<p>So…who is ready for SSP 2011? </p>
<p>Any prospective applicants?</p>
<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>So here are the dates for 2011 (taken from <a href=“http://www.summerscience.org):%5B/url%5D”>http://www.summerscience.org):</a></p>
<p>12/15 - Applications will open for 2011.
1/31 - Application postmark deadline (international applicants)
2/28 - Application postmark deadline (US applicants)
6/19-7/30 - New Mexico campus in session
6/26-8/6 - California campus in session</p>
<p>In 2010, applications increased 69% to 531, while only 72 were accepted (13.6% admit rate). So this is definitely a very competitive program with a very strong self-selected pool of applicants (last year, calculus and physics were required for admissions). Since SSP removed the calculus requirement this year, I expect the number of applicants to increase again for 2011. The tuition is $3,850 (financial aid is available).</p>
<p>I applied last year and was flat-out rejected. To be honest, I was quite surprised, especially since SSP was my first choice and I put the most work into it. I ended up going to Clark Scholars, so it was all good. But I don’t want future applicants to make the same mistakes as I did, so I’m going to share some of the things that I learned.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Interest: This was probably the most important factor leading to my rejection. For the first essay question, where it asked “what topic in science do you find most interesting”, I put biology. Saying “I love biology” when applying to an astrophysics camp probably raised a red flag to the admission folks. SSP wants people who are passionate about astronomy and physics, so be sure to mention that in the essay. 2 years ago, the topic was actually “What was your favorite topic in astronomy?” So I guess they’re still looking for the same passion in applicants. This is their way to weed out those who didn’t “fit”, so don’t make the same mistake that I did.</p></li>
<li><p>Essays: The rest of my essays weren’t too bad. The most important advice I can give is: be yourself, and be genuine. Write about the things you care about, and be sure to use this space to reveal who YOU are. The essay topics mirror that of MIT, so you can also get an early start on your college essays.</p></li>
<li><p>Word count: There are 3 essays with a word limit of 150. I did 160, 162, and 187. They allowed 500 words for the long essay, and I wrote 606. So this probably did not fare well with the people who read my application. So try to stay under the word limit as much as you can. Going over the word limit certainly does not help your case for “following directions”.</p></li>
<li><p>Test scores: My test scores weren’t bad, but they weren’t amazing either. I think the average PSAT score of admitted students were around 220. So if you got above 220 on the PSAT and 2250 on the SAT, you have a good shot. But I know plenty of people who got accepted with a much lower test score. So this is not the most important factor. Again, I think it has a lot to do with “interest” and “fit”.</p></li>
<li><p>Transcript: I’m sure that most people who apply will have a 4.0 or close to a 4.0. You won’t stand out if you have a 4.0, but you will stand out if you don’t have at least… say a 3.8. But since every high school is different, I’m sure that they will pay more attention to what courses you took. Since there’s a lot of calculus and physics involved during the program, make sure that you have completed or are currently taking Calculus and Physics (AP Calc BC & AP Physics C are preferred). AP Computer Science is also helpful since you will learn programming during camp.</p></li>
<li><p>Teacher recommendations: My teachers sent out good recs - I even provided a supplemental rec, so I can’t imagine that this is what got me rejected. Nevertheless, it is important to have enthusiastic recommendations. It never hurts.</p></li>
<li><p>Resume: I emailed SSP about attaching a resum</p></li>
</ul>
<p>haha. Wow. iceui2. That was a lot of useful info. Thanks!! </p>
<p>One thing I want to point out on the essays. The word count doesn’t matter as long as you stay 150 (+/- 50). They just don’t want you to send a 2 page life history or something. The only thing I can say that IS important, is BE YOURSELF.</p>
<p>I’m planning on applying to SSP. Probably won’t get in but you never know.</p>
<p>I’m applying! Although, like iceui2, I’m more of a biology person. </p>
<p>Where else are y’all applying, summer program wise?</p>
<p>FWIW, 4 guys applied from our school:</p>
<ol>
<li> Ranked #1 in class, NM Commended, strong science and math</li>
<li> Ranked #2 in class, NM Semi-finalist, strong science and math, AIME Qualifier/AMC12 School winner</li>
<li> Ranked #3 in class, NM Semi-finalist, strong science and math, scored 2380 on SAT early junior yr., winner of many science/math/other awards. Worked with prof doing research at local university.</li>
<li> Ranked pretty far below first three, NM Commended. SAT score just so-so. Worked with a prof at local university doing research. True passion for physics, brought it out in essays. Seeked out the one and only Ph.D.-provided rec of all four.</li>
</ol>
<p>Out of these four applicants, the only one accepted was #4. His stats were below the others, yet he was the one they picked.</p>
<p>So…essays and recs are important. More than stats, at least it seems so in this case.</p>
<p>hum…I would guess who that number 4 is, but there were too many people from NM last year. Did he attend Socorro?</p>
<p>NM = National Merit</p>
<p>have there been people in the past who’ve gotten in to ssp without any past research experience and achievements in math/science olympiads etc?</p>
<p>how important is background knowledge in physics in the application? I had to independently study AP physics B this year because of school restrictions, so I won’t have any grades for physics in high school to show…</p>
<p>and could that be cancelled out if you’re strong in other areas like math? (took AP Calc BC last year with multivariable this year, AIME, ARML, other math competitions)</p>
<p>so… if you are interested in biology or chemistry can you guys recommend a better fit/relatively equally rigorous program??</p>
<p>I have a question. If my birthday is 18/5/1993, can I apply?</p>
<p>I went to SSP. I can’t really say how it was since I’m not good enough with words to express it’s awesomeness.</p>
