Summer Science Program (SSP) 2015

Pre-College Issues Summer Programs
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@Newdle‌ It depends on what question you’re answering. Keep in mind that #6 is probably meant for extenuating circumstances that affect how you’re able to work (family responsibilities, needing to have a job, huge commute time, etc) to make sure that each bit of your application is seen in the appropriate context. For example, it’d be unfair to fault someone who has to leave right after school to pick up his little siblings for not having a huge amount of ECs. If you don’t have something that you honestly think needs clarification (which is okay if you don’t!) don’t waste time writing it.

That being said, if you need more words to fully explain your situation, take them. It’d be better for SSP to understand where you’re coming from then to give them a fragmented picture of what you’ve dealt with. Be concise.

7 can also probably be short answer, depending on what you need to discuss. There is no right answer when SSP is asking you to explain any circumstances that may affect your ability to work.

I would hope that #8 would also be short answer…if not, I am both disturbed and intrigued.

@kkpanu9‌ I am of the school of thought that believes if you have a chance to do something and the time to get it done, you should do it. The essays aren’t that long (if you think they’re rough, get ready for college apps!) and once you get everything together, just send it in. You’ll have a few months to think about it (or not) and then you’ll hear back. Don’t get in? Fine, you spent a little bit more time writing essays that you’ll probably end up using for other programs/activities or modeling your college essays on. Think about your possibilities. If you don’t get in, you’ll do something else (which you’ll probably enjoy just as much as you would SSP). If you do and can’t go, you get a trip to India and some leverage to guilt your parents into buying you a new telescope or something. And if you do go? As you can probably surmise from the posts here and on the website, you will have a truly incredible summer.

@alzhao‌ Probably just high school, unless your question refers to the “legal disciplinary action” part. Once again, disturbed and intrigued.

@EveningSwan‌ Give it to the teacher who sees your passion the most.

I had my AP Chemistry teacher write me my recommendation because I despised my physics class/teacher and I loved AP Chem. Though I did well in both classes, I genuinely enjoyed being in AP Chem, and my excitement was obvious to my teacher. It’s better for SSP to see that you can be enchanted by a subject (even if its not in the field that you want to pursue for a career).

Because neither physics nor calculus is required, I don’t think they give preference to letters from teachers of those subjects.

NOTE: In some cases it can be good to submit a letter from a class that you don’t do well in. An adcom at some admissions event I went to said it the best: “it is far more interesting to hear from the math teacher who gave you a B than from the English teacher who gave you an A.” Not because math is better/worse, but having a teacher in a class you struggled with vouch for how hard you worked can explain the grade better and will show that you take your “failures” in stride. I wouldn’t necessarily go that route for SSP admissions, but you may consider it when February updates come around for you guys (in a year! Wow, I am an old) and you might want to submit an additional letter of rec if possible.

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hey guys is it realistic for me to get in if i got a 1900 on the sat and 650 on the math portion? I somehow just suck at standardized testing, but I work really hard in school and get pretty good grades. I’ve already taken AP Physics, AP chinese, AP Euro (self-study) and am taking AP Chemistry, AP Calc BC, APUSH, and AP English right now. I also got A’s in all these classes and got 5s on the 3 AP tests I took last year. I also do a good amount of extracurricular work and over the past summer I interned at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (which was amazing). However, after seeing all you guys getting high SAT scores, I feel like my chances are really slim. Do they focus more on SAT scores or more on the essays and GPA?

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@wuchengdavidlu‌ I think it’s worth a shot. As the website says, there are people who are surprised that they get in and those who are surprised that they don’t. I would say that both test scores and GPA are important, but what is even more important are the ECs and activities you do. I applied to SSP with test scores that I was not happy with (since I hadn’t taken ACT/subject tests yet) and used number 6 to explain how my scores were not representative of my love for math and physics and that I wasn’t going to let not having the same preparation hold me back. I would recommend doing the same.

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For those that got in: Is it okay if we write more than the word limit? How long were your essays?

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@youngbin97‌ A bit over should be fine. I am fairly certain that I went over by at least a few words on every essay. As long as it doesn’t drag and you’re not obviously wasting words with fluff, you should be fine.

Remember, be concise.

