My Nonprofit Reviews

Oh man, where do I begin with SSP...

The official goal of the program is to determine the orbit of a near-Earth asteroid using observational data from a telescope that you obtained with your research team, which they assign in groups of 3 random participants. However, it is so, so much more than that.

SSP is completely centered around learning as much science and math as possible and building great relationships with incredible people. Although it varies a little by each participant, me and another guy in the lunch line did the math and realized that we could clock in 16-17 hours of work per day for the first three weeks and a possible 18 hours during the last three due to fixing bugs (these numbers vary very wildly for any given day, of course, because sometimes we have field trips or can sleep in. But you better beware the 18 hour day, which is working all day except for dinner.) Although it is very tough, we learn so much. From observational astronomy to vector calculus to quantum mechanics to Papa Gauss’s orbit determination method to Dr. Rangstorf’s world-famous astrology lectures, the problem sets and three hour lectures are going to simply teach you more than you can take in even if you are a super genius.

Speaking of which, practically everyone there is a super genius, and they still couldn’t learn everything. Some people won international science competitions (I think?), another built their own telescope, another takes really cool pictures with their telescope, another did a research project about how to place recharging wells in Haiti, another makes something crazy like Titanium Dioxide Carbon Microtubules, another derives their own equations for how a rocket combustion chamber works, and many more kept quiet about their skills because the entire campus was a “no flex zone.” They are such great people, too. Super nice. My research team and I still perform research outside of SSP, and we plan on doing a lot more science together.

Bottom line, SSP is absolutely phenomenal, but I just wish more people could go. If you are a college reading this, email to SSP and let a group stay on your campus and use your telescope for 5.5 weeks during the summer. Not only will your college get a great reputation, but it will also be in the minds of some super smart undergraduates, so they might wanna go there. Also, don’t feel discouraged if you think you can’t get in. I’m a farming boy from some hillbilly town in the part of California no one knows about (East of Modesto). I never had a Physics, coding, or any real teacher to teach me things I needed to know to get to SSP ( except AB calculus. Shoutout to Mrs. Aleksani for the sacrifice), and everything I knew was poorly self taught. I never thought that I would be able to get into SSP over prep school or rich school kids, but somehow I did. Now I have a foot in the scientific door and the best research team in the world (attached picture). For anyone thinking about going, just try. You never know if you might just get accepted. It changed my life, and it might change yours, too.