Chances at MIT? and other top schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I KNOW NOBODY CAN GIVE ME AN ACCURATE OPINION BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT PEOPLE THINK BASED ON MY ON-PAPER PERSON (I’m a hoot off-paper as well, trust me :slight_smile: )

I BELIEVE IN MYSELF THAT IF I TRY HARD ENOUGH I’LL GET IN NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY.

girl
no legacies or whatever
6 siblings

ap’s
9th:
none, but only girl out of 6 total freshman in the accelerated science class
& only freshman in spanish 3
10th:
ap chem - ehh lets not talk about the score I have ADHD and didn’t finish in time (sorry for the excuse)
11:
ap spanish lang - 4,
ap compsci - 4,

ap english lang - 4,

ap bio - 4,

ap us hist - 3 (I took the test but not the class)
12:
ap calc bc - only 2 girls :frowning:
ap physics c - im the only girl again :frowning:
ap english lit
I dropped ap spanish lit to take a college spanish course
im only saying the only girl thing (also only 3 girls in my engineering class) because COME ON LADIES lets get with it don’t let these guys think they’re the only ones who can be involved in STEM!!! don’t not take a class bc you don’t think its cool, take it to challenge yourself, take it to learn, take it bc ITS FUN!

sat+act - I’ve never done any prep except for bio + chem ap study so yea
ACT: 33 comp, (35eng, 32math, 32reading, 32sci, 10essay). I took the test once without any prepping and im gonna take it again this month after I look at an ACT workbook a little bit (maybe). i think prepping for this kind of thing is a waste of time that could be spent doing fun things or changing the world or something… but i mean do what you gotta do by all means, that’s just me.
SAT SUB math 2: 790
SAT SUB bio - 670 (i honestly don’t know what happened here, but im gonna try and retake this one next month (i took the class last year)
SAT SUB chem - 570 (I was really sick) :frowning:

ec’s (have done since freshman year)
competitive sailing since i was like 7, gonna do it in college.
started book club
newspaper
Tour the School guide
soccer

awards:
ap scholar w distinction
NCWIT award
lots of sailing awards i guess…
Nat. academy future scientists & technologists award of excellence

other stuff:
ehh rc aviaton fanatic
artist
build stuff in free time
nice + funny + caring
obsessed w spiderman (probably won’t write this on my app, just a little fun fact aha)
want to inspire & help people

MIT is my absolute dream, when i visited i felt so much like i belonged there and that i fit in there, I felt a connection to the students. I love the vibe. I LOVE IT THERE HONESTLY I LOVE THE CAMPUS THE STUDENTS THE TEACHERS THE MONTRA THE ATTITUDE THE PASSION SHARED ITS ALL ME I CAN SEE MYSELF HAVING THE BEST EXPERIENCE EVER THERE i think i would benefit the school and it would benefit me (I don’t care if you don’t believe me!!)

besides, it is the only school w everything i want:
Aerospace Engineering major (and amazing program might I add)
sailing team
air force rotc
on east coast :wink: (MA is where i want to be baby!)
smallish to medium sized.

chances? how about @ yale? brown? cornell? Harvard? dartmouth?

2

the only thing though is nobody thinks im smart because im kinda a clutz and have really bad adhd nd also am really shy at first but once you know me im really funny and a good friend. also people think im not gonna get into MIT because im a blonde white girl (I’ve never even had starbucks though or own uggs, just so u know…)… I just want to see what others think.

3

Can I tell you something? You have absolutely no chance at these schools. With the attitude you carry, and your numerous excuses for everything, how will you handle any top school? If you can’t even handle an AP Chem test (which was relatively easy) how will you survive general chemistry? You’re going to blame a cold for dropping your score 210 points? Pfft. Get real. Also, you have no GPA here for us to see, but I personally think that that’s not needed.

Also, what’s the point of asking people for their opinions if you won’t listen to them because you don’t like them?

4

Let’s start with your stats. The biggest issue right off of the bat is that your EC’s are lacking about as much as EC’s can lack. Likewise, your awards are nonexistent. What have you been doing in high school? If I were an admissions officer reading this it would appear you’ve spent much of high school under a rock.

Not to mention that your quant stats are veryyyy average at MIT. Your list of excuses is a joke. Don’t blame scores on being sick and having ADHD. It’s immature and just ridiculous. Own up to your mistakes.

STOP talking about you being the only girl in your stem classes. It’s one thing if you want to make a case for girls in STEM. Yes, equality in STEM fields is an important issue, but the way you discuss it is just whiny and off-putting.

