BWSI FAQ

 

 

 

Welcome students to BWSI 2024!!

IMPORTANT! -

(1) You must include your Unique ID in ALL correspondence and provide it to your recommender- it is how we track all your data to correlate application, grades and recommendation.  It is also your learn.edly.io username!

  • We will open student and nomination forms for the online courses in December and will process new forms on a rolling basis, students must be registered to receive the summer program application link unless otherwise disqualified from applying.

  • Parents: we ask that you have your student fill out the form themselves.  If you accidentally put in your information for the safety of all our minors we will need to delete the account and start over - this will add time to your student being able to access the courses.

  • Students: You will receive a confirmation email immediately. Once you receive the "Approved" email from BWSI, you must wait until you receive your edly.io email to be able to login to your account.  We will begin to process the registrations in January. The account needs to be created - it can take 3-5 business days.

  • Students:  We are seeing that many of our emails are not being received at your school email address- we cannot fix this unless you use a non-school email for the registration form

  • An account was created using your unique ID (it is a 9 or 10 digit number with suffix "_bwx") as your username using the email you provided on the registration form.

  • After approval, an email is sent to complete the registration for the bwsix.edly.io online courses.  When you receive that email you can go to the site and select "Need help logging in?", to set your password and login.  Please review this document for the steps

  • The only courses available are the ones you can see.  All online pre-req courses are available for all students.

  • To apply to BWSI you must be a student attending High School in the United States.

  • Your unique ID (UID) is also your Username for the bwsix.edly.io platform

  • We have not yet determined which courses will be in-person this summer, we will continue to over courses in a virtual format as always.  Students and families accepted for the in-person will be responsible for accommodations or commuting to the MIT Campus for classes.

     

 

We are receiving many emails about the account login and password reset process- Please review this document for the steps

The website is https://learn.bwsix.edly.io/ to view and login

 

Students will receive the following emails as part of the online course registration process: 1) a formstack confirmation email with the data that you entered on the registration form;  2) an edly.io email that provides account information; 3) a formstack email with program information

 

Please see info below about eligibility to apply to the summer program.

 

  • Note: BWSI is managed with just a few people, *PLEASE* make every effort to read or *search for your keyword/question* on this FAQ and to find the answers prior to emailing staff bwsi-admin@mit.edu

  • The online courses open on Feb 1, and will remain open to students through the summer.  Additional modules will be added in some of the courses after April.

  • The BWSI Program consists of online (prerequisite) courses and summer synchronous courses that build upon one or more of these prerequisites.  The online courses are independent study, we need to see your progress and grades when we select students to be part of the summer program, so it is important to show progress by our application deadline on March 31. The courses need to be completely done by June 25 or students' acceptance into the summer program will be at risk. 

  • Check our website for updated information and how to apply to the 2024 program.    

For 2024 BWSI Program students, You will take these steps after the online courses open up on 1 Feb 2024.

Example of bwx-help@edly.io account registration emailFor students who do not participate in the summer program, the online courses will remain open until November 30 when we need refresh the courses!

  • Registered students will receive an email with login information for the online course to complete the online course registration with the steps stated below. The email (from bwx-help@edly.io or similar) will prompt you to complete the registration for the online course.

  • The link will take you to Login page, you will need to select “Set Password” to reset it immediately.

  • You may take more than one online course (some courses like RACECAR require it)

Current 2023 Courses (most wll also be in 2024)

 

General Information

Question

Answer

Will you be offering an in-person program?

 We are always evaluating COVID-19 restrictions and policies, we will host a few courses as in-person and others will continue to be virtual programs in 2024.  We will not be offering a residential program.

Which programs are available?

Here is the 2023 pamphlet.  (our 2024 pamphlet is not yet available)

Where can I get more information?

We try to keep our website as up-to-date as possible

Are these courses individual or team-based?

The online courses are independent study and therefore individual performance based.  Our July program is rigorous, challenging and team-based so that students can achieve more together.

What is the daily schedule?

We will be hosting classes from 10am - 6pm EDT, Monday-Friday, July 8-Aug 2, Final event for the in-person courses will be on Aug 3, with the overall Final Event to include the virtual courses on Aug 4.  There will be a mix of lectures, labs, and office hours. As we accept students from across the US, some classes may be adjusting hours for different time zones based on their students.

Do you offer programs for middle school?

We piloted our first course in 2019 with the Mini-RACECAR course, we will not be able to host a middle school program this year. At this time we will not be offering a middle school program. Please visit Outreach.mit.edu for a list of the many programs that MIT offers.

