Better chance of getting into MIT as a freshman or transfer?

Bit of an overview:
Have always gotten A/A+s throughout high school and am currently scoring 39/42 in the IBDP as a junior. The problem is that last year (sophomore year), I had a really tough time with depression. I still managed to score As in the majority of my subjects but simply due to lack of energy from my depression, I only got a C (US equivalent - I know it is terrible) in my further maths course (this was the year we took our IGCSEs by the way). The issue with this is that maths has always been my favourite subject and generally my strongest area but since I got this grade throughout the whole year, I am afraid that it will hold me back quite heavily. Considering I am international applicant, would it be better for me to simply try to get into a bit less of a selective university and then do my best there (aiming for a 4.0) and then try to transfer to MIT/similar? I am really regretful with how I did last year but then again it is nothing I can really change (I am getting 7/7 in a much harder maths course now but whatever). I intend to major in computer science and minor in mathematics.

Other/Summary:

  • 39/42 in IBDP (7/7s in HL maths, physics, chemistry, economics)
  • 1560 SAT (not taken subject tests yet)
  • School Prefect
  • Founder and president of school’s chess club
  • play chess 20hours or so a week
  • regularly volunteer and help friends with maths
  • have been working on an iOS application for the past few months
  • attending an iOS development course the coming summer

As hard as it is to get into MIT (or schools of that caliber), it’s even harder to get in as a transfer. MIT and the like only have a handful of openings available for transfers, so the acceptance rate is generally much lower than it is for freshman admissions. The fact that you are an international student puts you at even more of a disadvantage.

Having said that, it is unlikely that one class will be a make or break in your application, your other qualifications look to be well in line with other qualified applicants. Good luck.

Your stats are very strong, so I wouldn’t worry TOO much about the C. Depression is a real thing – explain how you wanted to challenge yourself in a difficult course, but you were struggling with personal issues. Schools will understand as your overall GPA and other areas are very impressive.

Also, you certainly shouldn’t determine your college plans based on your chances for MIT. It is very difficult to get in at all, so you should be considering other schools as well – while MIT is certainly an incredible school, there are many other options. If anything, I would definitely not recommend trying to transfer. You should really just apply as a freshman and see how that goes. That said, if you REALLY feel like you need to improve your stats, you have two other options – repeat your junior year or take a gap year (I think you will be fine without these, but they are definitely preferable to trying to transfer in my opinion). Good luck!

Thanks for the responses.
I am fairly new to the whole college application process and wondered if there is any ‘designated’ area were an applicant could mention any issues that they had during x year as I really like to talk about something else wherever I get the chance to.

MIT does not use the Common Application. You can set up a MY MIT account and look over the MIT application which may help you see how you can tell your personal story.