<p>@kind
do we really want to get into that?</p>
<p>I’ve heard that the number of applications was wayy up this year. Ughh I really don’t care, I just want it to be the 16th!</p>
<p>I think the past few hours [since I read Matt McGann’s post] have gone by reaaaaally slowly. :p</p>
<p>@Kiwi - How did you hear about the number if applications?</p>
<p>This article was posted on this random blog I was reading: </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/education/21college.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/education/21college.html</a></p>
<p>But I just realized its from last year. Honestly though, I don’t know how much of a difference there would be from this year’s numbers and those of 2008.</p>
<p>yeah…this ap lit paper isn’t getting finished tonight with this looming 9 day wait</p>
<p>Well if applications are up 25% half because of questbridge that shouldn’t be too bad considering so few questbridge applicants get in.</p>
<p>^^^ Matt showed in one of his blog entries that historically, EA applications go up by about 1,000 each year. Could be more or less this year, though; I can’t imagine why it’s been such a steady increase.</p>
<p>Anywhoooo, I’m going to make the 16th my self-imposed deadline for my other applications. I’m going to keep busy with those and some other things, so I hopefully won’t spend too much time thinking about MIT’s decisions.</p>
<p>You could think of it either way - </p>
<p>The number of applications could have increased dramatically, well, just because.</p>
<p>Or, the number of applications may have decreased due to all these economic problems. However, since they’re releasing decisions later than usual, I’m going with the first point. Damn.</p>
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<p>That’s only been true in recent years; historically, it’s been more of an exponential increase:</p>
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<p>In reality, i don’t think M.I.T has a certain “hook” or criteria when looking at its applicants. There is too much diversity in the applications, you just have to hope that there aren’t too many people that have the same attributes as you. Like I’m hoping that there aren’t that many Brazilian Soccer nerds like me lol.</p>
<p>@Reshaun15</p>
<p>Thats exactly what I’m hoping for. I do some interesting things. My EC had never met anyone who played steel drums and I’m hoping MIT hasn’t either.</p>
<p>I don’t have much of a hook except for the fact I’m half jedi. Hope the force gets me in. 8)</p>
<p>^lol!</p>
<p>I talked to my EC about scuba diving, but I know there are tons of scuba divers out there</p>
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<p>Yes, and that is exactly why being an excellent athlete, with requisite MIT numbers and interests, is a hook. Because there are not that many of them out there.</p>
<p>I think athletics is a solid hook for a school like MIT. I think when they look to see differences, the athleticism of certain applicants with requisite decent scores (relative to MIT standards) and a “real” person is very attractive admissions. Applying EA with interest from a coach I feel is helping me but I won’t know until the 16th if this is true.</p>
<p>BigJay, I’d say you and I are in a similar boat. I just hope you’re right, and we’ll both know soon enough whether sports were enough to put us in. Best of Luck.</p>
<p>@ Respectfully and bigjay71
I am also on the athletics boat, I hope it really does have some sort of an impact on our applications.
Just curious, which sports do you guys play?</p>
<p>Guys, athletics is not a super special hook. Like any other activity, it’s about your passions and drive, why you pursued these things.</p>
<p>@PiperXP
I understand that athletics is not any more of a hook than anything else. I would easily say the strongest part of my application is my academic foundation. I just think the commitment I’ve shown in athletics is very representative of being passionate about something. Unfortunately, our school doesn’t have much exposure to math and science competitions, or many academic EC’s in general. Athletics provided me with an outlet, a way to balance myself physically as well as emotionally from the hours I spent on school being a student.
Just as someone with EC’s in research may be excited about other people who share a hook in research, or whatever the EC may be, I was curious towards other students who come from a simliar lifestyle (student-athlete) and their sport of choice.</p>
<p>hook: I have a math tattoo.</p>