Quite frankly, this post looks like it was written by a 10 year old, not a student looking to enter a prestigious university upon graduation. My guess is that your overall maturity is rather low in this regard, as is usually the case when someone refuses to listen to the opinions of others.

If I were you, I wouldn’t bother applying.

5

I’m liking you for MIT.

What NCWIT award did you get and for what?

ETA: Do you have a GPA?

6

When you write things in all caps, you are shouting at us. It is very offputting and I would not suggest you try this in your college essays.

Since you made the point more than once that you were the only (or one of the only) female(s) in your STEM classes, I get the sense that you are thinking of emphasizing this is in your application to MIT. Imo, it would only be something worth mentioning if you had done or are doing something to change the situation. If you had started a club or organization that sought to increase awareness and participation of girls in STEM and you could point to an increase at your school or community as a result of your efforts, then it is significant. Just whining about it or thinking you’re special because you’re sitting in the classes while other girls are not won’t cause AO’s at MIT to think " we have have this kid in our school!".

The most important thing is your grades. What is your gpa and class rank?

You started off defensively shouting at us, made two different excuses for your AP Chem and SAT Chem scores (maybe you just didn’t learn the material?), and then made some offensive comments to other blondes while claiming to be suffering from being stereotyped as a blonde.

Take a deep breath and then relax. Reflect on what you’ve written and how it comes across and then think about how you want adcoms at MIT to see you. Being determined is a great quality and maybe you you can show examples of how being so determined has served you well - just don’t try to run over people or paint over your shortcomings by making excuses (especially that you were the only female). Best of luck with everything!

7

For MIT, the 25% - 75% range of ACT scores is 33-35, so you are (just) inside the middle range of accepted students. The admit rate for students with a 33 is 7%, compared to 12% of those with a 35; for a sub-score in math of 32 it is 6%

The 25-75% range for SAT subject test - Math- is 770-800, so you are solidly inside the middle range of accepted students.

The 25-75% range for SAT subject test- Chemistry, Physics or Biology- is 740-800, so you are not in the middle range of accepted students, you below the 25th %.

Obviously, you can re-take chemistry or bio or take physics to strengthen your score.

So, based solely on test scores MIT is not completely impossible- probably in the 6% chance range. Based on broader test info, though, the poor scores on both AP Chem, Chem subject test and modest scores on AP Bio and Bio subject test could raise the question as to how well you handle rigorous material. And of course, all we can infer about your GPA is that it is more than 3.5(W). Not much to go on.

MIT makes a big deal out of looking at the whole applicant, though, so your essays and ECs also matter a lot. As presented, your ECs are extremely thin. Imo, dump the ‘award of excellence’, as that is basically a participation award from a paid-for event. If the NCWIT award is the national award say so, otherwise drop it as well, as again it is basically a participation award. If any of your sailing awards are beyond participation or club-level awards (ie, regional or national), specify that. If you have had genuine, serious leadership roles in soccer, book club, tour guiding or newspaper then say so. Otherwise, assume that they had nothing to your application. There might be something in your RC aviation interest, if it has led to participation in something larger than your enjoying it on your own in your back yard.

Your challenge is making a mature, thoughtful case for why you are a great choice for MIT. Based on what you have shown here, you should be looking outside of the tippy-top tier of colleges. For example, UC Boulder has an amazing aerospace program (and a super Air Force ROTC- the Academy is just down the road) (no sailing though). Given your list of colleges that you are interested in, you will probably see this as beneath you, but WPI has aerospace engineering and a sailing team, and is in your preferred area.

As for STEM… don’t over-bank on it helping you with admissions. At the top level schools there are plenty of very very strong female STEM applicants. One of my Ds, a STEM child with substantially stronger scores and ECs than you have, got into a top 25 (not top 10!) school RD- after being deferred ED.

8

@JustOneDad

I’m curious as to what you are basing this on. OP hasn’t given us her gpa, her ACT is unremarkable (with a low ACT math score for MIT), her two science SAT subject tests are in the bottom quartile, and her EC’s do not stand out. While I hope you are right about her, I think she would be better served by getting advice to find schools that are more realistic unless she is able to provide more evidence to the contrary. If MIT is her dream school, she should by all means apply but she should have solid matches and safeties as backups.

9

Please read, and then read again Falcon1’s post. Take it to heart. You came here seeking advice and that’s the best you will get.

Also, my daughter is a STEM major. It is not unusual to be in the minority as a female in physics, calc and comp sci classes in high school. It is not worth advertising.