What other STEM programs are available?

MIT has many programs here, Lincoln Laboratory has more listed http://www.ll.mit.edu/outreach and pleased to link to Media Lab's https://aieducation.mit.edu/index.html#curriculum. All are adapting to policy changes based on COVID-19.  Here is a list of our favorite resources.

I'm a freshman/sophomore, can I apply?

We encourage interested students to be nominated or self register to access the online course, but as we can only accept a limited number of students, accepted students are generally finishing their junior year (i.e. rising seniors)

Do my scores/grades in the online course affect my enrollment?

 Enrollment for the summer program is competitive and score in the online courses are an important part in our enrollment decisions, so follow instructions and do your best!  The number of times you can answer is limited so guessing may hurt your score.  Grades are important but not the “Total Course Progress” as that does not show up in the grade report.

What does the program cost? Are there any fees for the program?

Both the online courses and our virtual program are free for students, and we make every effort to provide all the unique supplies needed for course-related projects.  

What is your privacy statement?

The MITLLBW Privacy statement can be found here

What are the prerequisites for my preferred course?

  This page lists the courses that require the Python Core course in addition to your specific course prerequsites.

I have course selection questions.

  Students are encouraged to select a prefered course in the onine registration application, they should work through the pre-requisites for that course- but are NOT limited to taking/trying just those online courses.  They are asked to select a preferred course (and alternate choices) again in the summer application. Students may not be accepted into their preferred course based on summer course enrollment, and we make every effort to place as many students as possible in their preferred course or their alternate choices.

 

Nomination Process for Online Courses

The online courses provide the prerequisite background for BWSI summer program, if more than one course is required to participate in the summer program, it will be listed in that course's overview.

The process to apply to attend BWSI is multi-step - students must register for online courses first - if not registered for online courses students will not be able to apply to summer portion of the program.

  • The nomination form provides a way for teachers, parents, guardians and mentors to nominate a deserving student who would not have registered on their own.

  • The registration form provides any interested student a chance to join,  investigate and learn via the online courses and see if this program is interesting to them.

  • All students have to register for the online program- having a nomination in addition to your registration does not increase your chances of acceptance into the summer program.
Question Answer

I'm a teacher/parent/mentor/coach - how do I nominate a student?

 Please use this link to nominate, up to 5 students per form and you can submit additional forms as wel|.

I'm a teacher/parent/mentor where can I get more information?

 We try to keep all the relevant information on our website, check links at top of page as well.  If you need more, please contact bwsi-admin@mit.edu.

Can students self-registration?

 New since 2022, students can self-register using this link and do not need a teacher nomination. 

Do I need both a teacher nomination and to self-registration?

 If you have self-registered, you are all set and expect an email in mid-January when we process the registrations.  The summer program Application does require a separate teacher/mentor recommendation.

Does it help to have both a teacher nomination and to be self-registered?

No, we only use your registration form (and its the same form for you whether you are nominated OR self-register) to create your account and send you the summer program Application.   It does not improve your chances if you have a teacher nomination after you have registered, but only creates more work for us and your teacher.

 

Registration Process for Online Course
Question Answer

How do I apply?

 See our website for information.

Have I been nominated for online courses?

 After nomination, students are sent an email that contains a link to register.  Please check your spam/junk folder to make sure it did not go there.

What is my Unique ID (UID)?

 It is a 9 or 10 digit number with suffix "_bwx".  You receive your UID via email when you complete the online student registration form for bwsix.edly.io. access.  For prior year students, you will need to use your NEW unique ID.  This is also your username for bwsix.edly.io once your account is created, and is located in the top right of bwsix course pages after you are logged in.

My school is not listed on the student form?

 Select "Not listed"  and enter in school name in next field, make sure you check the list!  Most of the schools are there.

Do I need teacher a recommendation?

No for the online course, some teachers will still nominate students for access to online courses but students can now self-register. A teacher recommendation is needed for the enrollment application for the July summer portion of the program.  You will need a teacher (or mentor) recommendation for the enrollment application - DUE April 1.

I did not receive BWSIX (or online course) registration email- why not?

 Emails are sent to the addresses provided by your teacher, very often our emails are blocked by school network firewalls, check your spam or junk mailbox.  Your parent will also receive the email.

I used my gmail/hotmail/icloud address and still did not receive BWSIX (or online course) registration email- why not?

 Please check your spam or junk mailbox to make sure it wasn't filtered, See this document for more in-depth answers.

I did not receive BWSIX (or online course) registration email after I completed the online form- why not?

