<p>Does anyone know when the admission decisions come out? They just suddenly seemed to disapper or something. I emailed them about admission decisions and so far (3 days) they still haven't replied yet. I just needed to decide my summer plans fast and I can't really afford to keep waiting.</p>
<p>I believe they have made all of the decisions and sent out the last batch recently. One of my friends is a counselor and has been working with the directors to choose the students. I would suggest calling on Monday if possible or e-mailing again. If you don't hear anything on Monday, perhaps I can find out for you. The program is awesome - it was the best 7 weeks of my life, and I met some of the most incredible people there. E-mail me if you have any questions about it - <a href="mailto:adart3987@yahoo.com">adart3987@yahoo.com</a></p>
<p>70reve4rotag, is SSTP quite unselective? It takes a maximum of 100 students and hasn't reached its maximum so far yet. </p>
<p>I'm still awaiting SSTP decisions too but even if accepted, my parents will force me to turn it down (When parents are presented with a free competitive summer program next door, they're so attracted to it meh lol. But I'll still have summer research and summer math program all in one). Still though, it was pretty much my only chance for a research program as a sophomore. Other summer programs are cruel to Asian sophomore males.</p>
<p>I e-mailed SSTP like a few months ago with no reply.</p>
<p>Anyways, if SSTP isn't selective, me and you oasis, should be in luck. :) Because with all of the sophomores rejected from other summer programs who really want to do what is known as research, they're going to apply to SSTP en masse, increasing SSTP's competitiveness in the future.</p>
<p>BTW oasis, just out of curiosity, how did you hear of SSTP? I'm wondering if my mentioning it on CC could have increased its applicants.</p>
<p>This year, SSTP will have an enrollment of no more then 90 participants. I do not know how many people applied, and I honestly don't know what percent they admit, but I can tell you that the people I spent the summer with at SSTP are some of the most intelligent, driven people I've ever met. The program may not be as intense as YSP or RSI, and if you're looking for a super intense program, SSTP may not be for you (although I really think it is as intense as you make it). I don't know you, so I can't tell you if you're going to get in, but it is definitely not a given for anyone. Mostly, the directors are looking for mature students with an interest in the sciences. No research experience is needed to be admitted (for example, I had never even participated in science fair, but I got in). They looked very closely at the teacher recommendation because the biggest factor in admission is your level of maturity. The program is not so much the intense RSI-like experience, but more of an introduction to university-level research (for most participants, anyway. As I said, it is what you make it, so the more time you decide to spend in the lab and reading journals and writing your papers, the more intense it will be. For me, though the primary reason I applied was because I was really interested in biological research, I ended up getting the most out of the social atmosphere. I worked my hours at the lab, and I successfully completed my research paper (an exhausting 23 pages) and 2 oral presentations, but the people I met and the time we spent together was what really made my summer amazing.
I would say that SSTP is less selective then RSI and YSP, but it is a different experience. If you want to work your a** off for 6 weeks, one of those two would be your best bet. If you want a chance to spend 35 hours per week in lab and learn a lot about how university-level research works, as well as learning more than you ever wanted to know about whatever area you're working in, and also have a lot of fun, go for SSTP. I'm a bit biased, as I haven't done RSI or YSP (though I have friends who have), but it really depends on what you want.
BTW, I found SSTP via internet searches, I believe ultimately through a list somewhere of summer science programs.
Oh, and how do you know that SSTP hasn't reached its max?</p>
<p>
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They looked very closely at the teacher recommendation because the biggest factor in admission is your level of maturity.
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</p>
<p>Holy crap, this like sucks for me 'cuz I have Asperger's and have had a fair bit of temper tantrums in one particular class whose teacher I asked for a rec (didn't have a choice). However, I did improve remarkably over the year.</p>
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Oh, and how do you know that SSTP hasn't reached its max?
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</p>
<p>FOr all of its past years, it has had less than 100 participants, as shown in the above link. Last year, 92 came.</p>
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The University of Florida Student Science Training Program (UF-SSTP) in Gainesville, Florida, is a seven-week residential research program for up to 100 selected rising seniors and qualified rising juniors who are considering medicine, math, computer, science, or engineering careers.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Oh, so you also read journals. Scientific journals? Were you able to finally understand all that you read?</p>
<p>Well, as far as the maturity thing goes, they will definitely take your individual situation into account (assuming they were informed of the reason for the tantrums). With regard to journals, I read a lot of articles related to my research, and they were really difficult to understand at first, but I went through them and wrote down a bunch of my questions, underlined words I didn't understand, etc. When I got through an article, I looked up some of the words online and then talked to my lab host (professor in charge of the lab I worked in) about the article and asked him the questions I had written down. I started catching on to the jargon in the articles, so it got easier and easier as i read more. Reading journals in general (ie for my AP Bio class this year) is a bit easier for me than for others who have never had to deal with real journal articles, though the most difficult part about it is still trying to figure out what words mean because the articles are on such specific topics. SSTP really teaches you about the research process, including how to get through journal articles, how to write a research paper, etc.