Assuming you have a good GPA, I think WPI is a good possibility. But, GPA does matter to them. The fact that you did not post it leads me to believe it isn’t very good. Please share it so we can better guide you.

In future posts, drop the “I don’t care what you say” and “I don’t care if you don’t believe me.” Why come here if that is your attitude? There is a lot of good advice to be had here. And, wherever you end up, you will need to seek out help, support and advice. You will get more of that if you are mature, open-minded and sincere. So, no chip on your shoulder.

What have you done to demonstrate your love of aviation? There could be something interesting there. Just loving it isn’t an EC. Show that you are pursuing it in some depth.

Good luck to you!

10

Lots of good advice in this thread. A couple of comments.

  1. Lose the attitude. @Falcon1 has nailed this one. You won't be doing yourself any favors if you apply with a chip on your shoulder, or making excuses. Most of the people on this board are very supportive of the vast majority of applicants, and get no pleasure out of being the bearer of bad news for those whose aspirations outstrip their record.
  2. The Devil is in the Details. You have been very stingy about giving specifics - GPA, class rank, specifics about awards and level of EC participation. Those make a huge difference - not posting suggests that they are on the weaker side. It's impossible to chance anyone, but even more so when their is insufficient data - it's not helpful to ask for advice and not provide sufficient information. Your ACT score, AP scores, and SAT II scores all suggest someone who is on the lower end of what would be of interest to MIT. Since you don't have a "hook", that means you will need to be particularly attentive to creating a compelling narrative.
  3. Ride the Winds. From what little you have provided, your sailing is the thing that may stand out the most. I would elaborate on it, feature it, and if possible connect it to your interest in aviation and aerospace. How do those things make you feel? Do you have a sense of freedom, or of exploration? In your place, I would have tried to develop some specific aerospace/aviation EC interests and link them in with your sailing. I'm a bit surprised you have no apparent marine/oceanographic interest given your sailing background. There are a ton of programs and internships that you could have pursued, many of them funded, but it's too late for that now.

With an overall acceptance rate of 8%, MIT is hard for anyone. Given your stats and background, your chances are probably lower than that. As @collegemom3717 notes, “your challenge is making a mature, thoughtful case for why you are a great choice for MIT.” Think about that one hard, and be positive, not passive-aggressive. But by all means you should also be realistic, and have a range of schools with strong aerospace/aviation programs and with a sailing team.

Good luck!

11

Yes, she should.

12

To the OP: Best thing I’d do is forget the excuses. You probably won’t be able to retake that 8.02 test unless you were legitimately sick and had a note from S^3 or something.

13

“ap calc bc - only 2 girls
ap physics c - im the only girl again”

Stop making excuses

14

Sometimes, “excuses” really are just “explanations”.

If you take an IQ test and your score drops 20 pts on the day you had the flu, is that an excuse or an explanation?

15

@JustOneDad If you’ve played competitive sports in particular, you’ll know these are one and the same. If you drop a fly ball because the “sun was in your eyes” or miss a putt because “you sneezed” or miss the buzzer shot because “you were sick that day”.

Yes, these may be explanations as to why one did not complete a task, but to an athletic coach, they’re excuses any way you look at them. Crap by any other name is still Crap.

Similarly, you’re well aware that the same holds true in academics.

16

I echo the sentiments of the above poster with less harsh rhetoric. I’m not sure you’ll get into any of those schools. I think you should really have a bit of a harder opinion of yourself. Don’t honestly tell me that hard work is going to guarantee you’ll get into any of these. You don’t really present a strong application.

17

Your biggest problem is your maturity level. And because of that I am afraid that you may not make wise decisions about your future. You need to listen to your loved ones and get gudiance from them, as I am sure that you would not accept strangers’ advice, as you have already confessed to that yourself!

18

If you interview, take a look inside and find the thing that tells you you do not need the heavy armor. Speak candidly, and with curiosity to the interviewer, an alum who will have taken time out of their schedule to meet with you. Remember to craft some interesting things about what you are, never discussing what you are not. Thank the person, shake their hand and write them a note when you get home. Find out if JustOneDad is your interviewer, and send him two thank you cards: one for the time and support in this thread, one for the time to sit and interview you.

19

Zero chances at MIT, you don’t know how to capitalize for one. When you do capitalize it sounds like you are shouting. What’s with the no cap, it makes easier reading if you’re asking for chance.

20

I agree that all caps in a post is annoying and violates the cultural norms, but let’s not equate how a person spells or uses grammar in internet postings with how they would do it in a formal essay.