What is the Research Science Institute? 

Launched in 1984, the Research Science Institute (RSI) is a 6-week, research-based summer program sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) and hosted by MIT every summer. RSI invites 100 highly talented high school juniors from all over the world to attend this program, completely free of cost!

The program is split into 2 components, where the first week is mainly experiencing extensive STEM classes conducted  by accomplished faculty. In the latter weeks, you work on independent research in any STEM topic, under the guidance of experienced scientists and researchers! The program culminates with delivering your research in conference-stye oral and written reports. 

If you don’t live in the U.S. and traveling poses a challenge for you, you can still attend RSI! CEE has now reached out to universities all over the world to hold RSI in 6 other locations. Currently, in addition to the US, RSI is also conducted in Bulgaria, China, India, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. You can get more information here!

Is RSI Prestigious? 

RSI is one of the most prestigious research programs in the world, owing to its excellent curriculum, the research opportunities it provides and its association with MIT. Since it is also a fully funded program, RSI is a very competitive program. 

While RSI receives over 1,600 applications, they only take in 100 students every year. 

Course Curriculum and Structure

During the first week of the program, you will have the opportunity to study under accomplished faculty at MIT. Throughout this week, you will cover university-level material in these intensive STEM classes. 

The main part of the program is the 5-week research program after your first week. Here, you can work on an independent research project in a topic of your choice, under the guidance of researchers and scientists from MIT! 

If you are interested in learning about the types of research conducted by RSI students, you can look at the projects from 2022 here! An example in computer science is Patrick Wahlig’s research on Modeling the Impact of Ocean Acidification on Sea Scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) in Massachusetts Bay. 

What is the Eligibility Criteria? 

The program is open to students who are rising seniors. That would mean that you will have to apply to the program in the middle of your junior year.

CEE has also outlined recommended PSAT and ACT scores:

- PSAT Math Scores should be at least 740 

- PSAT Evidence-Based Reading/ Writing Scores should be at least 700

- ACT Math Scores should be at least 33

- ACT Verbal Scores should be at least 34

However, don’t worry if your scores are lower as you can always offset them through recommendations, high school grades, and science extracurriculars!

Applicants are also categorized into 2 application-types: 

- U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents: All U.S. students, including U.S. Citizens studying overseas, with one year remaining before graduation from high school, may apply to RSI. U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents applications are submitted directly to CEE. 

- International Applicants: Along with the general guidelines regarding test scores, each participating country has its own selection procedure and selection schedule. You will have to contact the RSI team to determine whether your country participates in the program. If it does, you will be put  in touch  with the appropriate representative at the agency conducting selection for your country. For more information, click here.

What Must My Application to RSI Include? 

You will have to submit:

- Essay responses to the questions in the application, e.g. your goals in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

- Recommendations by two teachers (either math/science or a research supervisor). If you have participated in a research project of 4 weeks or longer at a university or a laboratory, you should request a recommendation from the research supervisor.

- Maximum of 3 recommendation letters are accepted.

- Official high school transcript.

- All scores from nationwide standardized tests, including the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams. (Note. Students planning to apply for RSI are strongly encouraged to take the PSAT.) 

When is the Deadline to Apply to RSI? 

The applications for RSI 2023 have closed. However, every year, US applications are due on January 15th, while international students have the deadline of March 15th.

All components of the application, including essay responses, transcript, test scores, and application fee of $60, will need to be submitted by the deadline.

Pros and Cons

Pros: 

1. Prestige - RSI is an extremely prestigious summer program, and getting into RSI showcases your academic capabilities as a student. Moreover, the letters of recommendation from your mentor is also an excellent value-add for your application.

2. Free networking - RSI gives you the opportunity to network with experienced scientists and researchers, who are largely faculty at MIT. Connecting with leading individuals in your field is a great way to get insights into fields you’re interested in and can even help with future research opportunities. 

3. Conduct valuable research - Through RSI, you can conduct university-level research under the guidance of experienced mentors. Your research would be a great experience to talk about in your college essays, and it can help show your passion and dedication towards your field of interest.


Cons:

1. Full-Time - The only downside to RSI is that it is a full-time program that will cover most of your summer. As this is your summer before applying to universities, you may miss out on other opportunities.

2. Competitiveness - Given the competitive nature can pose a challenge and restrict many students from participation. The Research Science Institute gets over 1600 applicants and only accepts around 100 students!

Our Review

In our opinion, you should definitely attempt to apply for RSI as it is an extremely valuable program that gives you the opportunity to conduct quality research. RSI is a great addition to any college application as you will benefit from the research experience and the letters of recommendation that you will get! Moreover, attending RSI for a summer showcases your capabilities as a student due to the selectivity and rigor of the program.

If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI! 

Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!

Image Logo: RSI Logo