<p>Sooo.....Who's applying?!</p>
<p>MEEEE!
<3 <3 <3</p>
<p>gigglesauce.</p>
<p>Oh nice, the 2010 thread already started. I went to Ojai this summer, it was legit. Just fyi, Ojai > Socorro.</p>
<p>nope, Socorro is much better than Ojai 
We have more resource. Plus, Ojai is closing this year so there is no point in arguing which is better. (Although Socorro is A LOT better)</p>
<p>Why are they closing Ojai? Is it a funding problem? Do you know if they will be increasing the number at Socorro or adding another session there?</p>
<p>^ They’re moving that campus to a small college in CA. No funding issues. </p>
<p>Socorro 09 was the most epic thing ever, btw.</p>
<p>Oh right forgot about that, Ojai is moving to some other place this year…</p>
<p>Thanks for the update on the move. That’s good news.</p>
<p>I believe that the new campus is at Westmont in Santa Barbara, right?
ssp ojai was tons of fun (in a kind of insanely crazy way) and a reallyyyy memorable experience.
and I transcend the situation and refuse to debate whether ojai/socorro was better. :P</p>
<p>hmm who are you rotfl?</p>
<p>How do they usually determine who gets in or not? I’m considering applying for next year (2010).</p>
<p>^ I think a lot of it is based on the essays. Write well, be yourself - and don’t be afraid to write about non-science stuff.</p>
<p>Yes, everyone has high scores and grades, but not all had massive EC achievement in math/science - though there were definitely some that did.</p>
<p>They want to see how interested you are in math/science, how qualified you are, and how much potential you demonstrate through your essays. Just be yourself, write passionately, and like bookworm said, don’t be afraid to write about non-math/science stuff. I wrote about cross-country and student government in mine. </p>
<p>Try to be unique and stand out through your essays, by writing personally and honestly. Having done research projects or excelled in national math/science competitions would help, though I had neither when I applied. So it’s definitely not a prerequisite. I think the application process is kinda like a college application process, where they look at you holistically and try to determine what kind of person you are through your essays and recommendations.</p>
<p>I would love to apply, but I don’t think my grades are good enough</p>
<p>Hey there, SSP '09er here. (Long time stalker, first time poster.) Seriously, you don’t need straight A+'s and a 2400 to get in… just make sure that you stand out as an interesting person. (I can’t stress that enough! SSP LOOKS FOR INTERESTING PEOPLE!) I wrote my essays from 12 to 2 AM on the day I needed to mail my application… I figured I wouldn’t get in, so I just wrote about Star Wars and chopsticks, lol. I guess that it seemed like I was on a perpetual sugar high in all my essays… maybe they thought that was interesting. 
Can’t wait to see how many CCers make it in. I’ll probably proofread anyone’s essays if they’re interested and if I have the time. :D</p>
<p>chopsticks?? CHOPSTICKS?? sounds familiar…
are you the person I think you are?? haha eating soup with chopsticks?</p>
<p>Hahahahaha, sorry, but no… I was at Ojai, not Socorro… But yeah I wrote my adversity essay about learning to hold my chopsticks correctly (after i screwed up my form by learning how to hold a violin bow). :'D</p>
<p>why is this thread not on the front page? for shame!</p>
<p>can sophomores apply? also, what’s the acceptance rate?</p>
<p>From the website:
“Q. How many students apply to SSP? Is it very competitive? What are my chances?
A. About **250 students apply **each year. Most are well qualified. Our **enrollment is only 72 **… you do the math. Admitted students are typically juniors earning top grades in the most advanced math & science courses available at their schools. Even if that describes you, you should not assume you will get in. Apply to SSP, but have an alternate plan too.”
(emphasis mine)</p>
<p>I think the 2009 numbers were ~310 applicants for 72 spots? (back me up on this, someone).</p>
<p>Sophomores can apply - but very few are accepted. We had three at Socorro this year, which is about average. There are no stats, as far as I know, about the acceptance rate for sophomores.</p>