Chances for a junior

Colleges & Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>I am a junior (16) at a public high school and it has been brought up by most of my teachers that I do not belong there. I am taking the most challenging schedule of an student in recent memory and still maintain a 4.0.</p>

<p>major: mathematics, some sort of engineering, robotics maybe</p>

<p>classes over the last 3 years
-honors english program-9th, 10th, 11th
-us history
-ap us gov-4
-ap world history-4
-ap psychology*
-chem
-ap chem*
-organic chem*
-physics
-intro college mechanical physics-indpendent study*
-honors bio
-precalc
-ab calc-independent study/C
-bc calc-independent study-5
-calc III*
-diff equations*
-linear algebra*
-ap prob and stat or analysis*
-latin I, II, III, V* (scheduling conflict kept me from taking IV)
-art drawing/painting-independent study, level III (teacher allowed me to skip level I,II after seeing work from independent study)
-photography*</p>

<p>*current year's classes</p>

<p>all classes are 95%+, mostly 98%+, except a low C in ab calc which the school forced me to take after doing an independent study, however this does not represent my knowledge and I will get my current math teacher to write in his rec something to that effect</p>

<p>rank 7/582</p>

<p>SAT 720m 630v 580w I know that this is a weak point of mine
ACT 30 forget the breakdown</p>

<p>high school extracurriculars-not stellar</p>

<p>boy scouts-eagle, leadership positions ASPL
quiz bowl-2 years, captain for varsity
art club
latin club- 3 years
ski club-3 years, very involved 5-6times/week for 5-6hrs/day, teach beginners
tennis-3 years, 2 jv, 1 varsity
science olympiad-3 years
art lessons- 3 years
various local math competitions- 3 years</p>

<p>recs: should be average as I am not the most liked student by the teachers</p>

<p>essays: should be excellent</p>

<p>As for my reasons for pursuing heading off to college a year early:</p>

<p>-i have maxed out the math and science programs at my high school
-according to the community college rep, I have maxed out their math program
-i almost never have any homework and never study
-i feel this is leading to awful study habits and time management
-most of my teachers say that i should not be there as i distract others once i finish my work (the chem teacher sent me to the office when i made tops out the the molecule building kits and started a battle top competition)
-i am bored out of my mind
-unfortunately i have a very limited social life as other and myself find it very awkward discuss almost anything (i am sick of the "stop talking so smart" remarks, even from the other intelligent people in the school)
-on average i spend only 2-3hrs out of the 6.5hr day on school work (very depressing)</p>

<p>I think that pretty much sums it up. Any places to work on?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

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</p>

<p>Yep, particularly the verbal. MIT doesn’t look at the writing score.</p>

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</p>

<p>Then why is the grade so low? Is it something like test anxiety (which seems unlikely, as you’re doing so well in other classes) or is it because you’re blowing it off, or something else? If it’s because you’re blowing it off, I don’t have much sympathy - I understand how much stupid bureaucratic regulations suck, and in your place would have been complaining constantly about it, as that requirement is pretty ludicrous, but that’s no excuse for a low C in a subject where you already know the material.</p>

<p>Your knowledge isn’t the only thing that matters - your work ethic and maturity matter too.</p>

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</p>

<p>Gosh, I wonder why? Is it because you distract other students who aren’t as far along as you are and need the class time to learn the material? This will hurt you, and from what you’ve written here, rightly so.</p>

<p>Do you have anything in this app that indicates that you could handle a setback with resilience?</p>

<p>Honestly, from what you’ve written, I’m not sure you’ve got the maturity to be in college a year early. Maybe try working for a year, on an internship or something? I know someone at MIT who graduated two years early and worked full-time for two years. You could even take online college classes that would be more challenging than your current fare.</p>

3

<p>my calc teacher’s knowledge is very limited for anything covered after chapter 6, the last chapter that is on the AP test. As I had already begun learning that material, I applied different approaches to problems, such as laHopital’s rule for limits. He said that the methods I used were incorrect, and when I showed him the chapter, he said that since I did not use the method used in class, I was wrong as the method I used involved knowledge of the derivate, a concept not yet taught. Over the course of the year, I never missed a homework assignment, yet recieved no credit for almost all of them which killed my grade. He said that I never showed enough work, and when I felt like arguing that I did, he said that it was organized illogically. On the 2nd or 3rd test of the year, I noticed, when comparing to several other students, that my test was graded differently. I lost points for things that others did not. I set up a meeting after school to discuss the issue and he explained that since he has so many classes and tests to grade, he could not possibly grade everyone’s exactly the same. I responded with something to the effect of “its a math class, math is not subjective, therefore how can you possibly justify at least not giving me the points back after I notice a flaw in your grading.” He then said that it was getting late and had to go, so I took it up with the adminstration, but since the teacher’s students constantly recieved some of the best scores on the PSSA’s, they did not even confront him about it, and my grade stood as it was given.</p>