<p>I had absolutely no research experience, no math or science awards, or anything of that regard. I promise, I would have tried if I just knew such things existed, but c’est la vi. I just didn’t have anything to my name.</p>
<p>My SAT scores at the time of my applying were crap (they’re much better now, a difference of 400 points). Compared to the people I met there, my SATs were definitely lower than the bunch but I may chock that more up to coincidence than they selected based on SATs. Virtually everyone was a genius.</p>
<p>I think course curriculum was something I actually had to my advantage. I had already gotten a 5 on the BC exam and Calculus played a notable role in the program. I had taken a basic physics class (it was nothing like the physics we went off on at SSP, just honors level) but it was there. I suppose I had a decently tough course load, but it was at a fairly crappy highschool so that may be something.</p>
<p>I was from the South (Southeast of the US) which is rare for SSPers. I was the only one; most were from California/Southwest. But I don’t think so lowly of the people making admissions decisions as to think that they put any mentionable consideration on geographic location. When building something like SSP, where the person comes from should be the last thing in consideration.</p>
<p>My essays… I don’t know. I wasn’t happy with them. I actually cheated the word count on almost all of my essays (150 word essays were all around 350 words…). The only essay that I actually stuck to the word count for was the 500 words essay where they give you like 4 points to talk about yourself and they say that you can address any or all of them. I’m pretty sure I strayed sort of off topic because I ended up talking about how much fun it is to just roam across Wikipedia looking at random articles and just following links on those articles to other articles when they started getting really technical and I had no idea what they were talking about anymore… for 461 words.</p>
<p>Did I mention that they actually admitted me? Yeah. Not sure how that happened.</p>
<p>But I am serious when I say I am so freaking glad they did. It was some of the most kick-ass six weeks ever.</p>
<p>I went to SSP in Socorro (Rollin’ 36 deep) this past summer, and I can definitely say I’m probably the least typical ssper.</p>
<p>First off, I go to a super tiny school (97 in my class) and didn’t know about SSP until I got an e-mail inviting me to apply. I had never thought of trying to get into a program so advanced…people from my city usually go to the nearest state college (if they even choose to go) and get skill-based jobs. Going out of state for college was always my dream because I wanted to be different. So, even though I read over all of the information on the SSP website, I decided to apply. I was nowhere near as smart as the kids I went with, but I think I got accepted for different reasons.</p>
<p>My school offers no AP courses, but I had already taken the most advanced classes as a junior. I had never taken calculus, and my ACT was decent (32) but not as good as many applicants. I had also never taken the SATs…hahaha… You could say I felt kind of out of place. In my essays, however, I wrote about whatever came to my mind. I’m really into sports, so I wrote a little about basketball, even though people say it’s cliche. I wrote about how astronomy isnt offered at my school and about the ungodly amount of farms in my hometown. I made them real…I let my sense of humor come through in them. My recs were ok…just from teachers who have had me for a while. I have a 4.0, but in a class of 97 I guess that’s not super special or anything. My point is, out of all the things I sent in, I think they accepted me because I genuinely wanted to experience something new. I was completely unexposed to astronomy, but obviously that has nothing to do with whether or not you get in.</p>
<p>When I went to SSP, I met 35 people who were absolutely genius. They were so much smarter than me, which was intimidating at first. However, those people were also real and different. They all loved to have fun and really wanted to go somewhere with their lives. I would encourage anyone from a small town to apply to SSP…it opened my eyes to the world outside of cow-town Wisconsin (from which I proudly hail). Even if you are sure you have no chances, just apply. You never know what you are capable of until you try.</p>
<p>Bahahaha…I’m just reading all the posts here now…mooddragonx has got to be nabil. I can totally see why we were in the same group now :]</p>
<p>LOL</p>
<p>Hello Nabil and Tierney! hahahaha</p>
<p>There were so many sexy Asian princesses at SSP Socorro that,
for the life of me, I can’t figure out who your are…</p>
<p>Just another reason for all you prospective SSPers to apply.</p>
<p>wait, isnt that Amery? lol.</p>
<p>And here comes Johnny, completely misinterpreting verbal irony.
It’s like a reunion.
Koo.</p>
<p>lol. I love you guys. Tierney, your post was sooo genuine. I bet your essays must be amazing! </p>
<p>So prospective SSPers, its really not about what you are interested in or if you have the best test scores, its really not the complicated process all those people make it out to be. Its really as simple as the essays. Be yourself. Let your personality shine through. </p>
<p>I applied to SSP for kind of the same reason as Tierney. I really didn’t want to stay in TN. I wanted to go to somewhere new, maybe California, or New England. The places people tell about. I came from Beijing, and the suburbans of TN bored me. I wanted to go to college somewhere close to a huge city. </p>
<p>Also, I thought SSP would be a special experience for me. If I am not going into aeronautical and astronautical engineering or astronomy, how would I ever get to chase asteroids in the sky? Probably never. SSP had the potential of being a once in a lifetime experience for me. </p>
<p>Also, it does look good on college app</p>
<p>So because of a combination of the reasons, I decided to apply to SSP. I really had no hope of going? I have never taken calculus. I had absolutely no experience in programming and no astronomy background. I think the best part about my application are the essays. I really loved them. I showed a passion even though I don’t have the knowledge.</p>
<p>SSP was the most wonderful experience of my life. After only about two weeks, I felt like I had made the closest friends of my life. It felt like we had known each other forever. When I went home, my stories about SSP convinced two art inclined people to apply to a science/astronomy camp.</p>