<p>Just wondering what my chances are...</p>
<p>Perharps a URM or someone from a state like Nebraska or Mississippi ?</p>
<p>How about an international student from African country?</p>
<p>Asian, bi/tri-lingual, good EC/Volunteer, perfect A-Level forecast.
My only problem is maths 
Let’s say… 790 CR 790 W and 600-650 M?</p>
<p>Given that the lower quartile for SAT math at MIT is 740, I’d say that a math SAT below 700 pretty much rules an applicant out.</p>
<p>Not the answer you wanted, I’m sure. And I’m sorry. But, honestly, if a person’s best Math SAT is below 700, the course work at MIT would probably eat him alive. The work at MIT is grueling for top performers. If a person had to do all the same work as those top performers and also expend mental energy on the math that comes naturally to those top students, it really wouldn’t be a happy experience.</p>
<p>Thank you for your very honest answer!:]
I haven’t done any SAT exams yet though, i intend to do them October, November and December 2011 for regular application.
The subjects i want to major in are psychology, philosophy and perhaps management.
I am just making a list of the universities that are need-blind and/or at least, offer need-based aid for international students, but there aren’t many…
I know i won’t fit in MIT, probably the USC/Duke, but just wondering!
Thank you again for your concern :)</p>
<p>MIT does not have a Psychology major.</p>
<p>yes. 110 last year. </p>
<p>[MIT</a> Admissions: Admissions Statistics](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/admissions_statistics/index.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/admissions_statistics/index.shtml)</p>
<p>Second time I’ve had to post this today: I stand corrected.</p>
<p>I do expect, however, that it’s an uphill battle for an applicant to MIT with SAT Math below 700–even more so for an applicant with a score of 650 or less.</p>
<p>To bring a face (er, screenname?) to the data: I got exactly a 700 on my SAT Math. (I graduated 2 years ago.)</p>
<p>And I got a 690!</p>
<p>(Which is, like, actually less than 700, Laura.)</p>
<p>I also got in with a 690, but as a transfer. IMO Calculus/Differential Equations was easier and more straightforward than the math on the SAT.</p>
<p>ArBell, if your math SAT stays at 600-650, I would probably advise you against going to MIT. A student whose math SAT score was artificially low due to some difficulties with English, and not with math, could catch up rapidly in an English-speaking environment. But with 790 CR and 790 W, it does not seem that your English is holding you back. Have you looked at the questions you’ve missed? There is a question-and-answer service available for some of the administrations of the SAT. This might help if you are making a lot of “dumb” mistakes on problems that you should have solved. Or perhaps you are not following the directions about the grid-ins, and you are losing points there. These are remediable problems, that would not counter-indicate going to MIT. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if you have difficulty with math, but you have “perfect” A-levels forecast, then I would have to guess that the A levels do not include math. If they do, please explain. Nor are your A levels likely to include physics. They might include chemistry, but really, I’d guess not. So what is it that makes you think MIT is a good fit for you? </p>
<p>I think you would really have an uphill struggle with many of the courses, if you are not able to raise your SAT M score above 650. At that level, you are not just missing tricky number theory questions, or overlooking conditions in a problem, or forgetting some of your geometry–you are missing quite a few of the problems. Sorry to be blunt, but I think you need to come to grips with this. Furthermore, MIT admissions will turn down students who have outscored you by 100+ points on the SAT M, back when they were 12 or 13, and who have continued to progress in math since then–as well as admitting quite a few of these people.</p>
<p>If you are dedicated to a career in science or engineering, I honestly feel that you would be better off at a university where the math/physics/engineering classes are pitched closer to your level, and you have longer to work on improving your math skills. Really understanding the material will serve you better in the long run.</p>
<p>Addition: 690 is one thing, below 650 is actually in a different category, in my opinion. Also, since your projected A-levels are “perfect,” I am responding under the assumption that your school is pretty good.</p>
<p>And one more comment: I see from the link posted by MIT Chris that only 2 students were admitted with SAT M in the 600-640 range. I would guess that these were very promising students from poor school environments.</p>
<p>Mollie, I will make a point to use you as an example instead of myself in all future threads of this nature. :)</p>