Chance for MIT?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I applied to MIT EA, and it's my first-choice school. I visited the campus two summers ago and fell in love with the place. I feel like it is a good match for me. The application is out of my hands now, and I know it's really anyone's guess whether anyone will get in or not, but I'd appreciate anyone's serious opinion on my chances...
Here are my stats:</p>

<p>Gender: F
Ethnicity: White
Income Bracket: High
Location: GA
High School: Public, sends some grads to top schools</p>

<p>Academics:
GPA - Unweighted: 3.75, Weighted: 4.17
(I've made 18 A's and 6 B's... 4 of the B's were in AP classes)
School does not rank.</p>

<p>Scores:
SAT I - Math: 760, Critical Reading: 620, Writing: 750
(I re-took the SAT in Nov. and my CR should go up)
SAT II - Math Level 1: 740, Math Level 2: 730, Physics: 650, Chemistry: 640
(I know these Science scores are low - If I'm deferred I will re-take physics)
AP - Environmental Sci 5, Eng Lang/Comp 5, Comp Sci 5, Calc BC 5, Calc AB subscore 5, Chem (self-studied) 3</p>

<p>Senior courses: AP Stat, AP Eng Lit, AP Phys C Mech, AP Phyc C EMag, Chinese 2 & 3</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
-FIRST Robotics 4 years (Rookie Inspiration 9th grade, quarterfinalist 10th, semifinalist & Gracious Professinalism Award 11th)
-High-Altitude Balloon Research Program 4 years (send payload on weather balloon to edge of atmosphere, uses HAM Radio to track and recover, ground stations subsystem lead, 10 missions in 4 years)
-HAM Radio Club 2 years (founder, president, competed in 2 radio contests - 8th place in nation in 1, other results have not been released)
-Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams 2 years (National Finalist - Top 15, Invented portable lightning prediction/detection device with a team, I was programming subsystem lead and electrical co-lead)
-MIT Zero Robotics Programming Competition 2 years (Team Captain 2010, 2nd place in region, competing again in 2011)</p>

<p>Leadership positions: FIRST Team Captain 2012; InvenTeams programming subsystem lead, electrical co-lead; HAM Radio Club founder and president; High-Altitude Balloon Research Program Ground Stations subsystem lead; Zero Robotics team captain 2010</p>

<p>Volunteer/Service Work: 40 hours Space Science Center Children's Summer Camp volunteer, 25 hours at local museum and public library, 20 hours at Girls, Inc., FIRST Lego League Mentor for 2 years</p>

<p>Honors and Awards: AP Scholar with Distinction, National Semifinalist for Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards, National Finalist for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams (Top 15), National Merit Commended Student, GA Governor's Honors Program finalist (not selected to attend)</p>

<p>College Summer programs: Accepted to Boston University Summer Research Internship but was unable to attend for family reasons</p>

<p>Essays (rated out of 10 in my opinion):
What You Do For Pleasure: 9. HAM Radio.
Department at MIT: 7. Computer Science/Electrical Engineering.
Quality I'm most proud of: 9. I like to try new things.
World You Come From: Maybe 5 or 6. About my city and my family. Not my best...
Significant Challenge: 9. About being unprepared to travel to a major company to test a prototype of InvenTeams invention, but going anyway and making the most of the trip despite disappointing results.</p>

<p>Other:
Teacher Recommendation #1: Awesome - My AP physics/computer science teacher and robotics/space program coach. Known me for 4 years. I didn't read it but he writes excellent recs and has written recs for MIT admits before.
Teacher Recommendation #2: Great - My AP Lit teacher. Only known me since the beginning of the year but knows my personality well and writes great recs. Did not read his either but he has also written recs for MIT admits before.
Counselor Rec: General but she's really nice and I'm sure it was great.
Interview: Fantastic - lasted 2 and a half hours, my interviewer and I had a lot in common.</p>

<p>Not an athlete, no legacy, no major national Olympiads, summer programs, or research or anything. Unless you count the high-altitude balloon stuff as research...
I did write an article with one of my teammates that was published in a scholarly magazine by a university in Australia, though. I'll try to get a copy of that to send in as a supplement if I get deferred...</p>

<p>I think my ECs are pretty strong and my essays are average, but my grades and scores aren't so hot compared to MIT admits...</p>

2

<p>I forgot to include a couple of random details:
I’m a SCUBA Diver, and I’m doing Android App development for my senior project.
Also, I sent a URL with my application that links to a webpage I put together with a lot of information, pictures, and videos from my extracurriculars and stuff…</p>

