Asian American hs junior shooting for MIT.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>With less than 10 months left for college application, I would like to know where I stand for MIT.</p>

<p>I know I have not done anything fancy compared to people here. (They seemed to have found the cure of cancer :) )</p>

<p>All "expected" scores I mention are very reasonable ones (judging from practice tests, class grade, etc), and I am not trying to bluff or anything. I am very sorry I can't provide a real score since I am a junior.</p>

<p>Ok, here it goes.</p>

<p>SATII Math IIC: 800 (just took it and got the score)</p>

<p>SATII Physics : 770+ (expected: currently taking AP Physics B and kicking everyone's butt. I would definitely expect 800 on this.)</p>

<p>New SAT
SAT I Math: 800 (expected: took numerous practice tests and previous tests. Consistently getting 800)</p>

<p>SAT Verbal: 770+ (expected: the same reason for SAT I Math. 770 is the defintely the lowest grade I expect.)</p>

<p>SAT Writing: 770+ (expected: the same reason for SAT I Math. 770 is the defintely the lowest grade I can get on this.)</p>

<p>Sorry for all those "expected" scores. As I said, I am VERY DEAD serious about SATs, and they are very reasonable (actaully I honestly believe I can get 800's)</p>

<p>AP's</p>

<p>Euro history
US history
Physics
Statistics
Calculus
Chemistry (next year)
Bio (next year)
Econ (next year)
Gov't (next year)
Language Arts (next year)</p>

<p>EC's</p>

<p>Computer instructor/tutor at district computer education program. (2 years)</p>

<p>Relay for Life (2 years)</p>

<p>Robotics society (2 years) <-not a school club, but actually community society.</p>

<p>Red Cross - CPR training, First aid training 2 years</p>

<p>California Scholarship Federation (graduation recognition) 2 years</p>

<p>**Stanford Summer program (or possibly Vanderbilt PAVE program): I am applying now. This, I am not 100% sure, but I am pretty sure I will make it.</p>

<p>Internship at Discovery Science Center (and I have a letter of recognition)</p>

<p>American Mathematics Competition: 98.5 and 107.5 (shameful scores) 2 years</p>

<p>United States of America Mathematical Talent Search: 2 years (w/ a silver award).</p>

<p>American Invitational Mathematical Examination: got invited this year. I will try hard, but I am not THAT good at math.</p>

<p>Community Service: 200+ hours so far, and will do about 200+ this summer. Total: 400+</p>

<p>My GPA: never gotten any B or lower.</p>

<p>Freshman : 4.0 (I have an honor class, but It doesn't weigh)
Sophmore: 4.0 (the same as freshman)
Junior: 4.8 (current GPA)
Senior: 5.0 (highly expected)</p>

<p>Note that all EC's exclude senior year, and I will continue most of them.</p>

<p>Please please note that all "expected" ones are very reasonable and don't give me answers like "well, you never did'em so you will never know"</p>

<p>I understand MIT is very competitive, especially for Asian Americans. I think I would have a great chance had I been another minority race.</p>

<p>Thank you so much</p>

<p>Ultimatmath</p>

2

<p>Too hard to say, you have too many "expected" ones.
Never EVER expect a score from "numerous" practice tests. They rarely show you the approximate score you will get one the real thing, from numerous cases that I've seen. Also, many of your classes aren't very rigorous. There are students who take AP chem their freshman year, get A's in the class, and a 5 on the AP. </p>

<p>"Please please note that all "expected" ones are very reasonable and don't give me answers like "well, you never did'em so you will never know"</p>

<p>well, then what do you exactly want people to say? That basically the only thing anyone can really tell you here now, isn't it?</p>

<p>Besides that, good stats, if your scores DO come out as you say, I don't see much of a negative side...except are you taking only 2 SAT IIs?</p>

<p>P.S. In all your EC's, do you hold any leadership positions?</p>

3

<p>If you get your expected scores, you certainly are a match for MIT and the other top colleges in the US. But with these schools, a match does not an admit make. Though I really do not believe that being Asian American is going to affect your chances, what might be an issue if too many applicants have a profile similar to yours. Like more than they want to take. MIT has been trying to diversify the type of students they take, and are heavily weighting leadership and interesting activities over the traditional stuff that so many of their students excell in. That really is the biggest issue kids with such sterling academic profiles have in elite college admissions. Not to say you should not give it a try; you certainly have a better chance than those applicants without those great stats, but that gets you through the first half of the app review. They then look at what else you bring to the table to distinguish you from the other applicants and students there. </p>

