bubblesbubbles

I applied to Research Science Institute (RSI) for this summer, and I got my results a few weeks back-- I am an "Alternate."

Honestly, I was pretty happy that I wasn't rejected outright, since acceptance is so rare.
I looked around and it seems only about 20 or 30 kids are selected as Alternates.

But, assuming I have decent stats otherwise, is there any merit in being an Alternate for RSI? Is it advisable to put this on my application, or does it seem like I'm stretching accolades?

(I've asked this on the Caltech forum, and I got differing opinions, by PM)

My top college choices are Caltech and MIT

eatsalot

i think that's stretching it :/ congrats though! hopefully you get to go

yayverily

Coming that close to being selected means you probably have other qualifications that are much more meaningful.

It wouldn't hurt to mention it, but I don't think doing so will help you in a significant way.

lalaloo6

I think you should not mention it. Your qualifications will come through in the rest of your app - RSI is impressive for the research experience, which an alternate wouldn't have. Better to gain research experience some other way, or show your awesomeness with awards/qualifications that represent what you've done. Congrats on being selected as an alternate!! (I got rejected from RSI but got into MIT, so I totally know that RSI is crazy intensive to get into), I don't want to say that being selected as an alternate means nothing, as it totally doesn't. I just think that a college app, especially MIT's, is all about showing what you've done and what you like, and being selected as an RSI alternate doesn't specifically help them get any idea of what you've done or what's meaningful to you; it just shows them that you're a very qualified person, which they could probably already tell anyway. :-)