Accepted to CUB! Can’t wait but it’s soo expensive and now I have to apply for grants.
Rejected. Congratulations to all of you who were accepted! SSP wasn’t my first choice so this doesn’t hurt that much lol.
congrats @warrior05 Obviously there will be exceptions and you clearly have extremely good essay writing skills and teachers like you a lot. If both of these aspects are average, there is 0 chance of getting in without a research award.
lol @warrior05 “Great ecs psat and GPA” ok well i take my claim back. If everything else is not perfect then research awards are necessary…
@college717 SSP wants people who will benefit from the program. I was admitted last year with barely any research experience from a rural state. I didn’t have a 4.0, I didn’t have a 1580 (never have and never will), but I had passion for astronomy and a drive to learn as much as I could. They thought I would benefit from SSP so they admitted me. I benefited from SSP for sure. I applied what I learned to my exoplanet detection research and found an exoplanet a few weeks ago (need to confirm it on next transit tho) and my research got me first in category at my state science fair and a full ride to my state school. I don’t have amazing stats but they believed in me and thought I would benefit from SSP so they admitted me. If they admitted only people with the absolute best stats a lot of the participants wouldn’t gain a lot from the program and that would leave people who would benefit from it in the dust. It’s all holistic, much like the college admissions process you will know soon.
Those of you who are going to SSP with Caltech and MIT in mind should know that SSP isn’t a golden ticket to those schools. I was rejected by both of them and a friend from the program was as well (she got into UPenn tho). A lot of people do get into incredible schools. Everyone I know did. But keep in mind that isn’t the case for everyone and SSP isn’t a golden ticket anywhere.
All this aside, SSP is incredible and I’m very happy for all of you who were admitted today. SSP is really hard but I loved it so much and I’m incredibly grateful I was able to participate in it. You guys will learn so much and make lifelong friends!
@frazzledazzle well obviously MIT and Caltech still want high test scores and gpa like 3.9 UW + and 1540+
And you had research awards and was from an underrepresented area which proves my point…
@college717 These research awards are from this year AFTER I went to SSP. I did have 2 minor awards from before then (3rd in category freshman year and US Navy Office of Naval Research award sophomore year) though, but that doesn’t matter. I know that about MIT and Caltech. I went through the app process and applied to those schools (and others) this year. Yes I’m from an underrepresented area but so what? They still want people who can benefit from the program and that isn’t necessarily people with the highest GPA/scores. There’s no “point” to be made. You’re either in or you’re out. The people who make the decisions have their reasons and there’s no use pointing fingers at reasons when the decision has already been made.
Btw, I was 100% sure I was going to be rejected because of my GPA and PSAT score. I was also rejected from the Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics. But I wasn’t. This process, much like the college app process, is a cr*pshoot. You never know what’ll happen.
Accepted to CUB :)>-
Accepted to CUB too! I personally didn’t think I would get in, but I think SSP is looking for people who can handle the extreme rigor (according to the handbook it’s extremely hard and the pace is like college sophomore/junior level). I didn’t mention my love for astronomy that much in my essays, so I’m still wondering how I got in.
@bronze267 I wondered how I got in after I did as well. It’s normal. Congrats on your acceptance! The CUB campus is amazing!
Also accepted to CUB! I did not think that I had a chance of getting in. I was flat out rejected from YSPA. I have basically no significant STEM extracurriculars (my school doesn’t offer any extracurriculars and no one competes in competitions, but I forgot to explain that). I have done no research and I have won no awards. I think my teacher recs were decent though and I wrote about how my love for astrophysics began in 7th grade and how I now read about astrophysics in my free time. I think my essays probably demonstrated a passion for physics but more importantly they portrayed me as a determined and resilient individual. In the why SSP section I spoke to why I wanted to participate in SSP specifically (I discussed features unique to SSP). My GPA is decent definitely not exceptional although my test scores are all very strong which might have helped. Nevertheless, I am still completely confused about how I got in.
@CatalyzedChagrin
I applied to the biochemistry program. Below is the full acceptance letter, if it helps:
"Congratulations! The SSP Admissions Committee has accepted your application to the Summer Science Program in Biochemistry. Your campus assignment is Purdue Univ.
This year, our 60th, we received over 1,100 applications from outstanding students around the world for only 108 spots (36 per program), so you can be sure that your 35 colleagues will be just as bright and interesting as you are. The opportunity to collaborate with them on a hands-on research project will be an unforgettable and exhilarating experience.
After receipt of this email, you have three days to take one of three actions: 1) commit to enroll using the online form, 2) notify us that you have made other summer plans, or 3) apply for financial aid. Other applicants are waiting on the Alternate List, so tell us right away if you will not be joining us.
If you or your parent have any questions, contact us immediately.
Again, our warmest congratulations. We hope and expect that you will join us for a fascinating, challenging, and richly rewarding summer."
well i take it back my teacher recs screwed me over
lol rip gg college apps
lmao well I wrote pretty good essays perfect GPA almost perfect test scores some stem awards
i guess just no research awards and really bad teacher recs
would anyone happen to know the size of the alternate list for astrophysics?
I am really bummed out that I got rejected from Biochem. Thought I had a decent chance of making it into SSP after getting rejected from it last year. I improved my application significantly ever since. After getting rejected from 3 programs, I just feel like I am gonna be missing out on so much fun during the summer. Congratulation to those who made it!
I got rejected from BioChem too… ;( I thought I had a decent chance at getting in, but I don’t think my teacher rec letters were particularly strong, and I guess SSP thought others would benefit more. But congrats to everyone who made it!! You guys are awesome 
@gkdudtlffj A lot of the time, fun comes from unexpected places. Even though your summer won’t be what you were expecting, it can still be fun! Enjoy your last summer before college, hang out with friends, and relax!
Hi, can any previous SSPers predict how much aid I would receive? I am middle class (100-150k bracket), with no siblings in college, but only one working parent.