<p>hahahahahaha, i know right! I’m persian, but I know how you feel</p>
<p>In my case, I am known to edit friends’ and family’s college and postgraduate application essays…I have a very sharp knife when it comes to word count.</p>
<p>I have 3202 characters…SO FRUSTRATING!!!</p>
<p>@Sophiax27 - I can help you cut, but I understand if you don’t want me seeing your essay.
I just finished both of mine, BTW - finally! I need some tylenol, STAT…</p>
<p>@NatNatNat I’m done too! when are you turning in your app? Is there any point in turning it today or tomorrow, or do you think we should just submit it on wednesday or so</p>
<p>Did anyone else find out that the character count on microsoft word doesn’t quite match up with the one for applications? Can someone please explain why?</p>
<p>@jsjratt - I want to mull over my essays and wait for my brother to look over them, but definitely before friday. I don’t want to be caught in the inevitable server overload…
@humblebumblebee: the character count on the app INCLUDES spaces. You may be looking at the count without spaces, which will amount to about a 500 character difference, give or take.</p>
<p>No, I am reading the character count including spaces. It does not match up with how the application counts characters.</p>
<p>And for those of you with trouble uploading your transcripts and stuff because the file is too large, you can edit the jpg and resize it to make it smaller.</p>
<p>@humblebumblebee - that’s odd, I am also using word and the counts match up perfectly. Make sure you have no trailing spaces copied in - maybe that’s the problem?</p>
<p>the number under each essay box is the total amount of characters you have left before reaching 3000 total with spaces. hope that helps</p>
<p>For my diversity one (I am Asian) I talked about a very unique academic interest that I have.</p>
<p>Just finished my essays… 2983 and 2998 characters haha. You know you’re jealous :p</p>
<p>Oh, and if anyone is having any issue with file size, whoever recommended earlier to take screenshots is on point. I took screenshots and used those to make new PDFs which are legible but of a low enough file size.</p>
<p>Where else are you guys applying for summer programs? I applied to RSI (not gonna happen), Clark (favorite tied with SIMR) and I will apply to HSHSP in a month as well.</p>
<p>Haha, am I a ****ing idiot then? My first essay is 2600 and my second one’s 1800. </p>
<p>What’re your guys’ stats? I wonder what kind of people get accepted to this thing. </p>
<p>I think I’m probably applying for HSHSP, but I was too late to do any other ones. TASP sounds a crapshoot interesting, even though it wasn’t science-related.</p>
<p>Yeah I was gonna do TASP until I realized it’s just not my cup of tea. I started some essays and realized they just weren’t that good haha. </p>
<p>Stats: >235(0) PSAT and SAT, a handful of AP 5’s, and straight A’s. School doesn’t rank, but school profile makes it clear that I’d be in the very top group of kids (maybe top 5 at most). But that doesn’t really tell you a lot about who I am. Anyhow I think I’m happy with my essays so I guess I’m done with my app. Good luck to all you guys! With any luck we’ll be chilling out in Palo Alto this summer :)</p>
<p>yeah im jamasb O_o, max is that you?</p>
<p>Hi guys 
I’m also applying! Im really nervous, because this is one of my top choices. I also applied to Jackson, Rockefeller, and one at the J. Craig Venter Institute. I’m going to apply here and a few more. I’m just really nervous about not getting any of them, because they are all so competitive! </p>
<p>Oh and stats: PSAT 222, SAT 2190 (meh…), 4.0 uw gpa, 4.2 weighted, 4 APs (a lot for my school), math tutor at a franchised company, founder/pres red cross club, intern at nutrition company, piano, teach piano lessons, CTY genetics, did a lab internship last summer. A couple leadership positions in smaller clubs. Oh and science bowl team and volunteering at a concalescent hospital.</p>
<p>I live in the bay area so I’ll be able to commute.</p>
<p>oh btw, I applied to RSI, Texas Tech Clarks, and this. might try to do J. Craig Venter Institute if a have a chance. I would go to SIMR over all of them.</p>
<p>^J. Craig Venter Institute was due on the 17th. :(</p>
<p>sigh, looks like I’ll have to try NIH</p>
<p>As far as my stats, I have a 2370 total SAT score, 234 PSAT, 5 on AP bio, 5 on AP euro, ranked 1 at my school out of 750ish, have taken 8 AP classes (6 this year), and 5.0 junior GPA. Also, I’ve performed stem cell/Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease research at UC irvine med school and went to stanford’s EPGY for genetics two summers ago. Currently, i’m on the varsity tennis team, play guitar, and am captain of my science olympiad team. I took the Bio olympiad test, so hopefully i place and move onto the second round</p>
<p>No this is not Max, but let’s just say that the number 680 means something to me. If you guess I’ll tell you, oh and also I don’t actually live in Indiana, I just said that to throw identity sniffers off the beaten path 
and I got a 2380 sat FWIW if that helps you narrow it down at all.</p>