ecouter11

@Casmir, I though I saw on some other threads, Intls getting in, but it's still a good idea to check!

squirrelbridge

I was told by a mentor in the program that there are often one or two international students; we just didn't have any last year. They accept the people they think will fit the program the best and make the most of their opportunity, regardless of where they are from.

prototyped

I think I'm going to apply but the location is kind of weird and only 11 other people :/ Seems like it won't be that good of a place to get to know others.

Sheam13

It's actually quite the contrary!

I won't lie and say Lubbock isn't weird, because it's a pretty strange place. There's not a ton to do within walking distance of campus except eat (there's actually a lot of good restaurants plus a supermarket) and shop (there are a few decent stores), so we spent most of the summer making our own fun. Because you're pretty isolated and in such a small group, everyone gets REALLY close. Most of our time outside of the labs/libraries/offices was spent together doing everything from going to the pool (it has a lazy river AND a water slide....definitely a highlight of the Texas Tech campus), playing huge late night games of capture the flag/manhunt, or hanging out in the dorms doing a whole host of crazy things. Because Lubbock is not the most exciting place to explore, the Clark community becomes very close-knit, very fast; I'd say it's one of the best environments to get to know others.

squirrelbridge

I agree with Sheam13, with a little creativity there is plenty of fun to be had; our late-night games were clearly a testament to that.

However, I personally considered the community to be much larger than the twelve of us. I was told that there were about 9,000 people on campus, made up of students (taking summer courses), professors (teaching those courses and conducting research), and other teens attending summer programs.

I frequently played basketball in the Rec Center with a couple of other Clark Scholars. We played with and against Texas Tech students as well as members of the community. We became very familiar with the other guys there.

We also played tennis quite often, although I recommend playing during the nighttime when the heat is more bearable. There is also a quality golf course within walking distance which we occasionally utilized. Additionally, there are racquetball courts, a climbing wall, frequent zumba/dance/aerobics classes, exercise equipment, and as Sheam13 mentioned, the best collegiate pool in the nation.

During the first three weeks we were there, the Welch Scholars were staying just down the hall from us. There were only nine of them, but they were also high school kids conducting research so we had lots of good times together. They are all from Texas and are all interested in Chemistry.

Each weekend, there was either a trip to somewhere outside of Lubbock or a fun activity planned locally. We went to lakes (albeit artificial, as Lubbock is super dry), checked out an archaeological site, and played laser tag, to name a few. Dr. San Francisco (the head of the program) and our chaperone (a past Clark) always accompanied us and certainly contributed to the atmosphere.

Also, if there is a scholar from Texas (as in most years), they may bring a car so that you can easily travel further than walking distance. None of us were from Texas, so I am not exactly sure what there is to do in the rest of Lubbock. Regardless, there is plenty to do on and close to campus.

Basically, it is as good of a place to get to know others as you make it. YOU WILL get to know the other eleven scholars very well. Whether you get to know anyone else is entirely up to you.

jamesgatz

I think I might apply. Do you know how this program compares to RSI or Michigan State's HSHSP?

squirrelbridge

It compares very well. I personally chose Clark over HSHSP. I believe RSI releases decisions before Clark, so it will not come down to choosing between the two. I think the best aspects of Clark are the relaxed atmosphere and the small size. A friend of mine attended RSI, and he had to dress and act very formally most of the time, where I was going to my lab (math, so no hazards) in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops every day. We also get extremely personalized attention, which I saw as a plus.

thomaspynchon

I agree with squirrelbridge's agreement with sheam. Lubbock can be boring, but only if you are boring. If you get along with the other people (which shouldn't be hard because got along great), it can be enjoyable. But, if you're no fun, then it might not end up being fun for you. Also, the rec center is really nice, so take advantage.

shinexalive

Prospective applicant here! How's the research experience and quality? Did you get along well with your mentors and professors?

Question (probably a stupid one -__-) about the application: It says rec letters from 3 teachers. Do they have to be TEACHER teachers (like high school teachers) or are mentors from past research experiences also acceptable?

squirrelbridge

shinexalive, the research experience was great! I worked 1-on-1 with my mentor, who was a professor. Some of the others worked more closely with graduate students, but I think that no one complained about their work relationship.

The quality of research is really what you make of it. All of the research projects turned out well, but some were absolutely phenomenal. It was really interesting and impressive to see what the other eleven accomplished during their time there.

As far as recs, I would contact Dr. San Francisco (program director). Mine were all from teachers, but they might let you submit one from a past mentor.

shinexalive

Thanks @squirrelbridge, I'll do that ^_^ and thanks for your previous description of Clark as well! Sounds super fun ........if I can get in, haha. There seems to be lots of fun other stuff to do. How long do you usually research for every day, and how much free time?

squirrelbridge

My time spent on research varied greatly, as it will if you are not in a traditional lab environment (i.e. math, psychology, history, etc.). I usually checked in with my mentor for anywhere from five to ninety minutes each day, and then I was left to manage my own time productively. I would say this applied to about one-third of us.

The other two-thirds were in their labs from 9-5, with a fairly long lunch hour. I think for the most part they did not put much outside time into their research, except for the last week or two.

After 5 (and for much of the weekends), we were completely free. Kinda like they said in the old days, we worked eight, played eight, and slept eight. I mean, I'm not so sure we actually slept that much, but I think you get the gist. There is plenty of free time, and if you want or need, you can spend some of that time working instead.

LuoSciOly

Just to be clear, you don't have to dress formally to go to lab/mentorship at RSI. I wore a polo and jeans most days, and there was no problem with wearing just a t-shirt if I wanted to. We had to dress formally only at the evening lectures and at a few other events.

WeIsCool

Thanks for all the feedback (: I am applying for this and just gave out my teacher recs! Two for science teachers and one for a literature/writing teacher.... It is alright if we have sophomore teachers right? One of mine I have had since freshman year but the other two I don't have right now but had freshman/sophomore years

Chemistry39

Would anybody be willing to evaluate my chances at Stanford, or how do you create a thread, sorry im new.