<p>Hi,
Last few years, those selected in MIT from Bangladesh, all are medal holders from different Olympiads and specially from math Olympiads.
So, instead of applying sideways(as suggested by MIT Adcom) one should get some medals and with that medal should apply straightway and MIT admission will be certain.</p>
<p>So, future MIT aspirants from Bangladesh should try their utmost to get medals.
I think it is also applicable for the applicants from South Asian countries.
And if you are a female medal holder from Bangladesh, then chance will be enhanced.</p>
<p>Although I agree that such medals increase your odds of admission, I don’t think you necessarily win admission ticket. There are a few international freshmen who have been admitted without any major awards. I believe they wouldn’t just take you if you were internationally recognized in Olympiads and Science Fairs. Of course, they look good on your application. But they look for passion and will to learn and they do this by researching various factors. They take into account your essays and recommendations, both of which are critical pieces that grant insight into your personality. It’s a mere coincidence that an International Olympiad gold medalist strongly demonstrates these desirable traits. There are IMO, IPhO, and IOI medalists who have been rejected. Such cases are rare though. One cannot be judged correctly by one’s achievements alone.</p>
<p>I have not applied to MIT as I know that I cannot get admitted from this country if don’t have any medal.
Whatever I have said about medal, is correct for this sub-continent. Here, you must get a medal first then other things like good story/essay, transcripts etc.
Being a keen observer of MIT admission process, I got some more information regarding medal,transcript and admission. I will let you know in time.</p>
<p>What, exactly, is it that you interpret “applying sideways” to mean?</p>
<p>It certainly helps to have an international-level award when applying, and I wouldn’t discourage any international applicant from seeking international awards and recognition, but it is neither necessary nor sufficient to win an Olympiad medal to be admitted to MIT from any country.</p>
<p>Agree with molliebat there!
I’m from South Asia and I got in without an IMO medal. I really tried for it though but I wasn’t really thinking “I must win this”. It was more of “this sorta math is fun! :D” thing for me. Hope that somewhat resolves your misconception. :)</p>
<p>Why fuss about it? If you didn’t get into MIT, you didn’t get in. Simple. It’s not necessary that you’re not good enough. Think in terms of match: MIT wasn’t the match for you. Maybe you could interpret that as “MIT isn’t good enough for you” if it makes you feel better. But seriously, don’t fuss about it. Work hard, play hard. Enjoy studying, work hard, enjoy the journey to the top and don’t obsess over getting into MIT or Stanford or Harvard or whatever. Hard work will pay off in the end. Go kick as* from wherever you are. And that should define you. Why moan over MIT decisions? Don’t you have belief in your own ability to succeed even if you’re not in MIT? If you don’t, well, MIT rightly didn’t accept you. If you have the belief, put in the effort and go kick as*. Cheers.</p>
<p>@ yellowcat429. Thanks yellowcat429 and molliebatmit for your reply. I just written what I find after analyzing MIT results of this sub-continent.</p>
<p>India with a population of greater than 1.25 Billion people got only 4 seats in MIT, out of which 3 are medal holders and one got selection for setting up an website related to MIT with 1900 in sat1. Do you think, India is so poor in knowledge and capability? With the brilliance and capability in knowledge, Indian applicants can occupy more than 50% seats in MIT class of 2017 if selection is based on actually knowledge, capability and passion. </p>
<p>From Bangladesh, only 1 candidate with a medal is selected and last few years MIT is taking only 1 female medal holders from Bangladesh each year and last time the female student selected without medal is one who got selected for distributimg semai to 40 hungry people in Eid Day(Narrated by Nazia Chowdhury, the present medal holder student of MIT in her Naza’s Diary). </p>
<p>We are English Medium students in Bangladesh. The pressure of A level and school tests are really brutal and our class and exam schedule clash with the Olympiad schedule and that’s why we can not participate in Olympiads in Bangladesh. </p>