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I know SSP is supposed to be holistic, but will a B in Honors Physics and only a 4 on the AP Calc BC exam have a serious effect on my chances? :confused: I’m almost done with my app and now I’m just freaking out over the minor details…

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@pendragonstone‌ It won’t count you out. Your application will be viewed in the context of the activities you’ve been offered and taken advantage of, the community you come from, and the passion you bring. Don’t freak out over the small things. You can’t change those now and your energy is better spent making sure your essays are as good as they can be. There are always people who are surprised that they are accepted and those who are surprised that they are not.

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@Southpaw45 Okay, thanks :smiley:
Do you think 200 is too long for some of the 150 word prompts? I’ve tried to cut it down a bit but I really like how it is right now :neutral_face:

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@youngbin97‌ if you can’t get them down, you can’t get them down. It would be preferable to get them down but if only a few go over I don’t think it’ll be that big of a deal. Just make sure it doesn’t “feel” slow when you read it.

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Guys if I send in my app Monday, do you think I’ll be fine or late?

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@Southpaw45 Alright, thanks for the help man :smile:

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@debate4ever‌ Which Monday do you mean? The application deadline, according to the website, is Friday Feb 27. That is a week from today. If you turn it in this upcoming Monday, your app would be early.

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@Southpaw45‌ but it takes three or four days for the mail to get there. The deadline isn’t postmarked

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I think he’s talking about when he should send the app? Your best bet would probably be to just play it safe and buy overnight/priority mail with tracking since normal postage can take awhile.

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@debate4ever‌ From the website:

“The deadline is not absolute. Applications arriving a couple of days late will still be reviewed. But don’t push your luck.”

Monday should be fine for sending, because even if it gets there late they can see the postmark date. Keep in mind that a fairly small group of people are responsible for checking in all materials so it will probably take them a few days to get to your application even if it arrives by Friday.

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@Southpaw45‌ thanks for the info, I mailed out my stuff this morning just to be safe. It’s comforting to know that they’re not too strict about deadline

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Would you say less females apply to SSP to males? Because of the 50/50 ratio of females to males, would it be easier for girls to get accepted than boys? Or would you say this is not true?

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Most likely less females apply to SSP so their chances are slightly higher.

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@Southpaw45 Thank you for your encouraging and informative posts. My daughter is applying to SSP and she wasn’t sure what, if anything, to write for # 6 and 7. Her test scores are strong, not stellar but nothing that she would need to explain. Also, she is interested in physics and has taken a class at a local university in addition to her school but she is also interested in math and chemistry. Do you think it is okay if her response to the first question is about math rather than physics? Thanks in advance.

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@AngEverlasting‌ There are indeed fewer female applicants, so technically (by this I mean if we only look at the numbers) it is “easier” for girls to get in because of the 50/50 split. However, the pool of women who apply to STEM programs (this also applies to colleges) tend to be a more self-selecting group. This means that despite having a smaller group to compete with, you’re more likely to have stiffer competition. It all seems to balance out. I would definitely not say that there was a smarter sex at SSP.

@uesmomof2‌ No problem! SSP was an incredible program and I’m happy to help out potential SSPers as much as possible.

Responding to the first question about math should be fine! I’d advise her to choose the topic that she could speak most passionately about. Though we did have many physics and astronomy people at my campus, we also had many people who were very interested in mathematics, computer science, or other disciplines of STEM (engineering, enviro science) altogether. This diversity is incredibly helpful because it allows you to incorporate different methods of thinking into problem-solving. I’m fairly certain that when they divide up the students into teams, they take into account the different skill sets presented in order to have a mix of people who have different strengths.

As for #6 or #7, it really depends on her experiences.

For #6, she shouldn’t feel pressured to write anything for them (responding something like “My dog died so I got a C in calculus!” for #6 is probably going to read like she was just grasping for something to put down) but she should think hard about the experiences she’s had in STEM in any difficulties she may have faced. This would be a good place to talk about the influence of gender on her experiences in STEM. Has she ever felt that she hasn’t been offered the same opportunities as her male counterparts? Did she have a later introduction to STEM? These are questions that only she (and you, as her mother) can answer.

7 is more of a straightforward question. If she has a medical condition, learning disorder, or other issues that might affect how she experiences SSP, this would be the place to write them. Don't worry about this having a negative effect on her application-SSP just wants to make sure that they have the ability to be as accommodating as possible.