I. E. I leave the whole PART TWO SECTION FOUR of the application empty.
No.
Even with significant achievements odds are that you’ll be rejected (19/20 odds)
Unhelpful answer. It’s almost the same as if I had asked “I filled the section with very significant achievements, do I have a chance at MIT?” I know the kind of people that is rejected. C’mon, shed some light. What I am asking about is if it is a deal breaker, if it is impossible, if it sends you directly to the trash bin.
Yes, it is.
For highly selective colleges, all other things being equal, EC’s are the decisive factor. Not having any prize/recognition/award/activity where you had a significant impact would indeed be a deal breaker.
Okay. Is it still if I have moved to several countries during high school and would only list ‘USACO silver division’ as a distinction?
It is a deal killer. You need to stand out amongst greatness. You use the term “no distinction at all” that means straight to the bin. Why would you think otherwise?
If you can’t come up with a way to distinguish yourself how can strangers?
Here “distinction” doesn’t mean “the only way to distinguish myself”. It means recognitions such as winning a contest or something.
It means the methodology by which MIT and other highly selective colleges differentiate among thousands of students all of whom have near perfect academic and test scores. Sounds like you are looking for an answer that suits your wishes.
Moving “to several countries” isn’t an achievement it’s an anecdote. What makes you better than someone else with better or comparable grades? What do you have to offer and in has to be extremely compelling?
USACO Silver Division would be something.
But surely when you lived in the US you didn’t just go home at 3pm and play videogames? How did you spend your time? Did you work?
Now that you’ve been in Spain for more than a year, surely you’ve had time to volunteer, create, or do something where you’ve had an impact of some sort?
The others are correct, tons of highly qualified applicants get rejected each year, there has to be a strong justification for them to admit you. The good news is there are tons of other great colleges out there (I assume you are interested in the sciences) besides MIT that would be happy to have you.
In the US… I was rather repairing my laptop again to try to compile something once again. That was the second half, during the first one I was mostly getting accustomed to the language, going to church with my cousins, and not much else (well, yeah, acting as translator for my father too --especially that time with the cops haha–). If there were post school activities, it never crossed my mind losing the bus. The USACO division was actually during the first year while I was living in Spain. But it is true I wasted a lot of time with my ex. Here in Spain, I centered more on academics (and when I just entered school the level required was higher than what I was prepared for) and all the volunteering I have done is in a one day event, mostly just greeting people. Of course, in my HS in Spain the idea of ECs don’t exist. I also spent a lot of time writing private stuff and learning stuff like some linear algebra and graphics programming. The second and last year was… How do I put it? On the verge of suicide. I’m fine now. I managed to keep good grades anyway. Currently, I am working as a math tutor. Ah, I have also submitted a video to the Breakthrough Challenge. Well, if you ask about social impact, my counter of teachers thanking me for setting the browser of the classroom’s computer to load funny videos is 2.
to your narrowly tailored question: yes. not all internationals we admit have a distinction of that kind. but all of them are distinguishable in our applicant pool and have a compelling reason to admit them.
^And most of them at least try to understand what MIT looks for, become informed and activated in the right ways. They understand moving countries isn’t a tip, an accomplishment. And what does matter. More than academics or setting the browser.
Not very nice, but I apology because maybe I wasn’t clear. Didn’t mean moving was an accomplishment, but a condition/experience/obstacle with its own consequences. I know what MIT looks for in an abstract sense, but the less of a gifted academic and social übermensch blessed by the god of environmental luck you are during your school years the less you can predict if someone has a possibility of standing out in the admission process.