<p>From my school 50 students applied in U.S.A. but only 2 applied in MIT and they applied with a conviction that they will not get selection as they do not posses Medals in any sort. </p>
<p>Out of these 50 students, 40 already got selection in different Universities including some IVY schools. But they are afraid to apply in MIT as they consider it a waste of time, energy and money.</p>
<p>If it is misconception, may be - but it is there.</p>
<p>If my post hurts anybody, I am really sorry but I think I have the right to express my feelings as we are in the democratic world.</p>
<p>@MLNP124. Thank you very much for your advice. But your advice is not applicable for me, my friend. I have not applied in MIT as I don’t have a Medal, though I have good GPA, very good result in O and A level exams and good SAT score.</p>
<p>If you have an international award (be it a gold in IMO or Grand Prize in Google International Science fair or anything of that level), you are a very strong candidate for MIT. It is true with the US students because MIT accepts those guys. It is very true with the subcontinent because MIT accepts almost ONLY those guys. But this doesn’t mean that every Indian medalist gets in. It means that the medalists outweigh all the other 1000 applicants who don’t have such an award. From those medalists, few are chosen.</p>
<p>If you are an Indian and you want to get into MIT without a major int’l award, then you must have done something VERY UNIQUE like Amol Bhave has done. Amol Bhave is the only one who was accepted from India this year as a non-medalist with a 1900 SAT. He made a unique contribution to the OCW which is hugely admired by MIT.</p>
<p>There are hundreds of IMO, IChO, IPhO, IOI, IBO, IOL, etc medal winners. MIT can only take 120 international students every year. Winning a medal does not guarantee admissions in any means.</p>
<p>With that said, only a fraction of MIT’s international student population has won medals at these competitions. I am not one of them, and I’m an international from an Asian country. It is not good to generalize based on anecdotes.</p>
<p>There is a limitation of seats for international students at 100. These are distributed appropriately all over the world. So those admitted look accomplished compared to everyone else who applied from that country. If you have 10 people who won medals, they are not all going to get in because of their medals.</p>
<p>Yes, American universities will have mostly American students. No, arguments in that. Just agree that MIT quota is 4/5 from India and 1 from Bangladesh and MIT will take according to their need and wish.</p>
<p>So, no need to show so much Ad com Thesis like apply sideways, selection best of the best etc. etc. in MIT admission blog. That is my point.</p>
<p>Selecting 4 from a country of 1.25 Billion people and 1 from 160M people does not require so much research and thesis. </p>
<p>Same applied to Internationals from other countries.Tell spade a spade- that MIT will take according their whims and necessity.</p>
<p>Other things are just carrots offered, so that best International students around the world come in flock to make MIT ranking high in the world.</p>
<p>Hi all,
I just expressed my genuine feeling regarding MIT admission. I may not be correct about my expressed feeling. Consider it just an expressed view of a young man who observed sideways some anomalies (according to me) regarding MIT admission process. I am a small man and my observations may not be as correct as I consider. MIT is a great institution and if my observations are not correct, just ignore it.
Hope to finish here and request others not to take offense.
Sorry, if I hurt anybody.
With thanks.</p>
<p>I hope no one took offense. I understand where you are coming from. We’re very sensitive to how stressful it is to apply to MIT, especially for international students, and especially for students from huge countries in east and central asia which have large numbers of highly qualified students who would love to study here. </p>
<p>Medals are not a prerequisite. Medals are not something in and of themselves that we value. Medals are one of many ways by which an applicant can demonstrate extraordinary intelligence, skill, contributions, etc. </p>
<p>I wish we could admit all of the students who were qualified to MIT. But we can’t. It’s hard and I’m sorry. I wish you the best of luck wherever you do decide to apply and attend.</p>
I really tried for it though but I wasn’t really thinking “I must win this”. It was more of “this sorta math is fun! :D” thing for me. Hope that somewhat resolves your misconception. :)</p>