<p>This year, 4 people in my class are applying to MIT, usually no one even applies to schools of this tier. Teachers have told us that MIT will probably accept only one of us, no matter how good each applicant is. According to them, the admissions officers will compare us. Is this true, or are student apps from different schools looked at separately?</p>
<p>They will compare you to the potential best student your school could have produced. They review each student individually, but they do get a readout of what your school is like. If they see that other people applied who had incredible grades and opportunities, and that you don't, they'll wonder why you didn't do as much as you could have.</p>
<p>So no, you're not "compared," but we warned that if the other students demonstrate greater achievement than you, it may be indicative that you did not rise to your potential.</p>
<p>I hope that makes sense, I know it seems a bit odd. Basically, you're compared to what you could have become.</p>
<p>Good luck!
- Timur S.</p>
<p>Wow that sucks. My school sends between 6-11 to MIT every year. We've got USAMO qualifiers, Siemens Westinghouse 1st place winners, etc.</p>
<p>What really sucks is that this school is for juniors and seniors only. So If you come from Enloe, and other good HS's for fresh/sophomore year, you get into the good classes. If you come from Harding, and other low HS's, you don't. Given, I came from Harding, and I'm in the top classes(the ones that are mainly senior, and a few Enloe/East Chapell Hill High.</p>
<p>I seriously believe that there is more to students than just AP's and GPA's. I would personally take a kid who takes chances(not drugs or stuff like that, but trying classes that might be too hard), explores everything on his own, takes good classes, over some kid who just sits and studies for 10 AP exam's. </p>
<p>I'm also a big fan of the theory that trying to kill yourself taking too many hard classes is very bad. If a class is so hard that you have to study way too many hours for it, you probably shouldn't be taking it. I mean, what going to happen? You're going to get into MIT where you will work like crazy, falling behind? Because I'm sure a lot of people don't have to study, and naturally just "get it." And then you go to grad school, and get a job, where you once again work insane hours?</p>
<p>Eh, two of us applied my year, and we were both accepted, despite the fact that the other guy had taken more college classes than I had and whatnot. We're the only two kids from my high school ever to have been accepted to MIT.</p>
<p>It's certainly not true that only one of you can possibly be accepted.</p>
<p>Indeed. My school sent 5 students to MIT last year, that's 1/2 of those that applied. You're definitely not limited to one per school, but keep in mind, five <em>didn't</em> get accepted.</p>
<ul>
<li>Timur S.</li>
</ul>
<p>They don't compare you to anyone. Period. You are not compared. Period.</p>
<p>You are evaluated within your own context. Never do they take two applications, put them side by side and compare.</p>
<p>If two people from the same school apply, they put them next to each other, and automatically reject the one who took fewer AP tests.</p>
<p>That would be good for me lol - actually, I asked Ben Jones this question at a regional info. session, and he said that they take a random stack of applications to read, and do not compare people at all.</p>
<p>However, they do a "school check" or something like that, and if say #9 in the class is accepted, and #1 is rejected, they will go back and look at #1s application again to make sure the decision is fair. I believe this is what he said, if I interpreted it correctly.</p>
<p>The question is then, if it's not fair, will they reject them both or accept them both?</p>
<p>From what Ben Jones said, I gathered that the lower ranked person already accepted would not be rejected. Then, they could either decide to also accept the other person, or not depending on the comparison.
I'm not completely sure, so don't quote me on this!</p>
<p>In a case such as that, the person who was accepted (#9, apparently) has already been accepted and has good reasons for that. They will simply reevaluate their stance on #1's decision, not altering the decision on #9.</p>
<p>Again, you are not compared to anyone else and are evaluated within your own context, not someone else's.</p>
<p>Then how do they pick the top people? What if everyone was a match, and they simply picked the first people the evaluated?</p>
<p>If someone deservers to get in, they get in. There is no quota.</p>
<p>If all is well and the person fits in with MIT and it is right for him/her, they get in, regardless of who else got in from their school.</p>
<p>"If someone deservers to get in, they get in. There is no quota.</p>
<p>If all is well and the person fits in with MIT and it is right for him/her, they get in, regardless of who else got in from their school."</p>
<p>Wrong. MIT admissions director makes a visit to our school every year and tells us that they want to take more kids from our school but are restricted by "quotas"(thye put it more diplomatically)</p>
<p>Maybe they "put it more diplomatically" because "it" is not a quota. A quota is, by definition, numeric. It might be true that MIT doesn't want to take too many kids from a given school of a given academic caliber. That's not a quota. That's context.</p>
<p>well first of all, i wish MIT would come visit my city, but I'm way down south in middle of nowhere Georgia, haha. my parents wont take me to Atl for the info sessions. and im amazed/jealous at the schools who send kids to MIT every year...
i'm especially concerned about this topic thread bc i'm 2nd in my class and the #1 is applying as well. we're not that different in accomplishments, but she's got ISEF, NMSQT Semifinalist (i'm only Commended) on her list, and a higher SAT. so since we're so similar, will MIT just take one of us - prolly her? =(</p>
<p>You really can't predict, TRIS. Do your best to show yourself accurately in the context of your situation; let the insightful Admissions staff see you jump off the page in front of them. What is it that <em>you</em> would bring to the Class of '10, regardless of what other applicants might bring?</p>
<p>TRIS: I'm with Mootmom on this. (Her son is a freshman; mine is a junior.) Focus on your own application, not what anyone else is bringing to the party. You may be academically similar, but unless you write the same essay and do ALL the same ECs, you aren't the SAME. And even then, you come from different families. Your friend may not be as interested in MIT as you are... You just don't know. </p>
<p>At my S's HS, three people applied his year--after years of no apps--and two were admitted.</p>
<p>Can you take a bus or a train to the info session? Can you arrange an interview with a local educational counselor early on? (You'll get names after you submit the first part of the application.) Can you apply EA? MIT likes students who are <em>serious</em> about going there and can give good reasons why they would benefit from an MIT application. I've long felt that MIT took my son partly because they knew he'd be miserable at a less challenging school.</p>
<p>Thanks to both for the encouragement. I am pretty happy with my essays right now, and at least one of my recs will be awesome. I have already arranged an interview with my EC since I am applying EA. It really is kind of amusing how me and #1 are so similar - both MIT EA, same MIT EC, Chinese females, science-oriented, 80% extracurriculars same, grades, haha. But I'm optimistic, it's not like I can change her anyway, I only do my best, hopefully MIT will understand =)</p>
<p>MIT EC? You mean RSI or WTP? If you qualified for either, I'm sure you both have what it takes to go to MIT.</p>