Hi everyone! I went to WTP last year and I would encourage any girls who are even slightly interested in the STEM fields to apply. The program was such a great experience, and I met so many smart girls who shared my interests. I was also admitted to MIT, I think largely because of WTP. Let me know if you have any questions!
Hello, I am currently very interested this program and I was wondering if you would be willing to share more about what your experience was like at WTP? Thanks!
Is the mechanical engineering track more difficult to get into, since there are less spots for it? Or is it just as competitive as CS since it’s less popular?
Hi, I’m also very interested in WTP and would greatly appreciate it if you could share any experiences/thoughts/tips you have about WTP! Thank you 
Good luck everyone. I hope we all make it :))
Hi, my D took AP computer science test in her sophomore year. WIll she be able to apply for the WTP program? FAQ section of WTP program suggested that WTP might not be for students who have taken the AP computer science program.
she could apply for Mechanical Engineering program
I’m not sure if the MechE track is necessarily more prestigious than the EECS track. However, I do know that many of the MechE girls already had coding experience which “disqualified” them from participating in the EECS track. If any of you have already taken AP CS, then you can still apply for the ME track!
As for my experience @ WTP, I was in the MechE track because I had already done lots of prior coding. We had classes almost every weekday that varied in topics from mechanics, to fluids, to working with MATLAB. I had an AMAZING experience and met wonderful girls. The ME girls were all pretty close because there’s only 20 of us. If you want more information or have any questions, I’d be willing to talk more about it.
Did you get a sense of selection criteria based on who were there in your peer group?
Also if someone’s real interest is in CS would they still benefit from ME experience (either in MIT experience or just in general development?)
Any idea on how many girls apply and their average stats? Sounds like an amazing experience - but I"m guessing it’s more competitive than actually getting into MIT!
Well to answer my own question - in case anyone else is interested - there are over 700 applications for 60 spots.
@skyfall007 All of the girls had solid grades in school and an interest in STEM/engineering. WTP is a program for girls who would be good at engineering but do not have any prior experience in it, so it is definitely possible to be overqualified. I would also add that if you do have prior experience WTP will not be a productive use of your summer. If you’re interested in CS, apply to CS program unless you have already had coding experience. Even if you aren’t interested in ME, apply to the ME track. I was like of like you last year–I thought I loved coding, but after finishing the ME track, I found that I love ME, too.
@TrendaLeigh I’m not sure about average stats but I’m pretty certain that all the admitted girls were very good academically. Many of my friends are at the top of their class and as college decisions are rolling out this year, many of us are getting into great schools. Last year, I think there were almost 900 applicants for 60 spots, but don’t let that number discourage you!
@petrikore I have two questions:
- I took AP Compsci last year but didn’t do too well on the exam, only passing with a 3. However, this semester I’m doing an internship at my local university with biocomputational science, so I’d say my coding experience is pretty extensive. Should I still report my compsci score if I know my internship already makes me overqualified for the EECS track? I just don’t want it to impact my application negatively or make my compsci background look inconsistent. (I’m planning on applying to ME.)
- To what extent did you essays talk about WTP-ME topics (like physics/engineering) in particular, if at all? For example, my science experience is almost all in biology/chemistry/compsci, and it makes my essays sound completely unrelated to engineering.
No worries if you don’t think you can answer these questions. Thanks in advance!
@6luesky I don’t think reporting your AP CS score could negatively impact your chances, but at the same time, reporting it doesn’t seem like it would help you since you are applying to the ME track. Secondly, regarding the essays, I didn’t talk about my experience in STEM at all. I didn’t write about what classes I took, the coding that I’d done, etc. Instead, I wrote about why I was interested in STEM and what opportunities I thought it would give me. I also wrote about people always dissuading me away from STEM fields, but that’s just my personal essays. In short, write about what you want to write about. I do recommend writing about your interests, however, and not making your essays a list of your accomplishments, if that makes sense. Hope this helps.
Hey! Is it okay if I talked about something like D&D in the fourth essay? It’s not really academic, haha.
@sputniik it’s probably fine as long as you relate it to your character/work ethic or something haha
can’t believe the app is due tonight ahhhh good luck everyone!!
LOL I WANT TO DIE AAAA
Also @coronaa ! Are you applying to YSPA this year again?