Summer Science Program (SSP)

Pre-College Issues Summer Programs
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<p>If your SAT goes up you have a very good chance, especially since you've taken calculus, as most people in the program have finished calculus by the time they arrive.</p>

<p>But besides stats, I think SSP cares most about your personality and whether you'll get along with people there. Six weeks is a long time, and it's harder for everyone when someone isn't fitting in. So make sure to write good essays that convey your personality. I can't say much about recommendations because I didn't see mine, but I imagine that those are important too. I don't think they care much about having a lot of math/science awards or research or experience (although that definitely helps) because I basically had none of that; I just had good stats otherwise and tried to sound lively and interesting when answering their questions.</p>

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<p>I think a lot of it has to do with personality/fit and recommendations. I think that's what really helped me (and the fact that I wrote one of my essays about being short...). However, if you have really strong stats and awards, I think that can give you the "in". Really, it's a group of really dynamic people (really not that nerdy... only kinda) with those few bright stars (ahaha) that were like automatic admits. :)</p>

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<p>yeah that makes sense. As long as the stats are good and show u did well in school etc right?</p>

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<p>Well, I guess passion was what they were looking for really. If you manage to convey your passion through your essays and everything, you stand a good chance. You don't need major awards or anything if you can do that.</p>

<p>And classof09, which ones among us were nerdy (other than Cnidarian, I guess)? We were just a bunch of cool people out there to have fun and occasionally do science stuff.</p>

<p>Go for it A-card!</p>

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<p>lol. You can't say that we weren't nerdiest in the tiniest bit. (Though I have to say spending free time making a planetarium show in the dome was amusing.. :P) For example, I was even considered athletic... and that's saying a bit. (Though at Caltech, they did tell us we could play varsity water polo...) But yeah, I do have to say it was better than I expected.</p>

<p>and who's Cnidarian?</p>

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<p>Hello everyonee.</p>

<p>I was just looking at some summer programs and i stumbled upon this.
I think my gpa is pretty bad so I probably won't be able to get in. But I'd probably apply anyways so can you tell me what my chances are. BTW I'm a junior
Grades: frosh year 4.0 (our school frosh year honors classes aren't weighted)
soph year 4.7 this is weighted BTW
Soph year i took 2 APs: US1 and EnviSci which I got a 5 on
I also took Honors CHem and Honors Algebra and honors everything
jr year I'm in my jr year right now and I'm taking 5 APs: physics B, calc BC, bio, u.s.2 (in our skool US is two-year), anndd english.</p>

<p>I'm probably top 10 in my class, my school doens't really rank</p>

<p>and I can probably get great RECs and write a good essay????? i don't know if that counts as muchh</p>

<p>And I have some science/math achievements. I don't know how much they count?</p>

<p>Most them are regional :(
-school winner for AMC10...my school is actually pretty competitive w/ math...two years ago like 35 ppl qualified for AIME and like 3 ppl made USAMO.
-first place in region for...all the math competitions I've been to (Alg2, Geometry, etc.)
-second place in state for Biology frosh year for a competition (1st place team)
-6th for chem in same competition (3rd place team)
-first in region for ecology science olympiad competition (1st place team @ regionals, 6th at states)</p>

<p>other awards:
-varsity girls tennis for 2 years (sectional champions 2006, runner up 2007) and JV for one year
i play 2nd singles
-FBLA 1st place intro to bus com at states and 2nd at nationals in chicago this summer
-piano awards such as the Associative Royal Board of Music tests level 7</p>

<p>clubs
-CAS cancer awareness society that I created this year to help fund cancer research and promote cancer awareness and prevention
-origami club VP
-Chamber Orchestra 3 years
-Animal Alliance 2 years
we raised like $1000 last year for shelters and animals
-Future Physicians Club 2 years
- my friends and I are thinking of making a multicultural dance club where we perform for old ppl at the local nursing home, too</p>

