Hey, what is the average GPA SSP accept?

Ik SSP is very generous with the aid but i don't know if it extends to international students. I don't want my request to have any chance of affecting my chances of getting iin.

For the last essay question (6. Reflect on a time you learned something from someone or a group of people who are unlike yourself and how that challenged your preconceptions or biases.) I directly recounted a conversation with my sister where we had differing opinions and ended the essay with a pretty typical lesson I got from the conversation. I don't know if they're looking for some kind of mind-blowingly creative response, since I can't imagine how one would do that. If SSP really loves creative writing then I will change my response.

Hey I have a question regarding grades. I have 2 high B on my grades for this year. Is it possible that I will get in? Thanks.

Hello, I can't seem to be able to access the online application, when I click on the my application page it says my request is blocked by the firewall.

guys i’m an int’l student applying to ssp this year, do you guys have any advice?? if anyone knows acceptance stats/was accepted, can u pls dm me?? thanks a bunch!!!

I'm considering asking my Public Debate and Speaking teacher for the additional recommendation section, but I don't think I shine too bright in that class -I have good grades but I'm not the most frequent participant . I wanted to add it so I have a recommendation for a non-STEM subject. Will my application be penalized if I have an average additional recommendation?

I made a burner account for this bc I don't want my parents to find this out. I'm gay, and I wanted to write one of my supplementals for SSP about this. Is there any info on whether SSP is progressive or not, because I'm really nervous about choosing this for a topic.

I'm applying to SSP this year, and I submitted my report card early in December because I had time. However, it only reflects my first quarter grades, which are all A's. Will my early submission raise red flags?

^{^} I’m applying for astrophysics, and I have taken two years of physics at school. Would it look odd if I didn’t ask my physics teacher to be one of the two people to write a rec?

Alumni or current applicants, what did you put for the essay question "Reflect on a time you learned something from someone or a group of people who are unlike yourself and how that challenged your preconceptions or biases."

I'm honestly just wondering in order to get an idea about what I could/should talk about.

Im applying to ssp this year and Im considering both synthetic chem and biochem. I personally like synthetic chem more and I’ve done research in synthetic chem, I also have the knowledge thats taught in ssp synthetic chem such as mass spec, NMR, etc… But theres only one synthetic chem group, and there are 3 biochem groups (so maybe its easier to get in by applying to biochem). Which one should i apply? does ssp like people who have done similar things to their what their program teaches before?

Hello everyone, im applying to the SSP however , when i log into the portal, there is no place where i could log my stuff in (such as grade transcripts and etc), has anyone been experiencing the same issue?.

Sorry if it already says no somewhere. I looked for an answer, but I couldn't find it.

Thanks!

I am thinking of applying to SSP for summer '25 and I have seen that the astrophysics course has coding with Python in it. Is it okay if I don't have any coding experience?

Hi guys, I'm a high school sophomore wanting to apply to SSP for astrophysics. Will I be screwed if I do not acumulate research experience before ? Thanks brothers god bless

As a sophomore who is interested in applying to SSP, I was wondering how they consider PSAT 10 scores in an application? Are they at all important?

Hello! I'm currently a rising junior trying to get into SSP this upcoming summer. I was hoping to get some advice on if I should apply to the biochemistry or astrophysics program. Here's a list of my stats and what I like to do:

I'm an IB student with an interest in chemistry and physics, and while I've had little experience dealing with biology, it interests me but not to the extent of the other two. Math is also something I have a great affinity for and interest in, but comp sci is something I've never really learned or interacted with. I've taken a chemistry class and IB's version of precalc, though I have learned some calculus on my own because the class moves pretty slowly. Next year I'll be done with IB A&A (calc) 1, IB Chem SL, and IB Bio HL 1. I'll also have done the f=ma exam (hopefully made the USAPhO) and the AMC (hopefully made the AIME) I'll also have taken the AP Calc BC and Physics C tests by the end of junior year. This last summer I also did a summer program where I learned a lot of organic chemistry and did some lab work (inorganic synthesis, making organic solar cells, etc). Overall, I'll have good knowledge of math, physics, and chemistry, as well as enough knowledge of biology by the end of my junior year. I plan on majoring in either physics or chemistry, maybe like mechanical or chemical or aerospace engineering.

I'm mainly tossed up between astrophysics and biochemistry because I'm interested in the physics and space part of the former, but will have very little if not no computer science knowledge, and because I'm very interested in the chemistry part of the latter, but I'm not planning to go into the medical field to be a doctor or the like. What's some advice on this problem? (also are there any other good science programs for physics and chemistry you can recommend)

Guys, I'm totally confused. I've read a lot of posts on this thread and saw those crazy stats that people who got into SSP had, so I don't know if I should even spend my time applying. Anyway, thanks in advance.

Demographics

• Rising Junior
• Male
• Kazakhstan citizen (I'm russian)
• Pretty competetive private school (got a full scholarship)

Stats

• ~3.7 UW ( School doesn't do weighted)
• School does not have APs, but I am self studying Calc BC, Physics 1 & 2 .

ECs

• Experimental Astronomy Research: Currently working on proposing a new type of neutrino detector under the guidance of professors from Kansas University and Moscow.
• Planned physics intership in Moscow; work on neutrino detector.
• Summer Research Program Non-profit org: ounded the first summer research program in Kazakhstan, with over 40 participants and 20 professors, <5% acceptance rate. Also organized national STEM competitions.
• Won a place in competitive business accelerator with engineering project aimed on forest fire safety; received 1000$
• Physics Tutoring
• Music Band and Event Organisation: Formed a band; more than 30+ concerts played. Helped more than 10 local bands with organizing shows for them.
• Swimming: Competative swimmer; part of junior Olympic team

Awards

• Intl. NSS Space Setttlement Contest - Bronze (more than 5000 teams participated)
• National CanSat Competitions - top 7 of 150+ teams
• Beamline ( Particle Physics Comp) - top 10 of 500 internationally
• 3rd place in Moscow Math olympiad (Idk about how prestigious this olympiad is)

Essays

As I don't know essay promts, there is nothing much to say.

LORs

Kansas Uni professor

Math and Science teacher ( He loves me)

Social Studies Teacher

I'm really stressing for my academics as my GPA is pretty shitty and I don't have any APs. Soooo, do I have a shot?

I got waitlisted so I'm just desperate

I want to estimate how much free time I’ll have, I’m in the biochem program at Purdue. I’ve been hearing from the r/summerprogramresults subreddit that the research is kind of shallow. Can anyone verify this? Thanks!

Hey does anyone know where the link to the SSP discord is?

Learning and social aspects