<p>What is your highschool's track record in placing kids into schools like MIT with your stats? What are your AP test results for those tests taken, and what level math are you--AB or BC calc? </p>

<p>You are definitely MIT material, just a matter of how many other also are next year.</p>

4

<p>not to be mean or anything, but why is your sn "ultimatemath" if you only got 100 scores on the AMC?</p>

<p>to the topic at hand, however: I disagree with Tami in that your AP courses are more than enough to suffice. If you do achieve those SAT scores, that'll be great, but it won't be enough to get you into MIT. Your EC's especially are lacking. Become a leader in a few activities, start a program or something, and I think you'll have a serious shot at MIT.</p>

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<p>On the topic of AMC, has anyone done USAMO? I've heard the competition to get there is cut throat.</p>

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<p>Youre expected scores sound rather... conceited.</p>

<p>I don't think it's a good idea to post "expected" scores, and moreover think it's highly inappropriate that you posted this.</p>

<p>What gets to me more is that you say</p>

<p>"I understand MIT is very competitive, especially for Asian Americans. I think I would have a great chance had I been another minority race."</p>

<p>Admissions at MIT is a meritocracy.</p>

<p>Straight from <a href="http://www.techreview.com/articles/atwood1103.asp?p=2%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.techreview.com/articles/atwood1103.asp?p=2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>"No one, including Sarah, is given preferential treatment in the selection process. Even minority students and “legacies”—children or grandchildren of alumni—who are often accorded special treatment at other schools, are judged purely on merit. “I want everyone to know there’s only one way to get in here, and that’s the hard way,” Jones says. MIT ensures a good ethnic balance in each class by carefully building as diverse an applicant pool as possible—not by imposing quotas. Nor does the Institute reserve spaces in the class for students from particular geographical regions. This ensures that only the best in the pool, not just the best in one region, are granted admission."</p>

<p>I don't think you have any right to insult minority students, especially when you don't have test scores OR AP scores to justify your haughtiness. </p>

<p>I really don't appreciate it when people blindly think that being a minority makes college admissions easier. There is NO WAY you can judge that WITHOUT CONCRETE DATA.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for the inputs.</p>

<p>yes, I am a little bit stressed that I don't have any leadership postition.</p>

<p>Also, I believe only 2 SAT II's are required for juniors at this moment.</p>

<p>If I have to take another one for MIT, it would be something like US History maybe?</p>

<p>I know I am taking SAT Korean next year, but thats for highschool graduation requirement, not for college though.</p>

<p>The "expected" ones, as I predicted, did cause some trouble. Well, that was the best thing I could do, to give you an idea about where I stand in terms of SAT.</p>

<p>edit: after reading the responses, I do apologize if I offended some people, especially minority race thing. My point is that asian americans don't benefit from the Affirmative Action, unlike other minorities, and by no means I attempted to insult them. MIT, I believe, explicitly stated that they follow the Aff. action.</p>

<p>Now, I don't understand what is so "haughty" about my stat, but anyway, I apologize about that also.</p>

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<p>You've posted a lot of academic stats, and not a hell of a lot more. Therefore, we're going to tell you just what US News or any other college guide can tell you. Your stats are competitive - and they will enable you to pass an initial review. However, if you don't have anything else, things are not going to be easy. </p>

<p>From my observations, the extracurricular profiles of many admitted students are more distinguished than yours. I also haven't observed that much of a passion for anything specific that MIT could offer you. There's also a clear lack of leadership. Now, many of these things may appear on your application (which cannot be effectively conveyed here). However, just FYI, you'll probably need some of those things to be admitted.</p>

<p>Joey</p>

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<p>I am looking for a volunteer or internship program. I don't know where to start.</p>

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<p>Does your school rank?</p>