<p>etc. etc. I'm sure Ill get some more stuff before i have to apply :)</p>

<p>blah what do u think? there are some crazy ppl in my school who take higher-level classes so they have higher gpas lol w/e</p>

<p>and i love science if that counts for anything (im sure evreyone does...duh). I skipped physics honors and took ap physics jr year by getting As on the midterm and final. and that's prob. all the physics experience i have. and i have no astronomy qualifications =)</p>

<p>ooh and i forgot my test scores.
SAT BioMolecular: 800
SAT Chem: 800
er thats it. I'll prob. take Math1C and Math2C and Physics and US and maybe Spanish this year. I'll also take all those AP tests
My SOPH year PSAT was 650r/730m/700w I promise they'll be LOTS better in December when I get my scores!!
My 8th grade SAT was 570w/650m/620r = 1840.</p>

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<p>oh and BTW i'm in Columbia Science HOnors program (CSHP) i take neurobiology clasess @ CSHP every saturday</p>

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<p>4.7 is bad? Huh maybe your guys school does grades diff, but the highest kid last year in my school got a 4.5 and ended up in Harvard and got accepted to many other tops.</p>

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<p>@ arwen27</p>

<p>Lol, this is the first time I've seen someone think a 4.7 GPA is very bad. Take a break and chill out. SSP isn't looking for students with 2400 SATs and New York Philharmonic Orchestra first violinists. Scores and achievements aren't the primary consideration, your ESSAYS and RECS are. You don't need astronomy olympiads (though we had a superkid with three astro gold medals too) or anything, but a bit of basic idea probably helps.</p>

<p>@ classof09</p>

<p>Cnidarian is the chess guy (I'm not sure if he wants to reveal his identity or not, so I'm being a bit cryptic). We were nerdy, but in a very un-nerdy sort of way. Planetarium shows aren't your everyday nerdy pastimes. And that was when Jason, Liam and I were up there together, what else would you expect? And hey, you were athletic, right? You played tennis regularly, didn't you (I suddenly remembered Joyce's water fiasco)?</p>

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<p>lol...4.7 is just for the year. so i'm guessing my cumulative is probably around the average of frosh year and soph year. but my school doesn't weigh frosh year honors classes, if they did my gpa for frosh year would prob. be like 4.5</p>

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<p>yo, chill, ur pretty striaght wiht ur stats just get the app done and ull b fine</p>

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<p>lol , z-particle... was he on team 12? (duck, duck, noduck?) btw.. guess which sweatshirt i'm wearing right now?</p>

<p>and other ppl,
yeah, don't worry too much :)</p>

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<p>Team 12 is about right. I love the irony of the team name - Team Duck, considering the third member.</p>

<p>It isn't time yet for sweatshirts here, so .....</p>

<p>And hi generalobserver, why so quiet on facebook?</p>

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<p>idk, im on it, just not posting on people's walls.</p>

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<p>As I see it, the third member of team 12 was powerful enough to make the entire team non-duck. Awrin27, you seem like you'll do really well at SSP.</p>

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<p>Wow, the old crowd. Btw Elliott, I forgot how you f**ked them off by emailing them your essays at 11:59 pm, that was really funny. What were they on, the perfect pitch?</p>

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<p>lol.
haha, I already told Elliott and the nonduck person, but I did the panda dance this morning :) I was doing history homework and checked the clock, and then spur of the moment.. but I'm not sure I did it right :/</p>

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<p>Ahem...did someone refer to team 12 as non-duck.Elliot I guess I need to remind you that it was team 12 that was "officially" given the title of Team Duck.</p>

<p>X</p>

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<p>Welcome to College Confidential, Il Ducke (if that's you). May the Quack be heard across the silent seas of equanimity, always a source of joy and hope to the unseen millions who have not yet found the Path.</p>

<p>And Elliott, what happened to the website?</p>

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<p>Team 12 is also known as "Duck, Duck, NonDuck." I believe you'd understand why. AND AHHHHHHHHHH (did you guys see the facebook picture of daksha torturing me on the way to princeton?).</p>