The website says that the cap is 100 students, but the truth is that each year the staff decides how many students they want to participate. My year (2003), we had 84, which I think worked out pretty well (they had been aiming for 80 but ended up getting a few more than expected), but they thought they could handle 10 more or so. The admitted more last year (2004), but they decided afterwards that 97 was too many, so they are shooting for 85 or 90 this year.</p>
<p>Simfish, I applied precisely because you mentioned it on CC!! LOL.</p>
<p>Yeah, Asian Male Sophomores do suck, I can sympathize, I am one of them! (Though I very nearly got into SSP -- my calculus grade killed me, according to them (I had a B first semester, and it was actually because the class was simulated way too hard). They were gonna take me if my Calc grade was higher....BIG SIGH.)</p>
<p>Well, it's either SSTP or EPGY Accelerated Physics. EPGY costs a bunch of money, and I think I can do that on my own, so it won't exactly be worth a summer. I'm really interested in more of those research-type programs than "pure-learning" programs. But then, the options open to sophomores are quite limited. </p>
<p>Since EPGY's Deposit deadline is the 19th, I hope to get some kind of feedback from SSTP fast. Thanks for your offer 70reve4rotag, it shouldn't be exactly too hard to find out, I bet I am the only applicant from Taiwan =)</p>
<p>70reve4rotag, thanks for your information! Should help me with my research project this summer. If they seem to adjust their caps with the number of applicants, it doesn't seem too competitive. But like SSP, things could really change in a single year. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Yeah, Asian Male Sophomores do suck, I can sympathize, I am one of them! (Though I very nearly got into SSP -- my calculus grade killed me, according to them (I had a B first semester, and it was actually because the class was simulated way too hard). They were gonna take me if my Calc grade was higher....BIG SIGH.)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>SSP was willing to tell you the reasons of the rejection?!?!? They only admitted two sophs first round (both with ISEF) and then BhangraKid who also had ISEF. I thought that sophomores pretty much had to have ISEF or other uber stats, especially after witnessing Duncan's rejection and sky's waitlist. Now I feel like I want to ask them about my rejection too - but I dunno (one problem was that I thought the questionnarie wanted very brief responses so I wrote very brief responses as the question boxes were small)... Duncan was also rejected and he had really nice classes and stats.</p>
<hr>
<p>As for me, I'll be working with
<a href="http://www.astro.washington.edu/debattis/%5B/url%5D">http://www.astro.washington.edu/debattis/</a> over the summer and will be attending SIMUW. Doing both a research project and a math program does seem like a lot though Dr. Debattis said that the project won't be too involved and SIMUW has a relaxed atmosphere.</p>
<p>Oasis, if you almost got in, why weren't you waitlisted or deferred to the next year? HMm..</p>
<p>Oh and your MathCamp probably could have been your hook so that would have been huge.</p>
<p>They didn't write an email explicitly stating: this is the reason why you didn't get in blah blah blah...they briefly mentioned it in a email. I didn't know they can defer until next year. Oh and I stated in my app that I didn't want to be waitlisted; I just either all in or all out. So yeah. I'm going to ask my aunt in the states to call SSTP tomorrow. I'm pretty sure SSP should be reachable for me next year though, seeing how close I was this year.</p>
<p>I see... Hmm.. maybe SSP seems to want to be nice to applicants and is so comfortbale with e-mail. </p>
<p>***? "The program was already full by the time they received my application package. I sent it in two weeks before the deadline. I knew it was rolling admissions but I was sure a rolling admissions woudln't fill up all at once - rather - it would still wait until the last minute in case there were some exceptional applicants out late. IN any case, I was punished for procrastination. And out of the 8/9 programs I applied to, I only got into 1. Oh oh what a lesson for me when I was thinking about mass-applying to REUs next year.</p>
<p>I think the biggest lesson here is to always apply to 2 safeties. I kinda considered SSTP one of my safeties since I was so sure I would get in. It isn't rejection, which would be more devastating to my self-esteem, but it still means that I can't get in and the results are similar to that of rejection, just without the emotional trauma.</p>
<p>As the old RSI adage goes, those who get in are really passionate for their subjects and don't actively search for summer progs before they apply - then they hear of RSI a week before the deadline, get really excited, apply, and get in.</p>
<p>"At the time we recieved your application packet the program was full, with a waiting list of other qualified applicants."</p>
<p>Does that sound more like a weird rejection letter or what?</p>
<p>I was deferred (waitlisted) HAHAHAHA sucks to be me. </p>
<p>That was what the lady said when my aunt called. But I've given up on SSTP. I applied to SSTP, SSP, NASA SHARP, and didn't get into any of them. I guess I should go back to Mathcamp :P....Oh well, I think I'm going to EPGY then...might as well study some APs there as well to make studying when I come back easier. That sucks Simfish if you applied to 8 or 9 programs and only got into one. I applied to five and only getting into one feels bad enough. Mathcamp is like my safety though; I can always go back. I was just seeking a change of atmosphere this year. Next year I'll probably apply to the same programs all over again and hope for a better result.</p>
<p>Good luck on your future endeavours Simfish.</p>