Yes, competition is very tough. RSI is harder to get into than MIT itself and Harvard or Stanford.
Typically you have 1-2 people from each state get in.
Having previous camp or some awards will help, but is not enough to get in, unless the awards are really *major* ones, or the student has a very unique story (i.e., from disadvabtaged families...) to tell.
My neighbor's daughter won a lot of awards previously and went to whitle house multiple times to meet with the president.
She got admission to all of HYPSM. Went to Harvard this Fall.