 Did you check the email entered was correct? Did you check your spam/junk email? The automatic response is sent to the email provided on the form, please contact bwsi-admin@mit.edu to see if this needs to be corrected.

How can I get BWSI emails at my school?

 Talk to your school administrator to allow emails from "mit.edu" through the school firewall

How can I get BWSI emails at non-school email address?

 Provide a non-school email address to your teacher when you ask them to nominate you for BWSI or if you self-register enter a non-school email address for your emails as school firewalls do sometimes block BWSI emails.

Can you change my school email address on the form?

Yes, we can on the registration form, send email to bwsi-admin@mit.edu.  Due to our limited resources it may not happen right away.

Once the bwsix.edly.io account has been created, we cannot change the email associated with that username and you will have complete the registration form again for a new UID.

What do I do after I get the BWSIX email?

 We are updating based on making the program virtual as we are not having an in-person program this year, but this document has more in-depth answers.

Can I apply if I'm not a US Citizen? What about international students, including US citizens living outside the US?

 Every student can enroll and participate in the online courses, but acceptance into the July progam is limited to students already attending school in the US.  Students must be living in the United States during July  to be accepted into the summer program.

Can I apply for the summer program if I'm not in the United States?

 We cannot accept students outside of the US due to logistical challenges, all students must be living in the US for the July program.

Can I apply if I am homeschooled/go to alternative school?

 Yes, the process is the same, (nomination for online, registration for online, enrollment for onsite) contact us if your instructors/mentors cannot access the required forms.

What does the error code mean when I try to use the registration form?

If you try to submit the student registration form twice, you will get an error  (Error ID: 665cd1a0933a2edcb9c8), we prevent students from filling out the forms multiple times, please contact bwsi-admin@mit.edu if you need to update or correct information on the form.

Why can't I continue to fill out the registration form- I only see "Save and Resume" ?

 Formstack has chosen to use a dark format for the "Next" button in the lower right corner- see this image.

 

Enrollment Application Questions for the MIT BWSI Summer program

Question

Answer

How long can my essays/short answers be?

 The formstack website counts characters, not words, and the limits are listed under the respective field.  Most word processing applications will provide word and character counts for you to check before sumbitting.  Please be concise and list the most important facts about you.

My first choice course was canceled/ not accepted into - how much progress do I need to do in the new course?

Start the new course to demonstrate your interest, get as far as you can by Enrollment due date, we will take progress on your original course into consideration

What do I need for the enrollment application? What are the enrollment instructions?

Here is the 2024 link that provides information on the required fields and information that you will have to provide on the enrollment application.

You ask for 3 choices (1st, 2nd, 3rd) for courses- do I have to do all three?

Enrollment is competitive and you may not get your first choice. If accepted into the program, you will be placed into one (1) course and will need to complete the online portion for that course.

When is the teacher recommendation/reference due for enrollment application?

Your teacher recommendation will be due on April 1.  (Students are sent a confirmation email to the address provided by the recommender - student school email may block the cofirmation email - you should provide a non-school or parent email address to received the confirmation email)

Are teacher/mentor recommendations shared with the students?

It is our policy that recommendation letters are not shared with students, the teacher/recommender may share directly with the student.  We only share the recommendations with the BWSI application decision team.

What should I enter for my GPA if my school does not calculate it?

 If your school does not calculate GPA,  please enter 0, and enter "Not Calculated"  in the field "What is your school's GPA scale?"  We do not request official transcripts from schools or students.

Should I use my weighted or unweighted GPA?

 Please provide your weighted GPA.

 

 

Passwords for Registered Students
Question Answer

What's my password??

For bwsix.edly.io - see 1) below,

for piazza- see 2) below.

1) What's the password for my BWSIX account on the login page?

 At first login, simply select the "Need Help Loggin in?" link on this page, and you will be able set it (or reset it) at any time.

2) What's my password for Piazza?

 Piazza is self-registration (select sign-up)

How do I get to correct course on Piazza?

 Go to sign-up, select green Students get started, enter MIT, and select "Massachusetts Institute of Technology", type "bwsi" in the course field and a course selection list will appear.

Where's my access code to register for course on Piazza?

 Access codes are located in introductory module for your course or in Course Updates.

 

Online Course- For Registered Students
Question Answer

I was a student last year; do I need a new UID?

 You must still self-register even though you (may) already have access.  The Online course registration for the current year will ensure that you continue to receive notifications and updates for this year.  If you do not fill it out you will not receive notifications of deadlines/applications.  You will receive a new UID to use on edly.io and should use the new one in correspondence with us.

