I haven’t found any official threads for SSP 2016 yet, just a bunch of scattered threads about specific parts, so I thought it’d be nice to start one. I’m applying this year, so I personally don’t have much advice to give, but I have a lot of questions about the application, so hopefully we can start talking about it all in one place!
So first of all, with my questions:
How should the essays be structured (as in, how formal should they be)? Also, do we need to reach the word limit on each one? Lastly, does SSP superscore the SAT?
I also have a few questions as well. I looked at some of the past threads and it seemed like the essays mattered a lot more than test scores/ECs. I haven’t really done anything astronomy related except take physics and Calculus although I have a huge interest in the field and would really love to attend SSP! Is it still possible for an applicant like me to get accepted?
@essyr2017 are you an international or domestic applicant?
SSP applicant here! I was actually wondering if astronomy research would give you that big of an advantage. I assume it would but then again it isn’t a pure research program. Does anyone have any idea?
@coffeeaddicted an advantage for what? For future research or physics-related pursuits? I think if you wanted to do something math/physics/astronomy related, the practice and familiarity you gain from this experience would give you an advantage in excelling in the filed.
The website seems to state that enjoying and completing physics and calculus successfully is the main pre-requisite (along with good essays), but I can’t help but wonder if my chances are really low because I don’t have any “science ECs.”
Having a demonstrated passion for Astronomy/ Astrophysics certainly helps but SSP takes kids with no such background whatsoever. It’s hard to know what goes into their secret sauce for making decisions but it’s clear that they look for diversity in terms of gender, geographic location, socio-economic status and ethnic background far more than a program such as RSI does.
I believe you can send a resume to SSP so that is where you can list your supplemental awards and activities.
Can we send letters of recommendation from professors of another summer program? Don’t know how I can do it… It seems that they only need two teachers to fill in that form? Really puzzled. TAT
SSP applicant here! I’m an international applicant. I’m wondering when they are reading applicants’ materials, do they put all international applicants’ materials together and decide who will be admitted, or do they put internationals with domestic applicants?
@shanghai001 i think the international applicants are considered separately because they’re notified of their acceptance when the domestic students have just submitted their applications
I’m applying! Although I’m sure that my math teacher’s recommendation will be very strong, I’m afraid that my Physics teacher’s recommendation won’t be as good, as I have a borderline high B in the class (it should rise by the end of the semester, but still)… He likes me as a person, but I don’t think he thinks I’m very smart. Mainly because I can’t do multiple choice questions. And I’m almost 100% sure other people from my school are applying.
I have prior research experience, but I highly doubt it’s as great of a factor. I’m basically attaching a resume in the supplemental materials section. I have lots of non-math and science extracurriculars, so do you think I should include them as well?
About the question “Respond to any or all of these topics…”, should I write a coherent essay or just write several paragraphs, each a respond to a prompt, and then put them together?
