RSI Chances!!!!!

Applying to College
1

<p>So what are my chances at getting into RSI?</p>

<p>Courseload:
11th grade 1st semester:
IB1 Biology
IB1 Chemistry
IB2 Physics
IB1 Math HL
IB1 History
IB1 German
IB1 English
IB German Culture
(IB1 TOK and Government this past summer in order to fit a 7th IB science course into my schedule) </p>

<p>2nd semester:
same except instead of G. Culture I'll have Symphonic Band</p>

<p>10th grade 1st semester:
IB1 Math Methods SL
IB1 Physics
some honors, some regular</p>

<p>(My school forces everyone to take full-IB, though most kids start during their junior year. Thus I don't have any AP or IB scores to report since for IB classes you take a test after 2 years.)</p>

<p>4.0 GPA (unweighted), counting freshman year
PSAT: 231 (76 reading, 77 math, 78 writing)
took the SAT on 1/28 (haven't received scores yet)</p>

<p>Math/Science Stuff:
2003 and 2004 OUSMI (Oakland University Summer Mathematics Institute), summer after 8th and 9th grade (in 2003 I was one of 2 eighth graders; only kid younger was 1 7th grader)
2003 courses:
- Intro to Operations Research (MOR 342): 3.4
- Intro to Advanced Math. Thinking (MTH 302): 3.4
2004 courses:
- Combinatorics: Enumeration (APM 405): 4.0
- Geometrics Structures (MTH 361): 3.7
8th grade MML (Michigan Math League) contest perfect scores (1 of 5)
9th grade top 1000 MMPC (Michigan Math Prize Competition)
10th and 11th grade Top 100 MMPC (one of 10 during 10th grade)
AIME Qualifier: 9th-11th grade
10th grade: AMC10A score of 139.5 (only 51 other sophomores earned a higher score), 2nd in Michigan, 1st for sophomores
AIME score of 8, only 69 other sophomores scored higher
Science Olympiad Club: 9th-11th grade
Currently the Subcommander (coach) for Physics and Chemistry Events
-West Bloomfield HS invitational last yr: 6th in Designer Genes, 5th in Fermi Questions, 4th in Astronomy
-Clio HS invitational this yr: 6th in Designer Genes, 6th in Circuit Lab, 2nd in Physics Lab
10th grade Physics Club Treasurer
11th grade Physics Club VP
Occasionally attended Saturday Morning Physics Lectures at U of Mich
Attended a physics lecture by a Nobel Laureate
Started Biology Olympiad at my HS, Founder of Biology Olympiad Club, leader of "Genetics and Evolution" category</p>

<p>Other Extracurriculars:
8th grade "chinese school student of the year" award
9th grade JV track
2004: Passed the test for Section E for national piano playing auditions (Guild)
9th-11th: Building With Books (community service)
-9th and 10th tutored elementary school kids for about 2 hrs per week
-11th: attended Leadership Day
10th grade:
-Full Orchestra: 2nd chair trumpet player
-School Newspaper writer
-Ski Club
-Forensics Team: part of a multiple (acting with 7 other people), our multiple made it to states (first is districts, then regionals, then states, no nationals)
-Member of 1st place team for MI Economics Challenge, state competition
-National Student Leadership Conference on Mastering Leadership
Summer:
-started volunteering at Troy Beaumont for 3 hours per week
-Mexico Missions Trip
11th grade:
-Volunteered at a U2 concert selling One wristbands and persuading people to sign the One declaration (One campaign fights extreme poverty and AIDS all over the world, esp. in Africa)
-Future Business Leaders of America Club: attended the National Fall Leadership Conference in Pittsburgh, Director of Outside Activities (conferences and competitions)
-German Honor Society
-Full Orchestra: 1st chair trumpet
-School Newspaper writer
-Ski Club</p>

<p>So basically, I'm a mathematician, a scientist, a student, an athlete, a volunteer, a missionary, a political activist, a businessman, a musician, a writer, an actor, an economist, a leader, a pianist, a GHS member, an a skiier.</p>

<p>I think my chances are slim to none, since I haven't really done any huge research projects. Too pessimistic? Too optimistic? (I'd also appreciate RSI alumni posting their stats.)</p>

<p>Now tear me apart...</p>

<p>(Thanks for all of those that actually read all of this.)</p>

2

<p>What is RSI?</p>

3

<p>You'll be fine. As long as your questions (2 and 1, for example) were stellar, and your recs good, you'll be fine. Your EC's are killer.</p>

4

<p>get a life</p>

5

<p>On the contrary, I think he has an exciting active one, albiet in scholastic terms. If that isn't a life, what is? Chilling out at home?</p>

6

<p>partly yes.
and you probably notice that from her post. after hanging around CC for a while you can see the difference between someone who did more for passion and enjoyment and someone who merely did it for college.
"11th:attended leadership day." WOW~</p>

<p>of course, i wouldn't deny she's very talented in math/science field. and what i said might be wrong. but its most likely to be true.</p>

