<p>Does Summer Science Program help at all?
It is one of MIT's recommended summer programs.</p>
<p>Stop being an activity whore. If you think its something that was a big EC for you, then put it down. If not, then don’t. It is that simple. Unless you found the higgs boson or you did something out of this world…then your ECs are not going to have that much of an impact.</p>
<p>wow cicero what is wrong with you…
- you’re a jerk
- he asked if he should do ssp, not if he should include it in his college app
- you’re blatantly wrong, ECs are very important
- if you don’t have anything meaningful to say, then don’t say anything</p>
<p>eunjilee: just about anything with competitive admissions will help at least a bit</p>
<p>I don’t blame cicero too much. Bottom Line: You should do the things that you care about, not just whatever “looks good” to college adcoms. Believe it or not, many adcoms can see right through these things, and if you’re only looking to assemble a list of awards and summer programs, I’d suggest you rethink this process.</p>
<p>That said, I was a SSP alum (Ojai '06). SSP is often regarded as the “3rd most selective summer program” (if you care about such titles), after RSI and TASP. And it’s true - 7 out of 36 in the Ojai program in 2006 are now my classmates at MIT, with plenty at Harvard, Stanford, Caltech…etc. (I would say 90% of Ojai '06s who applied to Caltech got in - we even got to visit Caltech during the program =p). But that’s only the “prestige.”</p>
<p>SSP is a great program that gives you an intense grounding in college physics, calculus, and programming. Additionally, you’ll learn how to observe an asteroid through a telescope, develop the film, measure the film, and then use your measurements to generate a model through physics and programming. I’m definitely not a physics or math major (I’m a bio major now), but when I was at SSP, I enjoyed the experience immensely and quite simply, the people you meet there and the experiences you share is hard to describe. I still look back on it as one of the summers where I had the most fun and also learned a crazy amount of material.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in learning more about astronomy/physics/math (or even if you’re scientifically inclined and think you wouldn’t mind a summer chasing after an asteroid and writing an orbit determination), then apply. If you’re looking to pad your resume, do something else. You’ll probably find something that looks more impressive in the jungles of Africa.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The OP just answered his own question right there.</p>
<p>I think eunjilee90 is she not he!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Therefore it will help </p>
<p>or
eunjilee90 may meant as follows</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Im sorry cicero but I was just curious about the effect that SSP has on the admission process…
I attended this year’s SSP because I love physics and math,
but since SSP has a record of sending many students to top schools,
I wanted to know if SSP has an influence.</p>
<p>I just want to emphasize that I did not attend SSP to improve my resume.
I applied and went because I loved the concept of SSP. (and it is still the best summer of my life)</p>
<p>and I am a she… :)</p>
<p>Messiah: that was uncalled for. Jerk.</p>
<p>Of course it helps. Just look at how many people from SSP have gone to MIT in the past. That said, I went to SSP Ojai this year. So much fun ;]
Did anyone here write about SSP for any of their essays? I’m thinking of writing about it for the intellectual question essay.</p>
<p>Eun Ji!</p>
<p>My roomie!</p>
<p>You need to get off CC before it posions your view of the real world :)</p>
<p>shhhhhhh…
dont say my name, roommate! haha :)</p>
<p>you guys both went to socorro?</p>
<p>^ Even stayed in the same room :)</p>
<p>oh nice =]
…too bad Ojai > Socorro =p=p</p>
<p>umm, yeah… i dont think so…
I think we already had this discussion and it is clear that Socorro is better than Ojai 
Isn’t this Ojai’s last year??
enough said :)</p>
<p>yay, SSP thread! </p>
<p>When I did my interview at Harvey Mudd, the interviewer was ecstatic that I had gone to SSP. He even went up to my dad afterwards and asked if ‘we’ had any more questions, what his impressions were, and so on and so on. </p>
<p>So based on my sample size of one, SSP is a very large plus when you apply to a top school.</p>
<p>And we all know that Socorro is better than Ojai in every way. ;)</p>
<p>book_worm! we are both from Wisconsin! I thought in SSP’s past decade there was no one from wisconsin. lol. ppl sometimes made fun of our cows and our cheese </p>
<p>there really isn’t any point of comparing the two. it’s hosted by the same organization, same curriculum, and both are recognized nationally. so I mean we can be more friendly + tolerant right?</p>
<p>^ oh god, another WI person! happiness!</p>
<p>The CA people - all eight of them - and I had “happy cows” discussions all the time :)</p>