applying to summer camps reflection

When I really want something, man, you don't know how much effort I'd put in to try to get that. Ironically there are examples proving and disproving this statement. One obvious example that serves as proof is applying to summer camps. I never in my life thought I had a chance at getting into any selective math camps, especially in 10th grade. When I was a freshman, I viewed PROMYS and SuMac as nearly impossible things that were way above my level, like qualifying for AMO. Then I discovered that this girl, M, who graduated in 2020 from my high school (and just graduated from Princeton) was accepted into PROMYS although she attended SSP her junior year. Her mom and my mom are pretty close. M never even qualified for AIME, maybe it was harder back then, but I thought that if she could get in, then I could too. I am extremely grateful that people like M are out there for me to even have hope. Because if I'm being honest, without M, I would have never even opened that PROMYS Problem Set.

M was busy finishing up her last year at Princeton (and you know they have to write a senior thesis), so it was crazy how she squeezed out the time to help me edit my essays. She didn't give me any ideas, just edited what I wrote. My mom paid her, even. She mainly did grammar stuff, but man she was a good editor.

For about two weeks I squeezed out every single minute of my time to do my PROMYS Problem Set. During my math class, lunch (hiding out in the music rooms), car rides, after school. I'd put on Noah Kahan's Stick Season on repeat and that was when I constantly drank coffee and slept for 5 hours a day. Man that was rough. The day before the deadline, I went to sleep at 1 and set an alarm for 5:30 am so I could review my weakest problem (#2) and the entire problem set. My mom told me I was acting crazy and I told her that "people who wake up late don't get accepted". Like damn girl, where did that attitude come from??

I was lowkey so burnt out after submitting PROMYS, but then I had to start my Ross ones. Luckily the day after I submitted my Ross application I headed out from home to LA for my Spring Break. Man I was exhausted.

This year I applied to COSMOS, PROMYS, and Ross. I also submitted my HCSSIM application the day (and minute) of so obviously I got rejected since it's rolling admissions.

The day COSMOS came out was also Ivy Day, funnily enough. Few things in life can match opening your college decision letters, I thought at the time. One, clicking through AoPS to see how many problems I got right on the AIME. Two, waiting for the COSMOS decision letter. By default, I assumed I would get rejected from the math camps, so COSMOS was my only hope of doing something marginally interesting this summer (otherwise I sincerely didn't know what I would do this summer besides grind more math??). I was very nervous and pushed my homework aside and blankly stared at my inbox for like 2 straight hours. I started screaming and jumping around when got in and paid a 1600 deposit fee (what a waste).

Ross came out before PROMYS, on April 19 (I still remember). I was at my friend's house at the time and my mom came up to me and held her phone screen up. I barely looked at it and I assumed I got rejected. The morning after I realized I'd got waitlisted (reading comprehension wya???). Still, that was terrifying. I spent like an entire week drafting a LOCI (letter of continued interest). Sending THAT was also terrifying.

Then a week later, on April 26, PROMYS came out during lunch. I started screaming and could not contain my excitement. I ran an entire lap around the whole school (I'm not even joking). The only people at my school who I ever told about PROMYS (because barely anybody at my school goes to summer camps) was V, the JMO wannabe who is one year younger than me because he was there with me when I got my decision, and my friend who is currently a senior who went to SSP.

On May 2, I got accepted into Ross, which is a little crazy. Then my parents and I spent 10 days ransacking our brains and asking Reddit forums which camp I should go to. I'd always liked PROMYS better than Ross due to its location and reputation so that's why I chose to attend that camp.

I talked to my senior friend who attended SSP when we got back to school about imposter syndrome. She was like "I felt like they chose me just for representation". That's how I felt at PROMYS at first, but I think I really started to feel part of the community there.

When I got my PROMYS decision I said "maybe I can actually get in MIT now". It was a joke, of course. Whether or not I get in MIT or not, it doesn't matter. I feel like getting into PROMYS was a fork in the road for me. Not to be sentimental, but my life would be much more bland and for the worse if I hadn't attended it. It opened up an entire realm of possibilities and opportunities and a community so vibrant to me. I think I will be eternally grateful.