7

<p>AMC score this year?</p>

8

<p>btw i'm male...and only 4 people from my school went to BWB's Leadership Day (usually they're officers but our BWB coordinator likes me so i was invited to go anyways)...as for AMC score this year, if all goes well about 119.5, maybe a little less but I'm pretty sure I'll make it to AIME</p>

9

<p>Wow, I know RSI's pretty hard to get into but your academic credentials are amazing. This might be one of the most impressive courseloads I have seen on CC. Good job!</p>

10

<p>Thanks! I hope my courseload and ECs will get me in...My recs should be pretty good...my essays are probably okay/slightly above average (besides the questions where I describe my courseload and ECs)...</p>

11

<p>Essay #2 is really important.</p>

12

<p>How important is #2 compared to the other questions that would demonstrate a person's "potential to become a leader in math or science"/intellectual and personal strengths?
I have almost a page on #2 in Garamond 11 font. It was hard to write a lot about #2 since I had so much on the other questions, and the limit was 3 typewritten pages. Anyways, for each problem that I listed, I think I had a few sentences that explained why I found them interesting. Is that enough? Or does it depend on the content of those sentences?</p>

13

<p>Wow, your app is amazing. HAHA that just greatly diminished my RSI chances. =p</p>

<p>Personally, I think you listed too many "small ECs." I think it would be more impressive if you just listed the major ones and enumerated those. Great job on your AMC/AIME scores though.</p>

14

<p>Thanks for the compliment!
(For my last post I just realized how my questions may be misinterpreted. Obviously the content of the sentences for #2 matters, but how much content are they looking for? Or what are they looking for in our reasons for why we chose certain problems? Basically, what is the most economical way of answering #2?)
I'm still quite nervous about my chances though, especially since I don't think my essays were "stellar." I also saw another thread on CC with people that got in and didn't get in. There were some people with okay PSAT and SAT scores but showed a lot of passion in their essays and got in. On the other hand, people that did well in Siemens Westinghouse and other prestigious competitions were not accepted. There was a kid that got into USAMO that was accepted tho...Even they couldn't figure out what the RSI people are looking for!!!! =/
Passion or stats/honors/awards? It seems like passion is #1 on their list, with stats/awards a close 2nd since they seemed to make a big deal out of it on the list of essay questions.
With this in mind I think my app is far from "amazing" since I"m pretty sure many other people exhibited more passion in their essays than I did. Hopefully my AMC/AIME scores will get me in...
As you all already know, there were two separate sections for awards: math/science related and other. Well for the latter I guess I was trying to show diversity and variety of interests so I may have listed too many small ECs to do that. Well-roundedness is a plus though, right? (Plus most of my major ECs are math and science related.)
I think international applicants are the ones that decrease the chances of us Americans of getting into RSI. As if competing with all the high school juniors across the nation weren't bad enough, now they add the rest of the world! Of course I also assume that extremely motivated students in Europe and Asia take classes much more difficult than what their equivalents in America are taking, or are taking very rigorous classes (AP/IB) earlier. </p>

<p>Anyone want to shed some light on the passion vs. stats/awards battle?</p>

<p>Good luck to everyone applying to RSI!!!</p>

15

<p>International students face a different selection process than the domestic students. Thus, you'll only be competing with other U.S. citizens for admission. </p>

<p>About getting in... I don't think even the people who got in knew exactly why they got in.</p>

16

<p>You're competing for 1 out of about 25 spots for international students.</p>

<p>Although you have a very impressive application stats and EC wise, it's still going to be tough to beat all of the other hundreds of people competing for the 25 spots. How many of the Math, Physics, and Science Olympiads will be applying? How many geniuses? What about those with an even more impressive list of stats/ECs? It only takes 25 of those to make it so that you have less than a 10% shot.</p>

<p>Nevertheless,
RSI: 20-40% chance of getting in. (Slight Reach)</p>

17

<p>To the OP: are you a citizen or international? </p>

<p>I think you have good chances. Essay #2 is obviously very important, so as long as that was well-written and was non-cliche, etc., you have a good shot. You got an 8 on the AIME last year? That's pretty amazing. But keep in mind that the math kids that get into RSI have been top 10 on the USAMO, etc., except for perhaps Flierdeke who obviously is a genius in her own respects ;)</p>

18

<p>Predicting chances for RSI is really unreasonable, honestly....
They have rejected Davidson Fellows, USAMO qualifiers, other highly accomplished people, etc.</p>

<p>I can't predict chances for a subjective program like RSI, but good luck!</p>

<p>Passion vs. stats/awards battle?</p>

<p>I think Passion comes first, but aptitute in the subject is a close second</p>

19

<p>fyi, i'm a citizen</p>

<p>now #2 is really starting to worry me...</p>

<p>=\ I"m expecting a rejection/deferral letter in a few weeks anyways...</p>

20

<p>can anyone please tell me what does RSI stand for?</p>