Research Science Institute 2005

staticsoliloquy · 10-13-2004, 01:33 AM

it is time for those who wants to apply to RSI 2005 to familiar yourself with the program and its participants.

If you have any questions, there are a few rickoids on this board, and I'll ask them to come here and help you guys out.

I will be posting a list of previous thread about RSI so you guys can read through it!

staticsoliloquy · 10-13-2004, 01:36 AM

zoogies · 10-13-2004, 04:09 PM

I'm interested, but my school is poor, underfunded, and I've only taken my school's variant of Calculus one. We have...zero science/math clubs. Supposing I formed one, I would be the sole member.

The links are useful though...any tips for what I can do? I did get a 143 combined math/verbal (66-77) last year on the PSAT.

pyroman · 10-13-2004, 05:07 PM

I have a clarification question, do you have to be a junior to apply to the program. Also, i havent really done anything extra-ordinary, but i am very good in math. Do you think that i have a chance.

pariah_papaya · 10-13-2004, 05:20 PM

You have to be a junior. I don't know if you have a chance, because I don't know how I got in

So it goes.

staticsoliloquy · 10-13-2004, 06:06 PM

o justin. are you a vonnegut's fan? he uses "so it goes" in slaughter-house five at least 100 times.

I came from a jock school. Everyone at my school is either an actor, athlete, or artist. I'm an artist (painting). My school has no science/math team either. Like justin, I dont know how I got into RSI.

schemer · 10-13-2004, 06:11 PM

A question I have is, Are the teacher recommmendations and the personal statements about one's topics interest as well as future goals the most significant portion of the appication? (assuming competitive statistics)

thanks

staticsoliloquy · 10-13-2004, 06:24 PM

lol if we give that away, the process wouldn't be so bleakly fun now would it?

Hint: There are some things that are within your controls. Try to do a good job with the ones that you can control.

when we were at RSI, the adcom/admin did a skit about the application process for RSi which all of us thought was hilarious. Here is what they look for:

username
eugenic
uniqueness

=)

chaoscreation · 10-14-2004, 12:02 PM

I am currently a sophomore and have recently considered applying to RSI next year as a junior. The problem is that I am terribly behind course/test-wise.

a) The only AP test I'll be taking this year is AP Government. nothing to do with science.
b) The only SAT IIs are biology, chemistry, and math iic.
c) On the RSI application, there's a section for listing AP tests. However, my school doesn't offer a lot of AP classes because it has the IB program, which I am enrolled in, but won't be taking the tests for until the end of my junior/senior years.

The only thing that *might* help is that I'm almost positive that I can get research experience. I live across the street from a George Mason University campus (possibility) and my dad is a quality control manager/biochemist at ATCC (another possibility).

Also, I'm interested in biotech and genetics, so I'm taking a genetics course this summer at Northwestern University.

However, I'm from Fairfax County, Virginia, where Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is. I couldn't go to TJHSST because when I moved here, it was too late to apply. However, I know that tons of AMAZING kids will be applying to RSI from there. If they do admissions by area, I have plenty of competition.

So, should I ever bother trying?

staticsoliloquy · 10-14-2004, 12:24 PM

ouch. that would hurt. RSI has quotas. VA, NY, and CA are the 3 most competitive states...EVER.

they will take into consideration that your school doesn't offer a lot of AP, so don't worry about that. Start on research sooon! You have the resources in front of you (literally). You can distinguish yourself from those TJHSST kids.

But anyway, the process is pretty random. I've seen people who are more qualified than I am in terms of research experience, with better test scores and achievement got rejected. The best you can do is apply...and pray. Take a risk. I did when I applied.

chaoscreation · 10-14-2004, 01:04 PM

Craaaap. Darn NoVA!

schemer · 10-14-2004, 03:45 PM

exactly how competitive is it from NY?

staticsoliloquy · 10-14-2004, 04:50 PM

veeeeeeery
you have stuy and bronx to compete against for the position.
not to mention all those kids from LI!!
i think about 3 rickoids this yr were from LI alone: Dawn, Eric, and Debbie.
They are suuuuuuper genius!!

Anyway, the dean of MIT admission Marilee is usually on RSI adcom. This year, she was busy so Matt, assistant director of MIT admission, took her place. The adcom consists of people from JHU, Caltech, MIT, and CEE.

alesik · 10-14-2004, 07:58 PM

How many students were there from MA?

I have heard about people being told to research things which are completly outside of what they wanted to. How true is that?

Good luck to all those applying! Hopefully, we will meet at RSI next summer!

staticsoliloquy · 10-14-2004, 08:15 PM

that's not entirely true. Of course, RSI can't match your interest 100% because think about it. How many labs are willing to take in a high school students? The availiablity of labs and mentors affect your placement. In my application, I put biochemistry and developmental biology. I got dev. bio. The point of RSI is not to give you a head's start on your nobel prize project. Moreover, the more fields you are exposed to, the better. In the past 3 years, I've been doing projects ranging from hematology to gene therapy to cell signaling to mass spectrometry. It's good for me to partake in so many different fields because i get to learn soooo many different techniques. I learned how to conduct basic science research as well as clinical research. I know how to do plasmid miniprep and purificiation, cloning, virus vectors, in situ hyb, whole micromass, extraction of steroids, running a mass spec, etc.