I can't find the correct bwsix course- what do I do?

 On the BWSIX dashboard page - you should see all the available 2024 courses, names may not be a complete match, but the choice will be obvious looking at the page.

I did not get into my first choice course - how much progress do I need to do in the new course?

 Start the new course to demonstrate your interest, get as far as you can by March 31 (the enrollment application due date), we will take progress on your original course into consideration.

I registered but cannot access/find the correct course?

 Check you have selected the correct semester (Spring 2024) and the courses for 2024 (not 2023)

Can I just do the online course (and not apply to the summer program) ?

 Yes, the online course is open to all high school students who are interested. The process for the online course access is the same whether you plan on applying to the summer program or not.

How do I register for the online course?

 Select the link provided in the course registration email in this document.

How much of the pre-requisite is due before the summer application for each course?

 Each course lists at the very beginning what the expectations are in order to be considered for the July portion of the program.

How long does it take to complete a course?

 The length of time depends on your experience and skills, as well as the course selected, but encourage applicants to start early as it may take several weekends to complete a course.  It will not take 44 weeks as indicated in some of the course overviews- that is simply the length of time that the course will be open.

I'm having trouble logging into BWSIX, what can I do?

 See this document for more in-depth answers.

How do I pick a course/What courses should I do?

 After logging in to BWSIX, you will see all the 2024 courses, you should select the one course that interests you most and begin it, other courses, like Python, may be required to qualify for the summer program and it will state that in the course syllabus or description.

Can I take more than 1 online course?

 Yes, you are able to work on more than 1 course (courses like RACECAR require it), voluntarily completing additional courses does not improve your chance of acceptance, but can provide interesting learning opportunities

Can I take a different course other than my first choice? Can I switch courses?

 You have access to all the online published courses, so you can switch from your original choice or try other ones that you may find interesting.  (Once accepted into the summer program, you will need to complete that program and swtiching courses is not allowed once accepted into the summer program)

Since the application asks for your top three choices, would you have to finish at least 50% of your top 3 courses before you apply?

 No, just your preferred course. Not all students can be accepted into their top preference and this will help make sure promising students can be in a personally interesting course.

How do I register for additional courses?

 Your login for BWSIX provides access to any of the 2024 courses, and you self-register by selecting the course and starting it (don't forget that each course has its own piazza forum).

How do I ask questions about course material?

 We use Piazza as a forum for online course collaboration, you can register for an account on Piazza but course codes are ONLY available through the individual BWSIX course.

How do I register for Piazza?

 See Piazza under Passwords section Q & A; Check the Introductory module or Course Updates in individual course for links and access code

Piazza says my access code is incorrect- what do I do?

 EACH course has its own piazza forum, so there are different access codes to each piazza course forum, confirm that you have the correct access code for the appropriate piazza forum

I see the prior year courses; can I work on them?

 No, the prior year courses are closed, and do not count towards the 2024 application

After I register on BWSIX; can I change the email for the account?

 No, BWSIX.mit.edu is administered by a different organization and we cannot change email/account settings.

What email is used for correspondence for BWSI?

 We use the email entered by you, the student, on the student online course registration form as the primary method to send updates and information,

Are there certificates available after completing the online course?

 Yes, Certificates will be available when the course is completed.  The student must also receiving a passing grade in that course to be eligible for the certificate.  The certificates are available until the courses close at the end of the year (check the course for exact closing date).

When are the certificates available?

  The Certificates in the online course are available AFTER you get a passing grade, the passing grade varies between courses.

 

Middle School Information
Question Answer

When will you offer a middle school course?

 We will not be running an in-person program this summer, but are working to create new content for a middle school program. We suggest you search on outreach.mit.edu for programs for this age range

How can I apply/ or apply for my child?

 See link above

How can I do this in my school?

 We can partner with you and your school to provide the course and curriculum content for classes, enrichment or clubs. Please email us bwsi-admin .

 

 Last resort!

Email bwsi-admin  with your questions if you do not see the answers you need on this page. BWX-help or BWinfo or BWwebmaster will only take longer to get an answer.

 

Internship Opportunities (and other opportunities after BWSI)

Please see this page for more info. Our sponsors understand that the best and brightest are coming here for courses and offer internships to selected students attending BWSI for the following summer, BAE Systems, Raytheon Intelligence and Space, and MITRE are planning on offering internships to BWSI alum.

 

Program Links

Link

BWSI YouTube Channel

BWSI 2022 Program Pamphlet