Often regarded as "the most prestigious and competitive high-school science program in the nation," the Research Science Institute (RSI) is a highly competitive summer research program for rising high school seniors around the world, sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) and hosted by MIT.
Founded by Admiral H.G. Rickover in 1984 (and originally called the "Rickover Science Institute" through the 1986 session), RSI is now run by a close associate of his, CEE president Joann P. DiGennaro. Approximately 80 students from around the world (generally, around 50 from the United States and 30 from other countries) are selected to participate in the six-week summer program. RSI has links to the Department of Defense, and three RSI positions are reserved for overseas Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) students. The first few weeks of RSI include lectures given by distinguished professors and scientists, including a number of Nobel laureates, while the remainder is centered around individual research projects through mentors in the Boston area. RSI's staff is generally composed primarily, if not entirely, of alumni, with recent Rickoids (RSI alumni, from the Institute's original name) filling in as counselors and TA's, and older alumni taking administrative, lecturing, or tutoring positions.
Financial aid expert and bestselling author Mark Kantrowitz attended RSI in 1984. American computer scientist Michael Mitzenmacher attended RSI in 1986. Fields Medalist Terence Tao attended RSI in 1989. Mathematician and Illinois State Senator Daniel Biss attended RSI in 1994. Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann attended RSI in 1998.
The program's social facets include Ultimate, as well as traditional trips to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Georges and Spectacle Island off the Boston Harbor, and an overnight trip to the Charles River Esplanade to view the 4th of July fireworks.
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