I think the application explicitly said two “distinct “ fields. So better do it that way.
@iltoria
I would just do your PSAT.
And I think it is fine to have similar fields, but don’t put ones that seem super close. Some included are physics, geology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, ecology, earth science, botany, mycology, and of course all branches of engineering.
So I’m finalizing and reviewing parts of my application at the moment and am still confused and unsure about this section. Are DISTINCT SUBFIELDS acceptable? Right now I have two Biology fields but distinct subfields (ex. molecular biology, biomedical engineering) under them. Should this be fine? I’m not really sure how to describe my invovlement or interest in other FIELDS like physics or chemistry when really my passion lies in biology primarily.
I’m in Colorado as well and I have somewhat similar test scores and extracurriculars. When decisions come out can you let me know if you got in or not? Thanks.
Is rsi lenient with rec letters? one of my recommenders hasn’t submitted yet…
@tofuchan
Sorry I couldn’t get back to you in time! I think those subfields are fine, hopefully you figured it out!
@butterbear09
I’m sorry, I don’t really know because I applied as well this year. I think you could be fine. I would probably send RSI an email.
@ejhockey31 Absolutely! Good luck!
Around what time do they send the results?
@hinterland
From the last forums, I found that people start getting emails on February 28th and by mid-march, everyone has been contacted. That’s just what I’ve seen.
Thanks for the help and let the waiting begin!
Do they contact all of the accepted people before sending out rejections? i. e. if you don’t get emailed by March 1st, does it mean you got rejected?
From previous threads, you will always be notified if you were either accepted, waitlisted (alternate), or rejected within that 28th-1st window, but acceptances tend to come out before rejections.
Here is a facebook group for anyone who applied to RSI this year: groups/2712989732093118/
Does anyone have an estimate of the percentage of applicants who do not have any research experience?
@triplealphafzn
I don’t think any estimated percentage by anyone except RSI of applicants who do not have any research experience is accurate. Most people applying do not tell others their stats or experience so we don’t have any information to go off of. BUT I am guessing a lot of people have some research experience because this is a program for people who want to research. Applicants who don’t have research experience probably have some STEM experience and good stats, and hopefully some great essays.
Not sure if you have read this. But this 2019 Forbes article is pretty informative about what it takes to get into RSI.
What Does It Take To Get Into The Ultra-Competitive Research Science Institute (RSI)?
Every summer, 80 of the top students from around the world come together at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for an intensive summer program called the Research Science Institute (RSI). However, RSI is not a typical summer camp; it is free to students, and you leave with a slew of new connections and experiences that most other high school students will never be able to experience.
Interview With Research Science Institute
Moon Prep sat down with Maite Ballestero, the Executive Vice President of Programs and Administration and Maureen Palmer, the Manager, Advisory and Consultancy for the Research Science Institute, to gain further insight into the admission process and how prospective candidates can make their application stronger.
Kristen Moon: What are the general guidelines for admission?
Maite Ballestero and Maureen Palmer: To gain admission into the Research Science Institute, there is a set of general guidelines that the ideal candidate should meet. On average there are more than 1600 applicants into this camp, of which only 80 are chosen. Admissions are solely based on academics and accomplishments, and no applicant is favored due to legacy or knowing someone who is associated with the program.
Students are expected to achieve high marks during their high school career, and perhaps even lead a club or start their own business or nonprofit. While the average GPA and test scores change from year to year, typically the students will be in the top 1%. To combat GPA inflation, the admissions committee looks at individual coursework and the grades. One last thing the committee wants to receive is at least one standardized test score: the PSAT, SAT or ACT. It is not required that you take all three, just one.
However, just because you meet all of these requirements doesn’t mean you will gain a spot at the camp, and you don’t have to meet all of the criteria to be chosen for RSI. The review process is holistic, and many factors are considered.
Moon: Any advice to students on how to get accepted?
Ballestero and Palmer: Be passionate, be well-rounded. Be a leader. Be who you are. Perhaps you have heard of the saying, ‘Jack of all trades, master of none.’ We want students to find out what they are passionate about and explore it deeply. We don’t expect students to be able to list out ten or more activities they excel at. In fact, we prefer to see students doing a few activities that they have leadership positions.
We do like to see students who have been published. While the committee does love to see this, it is not a requirement and it by no means guarantees your entrance into the program. A gold medal in Science Olympiad also helps your application stand out, but once again, it does not mean you will be admitted.
Even if the applicants are from small towns, we want to see students who are taking advantage of what opportunities are available to them. We want them to exploit their surroundings in the most positive way. For example, if you are passionate about math, the student should be going to summer programs in math and taking courses online or at community colleges. Some applicants are world-class musicians, cross country stars, or accomplished singers. We have even had a previous student who could have qualified in the Olympics in figure skating. There is never a dull moment here!
Moon: What is the process of selection?
Ballestero and Palmer: We are the first high school program to use SlideRoom, which is an applicant tracking and management system. It makes it easy to share our files with a committee of seven to nine people. The process is very intensive because each member presents the students who they would like to be admitted to the entire committee, and the decision must be unanimous.
We will have applications from every single state and many countries. We have partnerships with 15 countries, and we typically admit 30 international students. We also have worked with NGOs and gifted and talented organizations to find the most qualified students. Of course, we thoroughly vet every student who is admitted into the program, regardless of how we find them.
We are very proud never to have had to charge for this opportunity. When we are selecting attendees, we make sure that we are giving a spot to a student whose life could be changed by this camp. Regardless of income, background, or where you grew up, all students are looked at objectively.
Moon: What are some of the biggest accomplishments that you have seen from past applicants?
Ballestero and Palmer: After the program ends, the students enter into their senior year. That means they will be competing in and frequently winning science fairs, the Regeneron Science Talent Search, and other math or science-based competitions. Some of our admitted students continue to show great success and continue to research their fields.
One of the mentors for our program and an alum is Feng Zhang, the inventor of CRISPR, a gene-editing technique. He is very generous with his time and continues to support the program. The founder of Pinterest, the first female math chair at
Harvard, and a Facebook engineer are all alums, and they all continue to give back to the program. As you can see, many of our students go on to achieve great things! They go on to study at Stanford, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Princeton and are the recipients of every type of award and scholarship imaginable including Rhodes Scholars, Waterman Awards, and Simons Investigators. Anything is possible for our alums.
Am i allowed to be funny/quirky on my app? Also am I allowed to ask for one stem teacher then a club supervisor (who is also my guidance counsellor)
Um, it’s past the date for application. But for the future yeah, there are no rules its “just be you”. And for the recommendations, it would probably depend on what club.
Oh im an international applicant so its not closed for me hehe 