As math proofs and historical document analysis made their way on and off my to-do list during the first semester of my packed junior year, one item was perpetually stuck on it: finish Research Science Institute application. Last summer, a friend told me about RSI: a cost-free six-week residential research program run by the Center for Excellence in Education, hosted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I was hooked — living in the city, working in my own lab and meeting diverse friends? Count me in. But as much as I wanted to live in Cambridge for the summer, writing five 800-word essays just to potentially receive a rejection letter was deprioritized compared to my AP Physics 2 problem sets and Harbinger story drafts. And, even as a Santa-believing, sparkle-loving optimist, the 5% acceptance rate still looked grim. To read more, click the link in bio. #storybykatiemurphy #pagedesignbyloreleigalles #photobykennaharrington #socialmediabyisabelbaldassaro