<p>Not sure if any of that makes a difference, but there you go. Thanks!</p>

3

<p>Post your link in a reply and I will chance back!</p>

4

<p>You seem pretty good but it is hard for any human being to get in. haha
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1238653-please-i-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1238653-please-i-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>Good shot is all I can say, your devotion to EC’s will show why grades are below the 4.0.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1235673-chance-chance.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1235673-chance-chance.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>Thanks, you guys! Yeah, we’ll see how it goes. Anyone else reading this? Come on, any more opinions? How about my chances for Stanford RA? If I don’t get into MIT I’m going to try there. Anyone?</p>

7

<p>Your extracurriculars are definitely your strong suit, especially the HAM Radio stuff. Essays and recommendations seem great as well. Your numbers might be a tad low, but I think you may have made up for it with your other qualities. Best of luck!</p>

8

<p>Good shot. Extracurriculars are incredible</p>

9

<p>thanks again, y’all! Post a link if you want me to chance back! (:</p>

10

<p>You have a good chance since you seem to be really into your majors and ecs.</p>

<p>On an unrelated note: I’m on a zero robotics team and first team too! We got into the semi-finals and are currently discussing strategy for the next phase. lol. We’re CVMP and for FIRST, I’m cad leader for 1671. Good luck on your endeavors and I hope you get in! (:</p>

11

<p>Cool! What a coincidence (: thanks!</p>

12

<p>Your grades are decent for MIT, but your EC activities look stellar ! It seems like you put a lot of devotion into your extracurricular activities ! It’s hard for anyone to get into MIT , but looking at your grades, ec, and recs, it seems like you have a pretty good chance of getting admitted :)</p>

13

<p>Your SAT scores could stand some improving, but your EC activities really make up for it. This is exactly the the kind of stuff that MIT likes to see. I’d say that you have a decent chance. </p>

<p>Chance me back, please! <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1237778-what-my-chances-getting-into-nyu.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1237778-what-my-chances-getting-into-nyu.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

14

<p><a href=“I%20re-took%20the%20SAT%20in%20Nov.%20and%20my%20CR%20should%20go%20up”>Quote</a>

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<p>Isn’t that too late for EA?
Really low SAT science / math scores compared to the MIT EA applicant pool, and GPA isn’t great either. I predict rejection, sorry.</p>

15

<p>@bobtheboy No, the Nov. test date is the latest one for EA.
Thanks, all!</p>

16

<p>Wow, your ECs are extremely unique and incredible! Although (as you know) your GPA is rather low for MIT and same with your test scores (especially math for an engineering school), your ECs definitely make up for them. While it is near impossible to predict an admissions decision, you definitely have good a shot as anyone else! Good luck and I hope you get accepted!</p>

<p>Chance me back?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1192613-chance-me-please-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1192613-chance-me-please-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

17

<p>If you have a chance, get your SAT scores up; your scores and your GPA are your weak point.</p>

<p>That said, you have awesome ECs, but not incredible; these will help, but will not get you in alone, and I’m not sure if they make up completely for your GPA/test scores.</p>

18

<p>Update: I brought my CR score up to a 690 on the Nov. SAT. I know it’s a bit late - the scores came out weeks ago - and I’ll probably find out my EA decision in less than two weeks, but there you go. Also, I faxed in a copy of that article I had published in a science journal as supplement. It was released after the EA deadline, so they accepted it since they hadn’t processed my app yet (they were still waiting on my SAT scores)… So. The only thing I’ll try to change, again, if I get deferred will be my SATII’s. Thanks again, y’all, for all the input, and I’ll let you know how it turns out in a couple of weeks!</p>

19

<p>Just got notification a couple days ago that I was chosen as one of the national runners-up for the National Center for Women & Information Technology’s (NCWIT) Award for Aspirations in Computing! (: Exciting. If I get deferred, I’ll tell them that, too. Still anxiously awaiting EA decisions, though… <em>sigh</em></p>

20

<p>Don’t worry about your CR score on SATI. While top liberal arts schools like to see all SAT sections above 700, MIT doesn’t really care about Critical Reading that much. My brother had a CR score in mid 600s and got in early (a couple years ago). As long as your good scores match what you’re planning to major in you should be fine. I think MIT cares more about an applicant excelling in one area in particular than being just good at everything. Also, being a girl helps because MIT tries to keep its student population even but gets a lot more male applicants. I think you have a good chance at getting in early but with schools this tough its always hard to know. </p>

<p>Could you respond to mine too? After a lot of schools sent out acceptances yesterday I got more nervous about waiting to hear back about my early applications…</p>