help me sound interesting! I do not watch TV. How will I complete Siemens math project if I do not go to RSI?? Also please advice from @rosebud1997 I don’t know what to do! I am so stereotypical. @MichaelPemulis @daniiiiis Thank you guys for being my friend</p>
<p>@caltech411 No one here can /make/ you sound interesting–unfortunately (or fortunately, really) that part is up to you! Don’t think of yourself as stereotypical, even if you feel that on paper you are. But YOU are not the person you are on paper, you are not the classes you have taken or the awards you have won, and your entire identity is not as a science and math student. My advice is the think about what drives your passion for science and math and think about how that applies to the world, and fundamentally to who you are. Consider the things that you like to do that are not related to science and math, and why you like to do them. I KNOW you are an interesting person because you have that drive in you to want to go to RSI despite the challenges in applying, and I know you can find the interesting person inside yourself to show on the application. If you really put your heart into the application and don’t get in, then it shouldn’t be a bad thing because then the program is probably not a good fit for you. But I think you can do it ^^ try your best.</p>
<p>@rosebud1997 Just a quick question–I took SAT Math II last year and messed up (there were 8 Law of Cosines questions! I forgot the law and panicked lol) with a 760. This is definitely not an indicator of my strength in math (I have an A in Multi right now), so I want to leave it off. Is that okay?</p>
<p>Also just to anyone who knows, the application says to have your school send your official score reports. How does that work? I’m pretty sure only Collegeboard has the official record of my SAT score. Is the school supposed to have it?</p>
<p>@tetratic
That was such a sound advice! Thank you so much! How was your experience at SSTP? That’s my backup-ish summer program. I really want to get in RSI, but just in case you know? And which SSTP was it? It ssems like there is one for Belin Center and University of Florida.</p>
<p>@daniiiiis Hmmm… I don’t know if it is okay to leave off scores. I just took a printout of my scores and put that in with the rest of my application.</p>
<p>@caltech411 Dawg, I can make you more interesting no problemo. The first step is to get a better sense of style so I would suggest you dump out your closet right now</p>
<p>I’m going to post stats so if anyone wants to chance me, please do!</p>
<p>I go to a small state (only sent 1 kid to RSI for the past 3 years)</p>
<p>Coursework: (should all be A’s)</p>
<p>Diff EQs
MV Calc
300+ biology course
200+ biology course
AP Literature
AP Physics 1&2
AP Chem
AP Stats
AP Spanish</p>
<p>Test Scores:</p>
<p>ACT: 34 (33E, 36M, 36R, 32S) – I took this test at the end of 9th grade (should I mention that???)
AP: Bio (5), Calc BC (5), USH (5)</p>
<p>Research:</p>
<p>Paid research assistant at local university
Will publish first-author paper (will be in process of review around january – good chance in high impact journal)
NIH Internship
Collaborator for big research lab on east coast</p>
<p>Awards: (My weakest section)</p>
<p>Local science fair awards
Regional SciOly medals</p>
<p>P.S.</p>
<p>If anyone could give me advice on how to go about telling the adcom about my to-be-published paper, I would be extremely thankful!</p>
<p>@tooty44 Pretty good chance I think. Unless the research paper is super top secret, describe it in your essays.</p>
<p>@caltech411 Okay, so more seriously, there isn’t any way I could possibly make you more interesting. Just write about your life experiences. Even if you’ve done nothing but school for the past twelve years, I’m sure you’ll have <em>something</em> to write about.</p>
<p>For the test scores, aside from just entering them into the application form, should I also have an actual score report for each test (SAT, SAT II, AP, etc.) sent with the application?</p>
<p>@jhgong I was at SSP, the Summer Science Program. Don’t make it your “backup”- the acceptance rate is less than 10%.</p>
<p>@tetratic
You know what I meant though… It is relatively easier to get in sorry if I offensed you or something. How was it though?</p>
<p>@Mjag1898: Yes, that should be enough. Hopefully you have other math achievements to back it up. But they do require at least one SAT/PSAT score.</p>
<p>@caltech411: Let your passion shine through in your essays. Read sample essays online, have VOICE and really think about WHY you do what you do. Maybe there’s some motivation you have to do science that isn’t so typical–if you could write about that could be awesome.</p>
<p>@daniiiiis: I don’t think it breaks any rules to leave SAT II tests off (it’s fine for colleges). But I would hurry and retake it and see if you can get another better score and send that instead (less risky too if they actually require all scores).</p>
<p>@tooty44: The research paper you may potentially publish may give you a huge boost. If you get that published in a legitimate, high-caliber journal, then I would say you have around a 40% chance, give or take depending on the quality of your essays.</p>
<p>@Tacantong: Wouldn’t hurt.</p>
<p>@jhgong: It is relatively easier to get in. RSI’s acceptance rate is lower than that of any university in the world.</p>
<p>Hello, My D asked for someone to rate her chance. Much appreciated. Thank you.</p>
<p>Physics Olympiad Participant
Chemistry Olympiad Participant (6th in school)
USACO Bronze Level (scored 533/1000)
Outstanding Scholar Award (School Award)
AP Scholar Award
Scholastic Bronze Key Award for Poetry
Google Science Fair Participant
Siemens Research Competition Participant</p>
<p>GPA: 4.24/4.8
SAT: 750/700/780</p>
<p>AP’s: Chemistry (5), Physics C (both 5), Physics B (4), Calculus BC (4), Computer Science A (4), Spanish Literature (3), English Language (4), English Literature (3), World History (3). Is okay to leave off some low-score AP tests?</p>
<p>SAT II: Chemistry 780, Physics 770, Chinese 800, Math II 800, German w/ Listening 660</p>
<p>10%?</p>