<p>Current applicant speaking, but I think this is general info - I would definitely not cater your interests to only get into RSI. After all, it is luck as you said. Get into what you want to/love to do, and your passion will naturally weave itself into your app next year.</p>
<p>That being said, if you’re applying to RSI, you have a science and math-y interest. I personally volunteered at a local hospital, took a CNA class and got my license, and then went to a (kinda expensive) research program to get some research experience. I liked it so much that I decided to apply to RSI. An easy way to get research experience would be to email every single professor at a local college/university to ask if you can be an unpaid intern there. That is free on their part and your part. Win-win, and many professors are more than happy to help a high school student who is interested in their work. If you get a paid internship that’s even better…</p>
<p>I would think that they usually don’t write anything on it. It’s just like a notice that they got it - after all, there are probably hundreds of these postcards that they send back. I sent an sealed envelope with a good-luck card to myself in it, thank goodness they didn’t open it and look at that…</p>
<p>@shinexalive I would give you my ID, but it’d give my identity away lol. But I will tell you that I won 3rd place grand awards for Environmental Sciences. </p>
<p>Yeah I figured, because roughly 1,000 ISEF qualifiers are out there every year, and about 200-300 of them win some kind of award, so it’s still not very distinguishing. :(</p>
<p>@prettylittleliar Well, you are an ISEF finalist if you qualified for the international fair (which took place in Pittsburgh last year). I’ve got ISEF, but my academic specs are pretty meager. I’ve got like a PSAT score barely above 200, so that puts me at a pretty weak standpoint from that part, and it seems that RSI actually cares about that :(</p>
<p>how are results announced? by email?
or if by snail mail, do the rejections come in small envelopes and the acceptances in big envelopes?
It’s almost time, so I’m getting nervous.</p>
<p>Correct me if I’m wrong, but they often send them out much earlier than March 31st. Last year, around March 9th…? That’s what I’m banking on at least.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure you’re a month off… I remember RSI sending their notifications late, around April 9th. I don’t think they were anywhere near that early. We’ve got a month and a half to go, at the minimum, most likely. I might be wrong, but this is what I remember. I’ll check last year’s thread to see.</p>
<p>Nevermind what I said, you’re right. People were getting accepted by March 8. I could’ve sworn it was April… this is interesting! I was probably thinking of MITES. Maybe we’ll be notified even earlier! However, I think last year’s application deadlines were quite a bit before this year’s, but then again, I would not trust my memory. They could be giving themselves plenty of time to complete the application review process, and will actually send them out earlier (or not.)</p>
<p>On last year’s thread it seems they stalked a lady’s twitter feed to find out about potential release dates… short of that, there’s nothing left to do but wait, I guess. It is nerve-wracking, though, reading about these amazing experiences yet knowing that realistically only 50 in the country will go.</p>
<p>Is anybody else sending in updates for competitions/scores/tests? I know last year people sent them in- does anybody know if such a thing would be appropriate to send via Ms. Maite’s email, or is there a different, more general address?</p>
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