What is RSI?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>I've stumbled upon the RSI website a few times and yet i am still quite unclear as to what it exactly is.</p>

<p>Heres what im thinking right now...</p>

<p>A free summer program at MIT where they give you access to their resources and you can talk with professors about a specific topic you have decided to research. Yes, No, was i close?</p>

<p>If anyone has actually done it, i would love to hear about what you did, what you thought, and whether or not you liked it.</p>

<p>What topics do they take for research candidates? Whats the admit process?</p>

<p>THANKS - Sock :)</p>

2

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_Science_Institute%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_Science_Institute&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

3

<p>Ok... I have a better idea now but it is still kind of vague. </p>

<p>Has anyone actually done it? Your experiences and advice would be much appreciated.</p>

<p>-Sock</p>

4

<p>rsi = really sweet ixperience</p>

5

<p>Your "mad trippin' acronym skillz" have been noted and duly evaluated in context with other parts of your application...</p>

<p>The verdict: I'm still curious...</p>

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<p>"The verdict: I'm still curious..."
that link pretty much explains it</p>

7

<p>Go to the website and read</p>

8

<p>rsi can't be sum up into a few adjectives. that would be blasphemous and does the program no justice.</p>

9

<p>and yes there are people on this board (quite many of them actually) who did RSI. A few '05 rickoids and I'm one of the rare '04 rickoids.</p>

10

<p>From what I've heard, there are about 3 people (i.e. graduate stud., prof) reserved for YOU and YOU ONLY. They/you come up with a really cool project, you use the fanciest resources available, and you conduct research that most undergrads would envy. It's also the strongest hook I can think of aside from Olympiad participation. Of course, I didn't get in...</p>

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<p>and unfortunately, it's awesomeness substantially decreases your chances of getting in. . .75 people per year. . .</p>

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<p>You might want to do a search, but try here first:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=364&highlight=Research+Science%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=364&highlight=Research+Science&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

13

<p>Finally a real live person that didn't tell me to go read that paragraph. It gave more info on a camping trip than who you do it with and what your project can be.</p>

<p>Are the projects actually good (actually accomplish/address something) IE: New cancer treatment theory, New energy resource research? What did you do?</p>

<p>I assumed it was cool, because after all its MIT and RSI is an acronym. Anything that reaches acronym status at MIT, by law must be awesome. :)</p>

<p>My RSI Idea: Mathematical proof demonstrating that MIT + any other acronym = awesome/cool ; cool of course not equaling 0.</p>

14

<p>RSI is (people, eugenics, amazing).</p>

<p>More seriously, it's hard to find information on what the research mentorships are like simply because they vary so much. No, not every project is "actually good" by your definition; most of them (especially the math kids') are not oriented towards curing something "big" like cancer or the energy crisis. (Not to say that there aren't cancer/fusion projects in there... I seem to recall a few, but I was pretty sleepy during presentations, so don't hold me to it.) But even if you end up not being able to do anything concrete with your project (which is a definite possibility) it is an absolutely wonderful introduction to research. Unfortunately, the day-to-day details are hard to describe because they vary so much by the specific mentorship. (I'm math, so my experience is NOT representative, but I met with my mentor for an hour or so each day and then worked in the library/Simmons/outside the rest of the time.)</p>

<p>The most important part of RSI is the people, though. Seriously. At RSI, you'll meet all those people you tried not to hope so hard were out there. </p>

<p><<a free="" summer="" program="" at="" mit="" where="" they="" give="" you="" access="" to="" their="" resources="" and="" can="" talk="" with="" professors="" about="" a="" specific="" topic="" have="" decided="" research.="">></a></p><a free="" summer="" program="" at="" mit="" where="" they="" give="" you="" access="" to="" their="" resources="" and="" can="" talk="" with="" professors="" about="" a="" specific="" topic="" have="" decided="" research.="">

<p>Close :) Free, summer, at MIT, access to resources, talk to professors, yes. However, in general you don't choose your own project. (This depends on the mentor, of course, but you don't need to have an idea beforehand. You might be given a topic to start out with and see where it leads, a specific experiment to carry out/analyze, a choice of problems to research, etc.)</p>

<p>But don't worry about the details for now. Basically, if you get in and go to RSI, you'll love it - and you'll see why Rickoids are so bad at trying to describe the experience properly. So apply, and if you get in, go & work hard & make friends, and you'll understand then. If you don't get in, don't worry about it! (and smugly sleep at some point during the first week of August, knowing that that's something you wouldn't have gotten do at RSI ^^ )</p>
</a>

15

<p>lol, I'm tempted to edit the wikipedia article to say "RSI is freaking awesome!"</p>

<p>The research is great, but it's not necessarily anything that you couldn't do somewhere else. I know I'm only echoing an oft-repeated theme here, but RSI is special primarily because of the people. They make it way more fun than (I say this with confidence) all other summer programs in the country combined. </p>

<p>Just don't think that your college chances have taken a terrible hit because you didn't get into RSI - there are still plenty of other things to do over the summer that can significantly boost your prospects. RSI is a ridiculous amount of fun - but, hey, if you don't get to go there, you're also guaranteed to get a lot more sleep. :)</p>

16

<p>RSI '05 alum here.</p>

<p>So basically, RSI is the best 6 weeks you could ever have anywhere with anyone. Like randomperson (who I believe is Matt R. right?), I think that you could probably get similiar research experience with a lot of effort looking for a mentor at a local univ. and some good luck (my RSI project was worse than my ISEF project, but that may be since I had about 1 month to do it as opposed to 4 or so months). The people at RSI though, are simply amazing. You get to spend so much time, and RSI is probably one of the few programs where your night, STARTS at bedcheck (11 PM), you go to bed at 4 AM, and have to get up for work the next day at 9 or 10 (haha). Intense, but amazing. I miss it so much, I'm definitely going to try hard to become a counselor (but the counselor admittance rate is almost as low as the RSI general admittance rate).</p>

17

<p>I'm shooting for last week TA, and I'm not going to get it given that people like Boris also try out for that. But if I get it, I will be (happy).</p>