Hey everyone! I was just wondering if anyone went to SRA last year, and if so, how was the experience? What did you like/dislike about it? I’ll tag some people from last year’s forum who got in…
@appleabc @SusanWang22
Hi there!
I did attend last years SRA program, and my project was about using AI to detect license plates. I definitely do think that online is no replacement for on-campus, but overall, it was pretty fun, albeit a lot of work (10 hours per day at its peak?)
If you have any more questions, let me know!
I was wondering what kind of professors/ mentors u got to work with? And what was a typical day at any point in the program?
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Oh also, how much time did you invest in the courses you took as compared to the project itself?
Question for those who attended last year.
Were you able to do actual research in remote session? Can the research be used in science competitions?
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Did anyone get their decision? My son got waitlisted.
any idea why they have you send in your first personal statement before sending the 5 supp questions? what were the 5 supplemental questions? thx!
Not sure, just started the application. What tracks are y’all doing?
Hi, I finished my application to SRA for 2021 on March 1st. Does anyone that already got their decision know how long they take to review applications? On the UCSB portal, it says my application is “in review”. Does it say that for everyone? On average how long do they take? Thank you!
You will get your decision in 2-3 weeks after you submit.
Hi! How much of an impact does the time you apply have on your decision?
Hi, “in review” means no decision has been made about your application, I think. The website says decisions come out in 2-3 weeks.
Ah I see. Haha i got a little excited there for a minute. But it makes sense, i only submitted it a week ago.
I believe the admissions committee reviews applications on a rolling basis, so the earlier you submit your application, the more spots are available in your requested track. I think it makes a pretty large difference if you submit in February or March as opposed to April, but I’m not too sure. Just take your time and submit when you feel confident in your essays. This program doesn’t require teacher recs anyway, so you don’t have to wait until your teachers submit their recs in order to apply.
Good point; thanks! I’m a bit worried about my essays because writing isn’t really my strength.
Don’t worry about that! For summer programs, I really don’t think they’re looking for fantastically written essays; I’m pretty sure it’s the content that matters. Just stay on topic and stick to the prompt and you’ll be fine. Which tracks are you going for?
True; I’m actually still deciding between 3 tracks. What about you?
Could someone please post what are the 5 supplemental questions?
I did Track 6 for my first choice and Track 4 as my second choice.
Which supplemental questions? I think the only question you have to answer for SRA is the statement of interest. Everything else is just general info/transcripts/track choices.