<p>@math1234: Toughman is an international student. While the process may be competitive for internationals, be aware that they are not actually chosen by the CEE; rather, they are chosen by organizations designated to select one/two students for RSI from their respective countries. After an international from, say, Greece is chosen, he is simply approved by the CEE (a quality-assurance type thing). Therefore, there is no guarantee that their profiles, accomplishments, or essays accurately reflect those of domestic students, i.e., there is less homogeneity among internationals. While they are obviously qualified, they may or may not be “up to par” with the others, so to speak. Of course, in many cases, their accomplishments may be even more impressive than those of some domestic students. Therefore, I suggest you contact domestic students if you want reliable advice on what the CEE seeks from domestic students. And of course, keep in mind that advice is just that–it’s up to you to convince the readers, and trying to conform to a “profile” rather than just being yourself will typically do more harm than good.</p>