11

<p>I want to know something. Why is there a need for so much leadership? Some people work quietly and yet produce amazing things. I'm not yelling at people on this board, but I guess at the college admission. Yes, leadership is needed if you want to become a lawyer or something of that career area. And some communication skills are needed to make you successful in a working environment. I sometimes think that too much leadership sometimes causes arrogance and makes a person louder than usual. </p>

<p>I know many people at my school who don't feel that they want to set up a club. But do other things that should have equal respect, but don't recieve it. Bah, well it's just insanely hard to get into college when you have to be everything all at once. </p>

<p>These are just my thoughts...and after reading this thread...i was compelled to write this? I dunno..its sort of off topic.</p>

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<p>hey radicalchar: leadership is not a must, and actually doesn't really guarantee anything. Examples of meaningless leadership includes being presidents of clubs: sure they look nice, but they don't really provide a huge boost to your application. If you went to USAMO, MIT could care less if you were the president of Key Club. However, lots of meaningful leadership, like starting community service programs, can certainly help your application. In that case, the leadership position would indicate special drive and motivation.</p>

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<p>"Why is there a need for so much leadership? Yes, leadership is needed if you want to become a lawyer or something of that career area. And some communication skills are needed to make you successful in a working environment."</p>

<p>The thing is, a top school like MIT doesn't want to be an engineer production line where all they crank out are hard workers that get jobs at companies. They want leaders in the science field, leaders in research labs and academia, leaders in public policy topics with technological underpinnings, leaders in business and tech companies, people who can present information to the public rather than just crank away problems inside a cubicle. THAT is how a top school like MIT gets its high level of exposure, because MIT alums have made a name for themselves. </p>

<p>smart and hardworking people is not enough, especially with globalization and outsourcing... if you're someone who cant communicate your science and technology expertise with something like the business world, then your job can be easily outsourced. </p>

<p>radicalchar, read page 54 of the USNWR's 2005 graduate school magazine. its titled "Dibert's Dilemma" and it fully explains why leaders are needed in engineering schools like MIT.</p>

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<p>Leadership, if possible, is defintely a plus. Of course, I see radicarchar's point.</p>

<p>Now, my question is that is leadership fully expressed by those "positions" at some random school clubs? Now, if you are the president of some physics club and won some competition, that's great: nothing could be better. </p>

<p>But who cares if you started DDR club and became the president/founder of that club???</p>

<p>I think it is the quality of the club and activities that matter.</p>

<p>Edit: Oh, my ranking is Top 10 of 830 juniors</p>

15

<p>ultimatemath,
I would suggest that you prepare carefully for the writing section of the New SAT - it is liable to be pretty random with all the new graders on the first few administrations.</p>

<p>Leadership can be intellectual as well as political. This is where starting and founding a club can be an assets - particularly if it is discussed in an interesting fashion in your essays and rec's. </p>

<p>Finally - have you visited MIT? It's a very intense place. You may love it - or not like it at all!</p>

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<p>Where should I look for internship??? I've used search engines without any success...</p>

<p>I think having another internship/research would be a great idea along with a leadership position.</p>

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<p>What may hurt you is the lack of evidence of leadership. What may help you is being a female applying to a place like MIT, that still attracts more males than female applicants.</p>

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<p>I don't know about AMC so I couldn't tell you whether or not you were doing good.</p>

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<p>Work on the ECs that you enjoy doing and take some initiative in them. As I said earlier, you certainly have a shot at those schools. And do bear in mind that anyone with high stats and is not in the URM pot would most likely do better at admissions if they were in the URM pot. That is a very small underrepresented pool and if every one could join it at will, then it would have no advantage at all. Changing your race to caucasian is not going to make a whit of difference. As NSM remarks, the fact that you </p>

20

<p>First of all, I am a male student, so you can stop bringing gender advantage topic: no, it's not going to work for me.</p>

<p>As I said, I am not trying to be another race: I already apologized if I offended someone. I just think Affirm. action not applied to my race slightly make the competition harder for me, but that is NOT my main point.</p>

<p>The point is my EC's: how are they going to work out? I mean internship & research all that--are they going to help me?</p>

<p>Of course, I would like to be the president of Red Cross or something, but usually those spots are reserved for some group(?) of people. People who were officers last year become officers this year: this cycle is very hard to break for a transferred student like me.</p>