Applications for SPARC (if you don’t know what it is: http://sparc-camp.org) are due tonight at midnight (pacific time, I’m assuming), so I thought I’d make a thread for it.
I seriously doubt I’ll get in, but I’m pretty proud of the projects I submitted (I made my own) so there’s some hope there.
So, feel free to post anything SPARC-related, I’d love to have some people to obsess over if we’ll get in with xD
Hey! I actually applied to SPARC, but I am basically 100% sure I won’t get in because I did not even submit a project.
They did say that they’d email applicants if they wanted more information, so maybe they’ll do that.
On the “Other activities” section do you think they wanted math-related or unrelated activities? I assumed unrelated since I’d already talked plenty about the math, but I wasn’t sure.
I wonder if they’ll spend much time considering mine, seeing as I’m not a USAMO qualifier, nor do I have any similarly prestigious awards, or any awards lol.
My projects were pretty simple but fun for me, I was going to do the sports project but I just got bogged down and I decided that I didn’t have any ideas that were interesting enough for it to be worth submitting.
Even so, I don’t think I’ll get in, but maybe another year I’ll actually have a chance.
I applied 11:54 the day of…didn’t do a project because it was optional and they said it doesn’t affect chances…
I applied around 11 pm the day of, haha.
They did say it didn’t usually affect chances of getting in, but everything else I submitted didn’t really seem impressive or grabbing so I thought I needed something more.
Are there any prestigious opportunities like this that the deadline hasnt passed for? This is the first I’m hearing of this and would really like to do something similar
I don’t know of any that are this hard to get into, but I think CTY enrollment is still open and there’s always art of problem solving classes. I don’t know how it ranks in prestige but I’m considering Camp Euclid, which is a unique math camp because you research unsolved problems and work in groups online. I know there are a lot of math camps out there, though.
You can check out these links:
http://www.ams.org/programs/students/emp-mathcamps
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php/Mathematics_summer_program
http://cty.jhu.edu/imagine/resources/summer_programs/math.html
Really hope that projects don’t affect applications…I applied right after NACLO Invitational results came out but didn’t have time to do a project…
Fingers crossed that girl in STEM works…
Yeah, I have the “girl in STEM” thing going for me as well, but I have nothing to distinguish myself as talented so I’m going for passionate and interested. I’ll be applying in other years as well, hopefully with some meaningful awards.
Same here. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure the only awards camps like these consider ‘meaningful’ are USAMO, USACO etc. 
I’ve only ever qualified for AIME lol.
I’ve never taken the AMC, but when I do I just want to qualify for AIME to start, haha. I’m a freshman though, so I have three more tries. By the time I found out about the AMC it was mid-February, and I definitely wasn’t ready.
Wow, you’re a freshman? Good for you. I’m a sophomore, but I might be graduating early so I’m not sure if this is my last chance to apply or not…
Really hoping my NACLO qualification will help for something…they mentioned natural language processing/computational linguistics SOMEWHERE on their site, but my hopes aren’t really high right now lol
Just wanted to add that everyone should chill out because sparc’s admissions, like RSI, is a complete meritocracy. Minoirty status, gender, familial income, etc. isn’t asked for or considered because they’re looking for the best people. I actually haven’t seen much activity even here on CC other than this thread, so I assume they probably received less apps than in the past. Last year there was a thread with 80+ replies even before the deadline.
Yeah, I don’t actually think that being a girl boosts my chances, I’m mostly concerned with if they’ll like my projects, lol. I didn’t have much time to work on them, but I am pretty proud of the way they turned out.
I did notice that it seems to be pretty unknown, so although it’s still competitive, there doesn’t seem to be anywhere near thousands of people competing for those 30-ish spots.
Darn. I hope what I put in the awards/honors section was okay then lol. I should have submitted a project… -_-
Do you think the results will come out soon or closer to May 15?
I don’t know, I’ve never applied before. I hope they come out sooner, though.
i received an email that they suggest i submit one of those optional projects…i’m too lazy though
Oh, you got an email? Glad to know that they’re actively reading them, at least. The suspense is killing me, haha.
Just got my rejection email…I figured this was coming so I never really got my hopes up in the first place. Anybody else get results?