<p>I would never distract someone else from an education which the system is designed to give. I have been known to assist teachers in helping students after the lecture is given and am known to always be avalible to students who need help. Nearly everyday I am approached by students who need help in different subjects, and I always put down whatever it is that I need to do to help them. I believe the reason that I am not liked, is that I have a tendency, when presenting a solution that I am sure is correct, which the teacher believes to be incorrect, to argue until it is agreed that my solution is correct, or the teacher just changes subject (which I interpret as the same). I realize that this comes of as disrespectful, but it just infuriates me when the teacher believes the only way to approach a problem is the way presented in the solutions manual.</p>

<p>The point you brougt up about anything that shows the ability to handle a setback is interesting. I cannot recall any real challenge that I have faced, which is one of the main reasons that I want to get out of high school. Every activity that I partake in does not result in a medal, sometimes I outright lose; however, I do not take these as setbacks, but as places to learn. </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

4

<p>So are you applying this fall/winter? I think you have a nice shot, but really try and explain your situation in the essay/interview.</p>

5

<p>I know that I need to take some SATIIs, but do you think I need to retake the SAT for a higher verbal score. I have taken it 3 times and I have only gained about 40pts in verbal and 20 in math, but I may be able to do better if I study some vocab. Is there any benefit to submitting a 3rd SATII, and if so, any one in particular?</p>

6

<p>taking calc 3 as a junior is amazing O_O</p>

<p>oh and yea you should try to raise your verbal score even though i think you;re completely fine.</p>

7

<p>It could also be a very dangerous thing. I took a very similar path junior year, and what particularily worries me is:</p>

<p>-calc III*
-diff equations*
-linear algebra*
-ap prob and stat or analysis*</p>

<p>which he is taking this year. Having gone through all of these classes either on my own or at a first class school and two of them at MIT, these classes are truly not cakewalks. It’s very easy to fool yourself into thinking you understand these subjects, especially if you can solve textbook problems. But I cannot emphasize how important it is that you realize that the math classes you are starting this year are CORE FUNDAMENTAL to being any kind of engineer / scientist (for things like EECS, Mech Eng, Aero/Astro, Math, Physics, etc) . By this I mean that the mathematics developed in these subjects will be used again and again and again is blatant, subtle, and just plain witty ways throughout all of undergraduate and graduate school, and then some more in whatever career you pursue; if you plan to be racing forward here, it’ll really hurt you when you have to stop and go back and relearn a lot of these foundational math classes because you really just didn’t get the subtle points the first time.</p>

<p>So if you’re taking these courses now and planning to exempt them at MIT, make an honest assessment about how well you actually understand the mathematics. I find it rather surprising that you are able to get by without doing much work. What textbooks do you use? Have you worked through apostle? For physics, try doing all the problems in Haliday, Resnick, Walker. If you think you really know your ****, prepare for one of the olympiad exams this year and prove you know what you are doing.</p>

<p>It’s fine to just take these courses for fun, but keep an eye out or it’ll hurt you later on!</p>

8

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<p>I know that when I applied (2002), you were required to have three SATIIs - a math, a science, and a humanities. I took Math IIC, Molecular Biology, and Writing (I was applying to other schools which required Writing, and didn’t want to take more of the damn things than I could help). Take some combination of what you feel comfortable with and what will satisfy requirements.</p>

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<p>That’s a good attitude, though there’s no reason a setback can’t also be a place to learn.</p>

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<p>So, this was also why my mom applied to MIT a year early. She was accepted, and attended. She regrets it to this day, because she wasn’t mature enough yet, socially or personally, to be in such a demanding college, and ended up not graduating. For this reason, even though I pleaded with her to let me skip grades as a child, she would not let me do so.</p>

<p>So graduate a year early if you want to get out of high school that badly, but I would suggest that you take a gap year, and find a way to really challenge yourself and develop as a person during that year.</p>

9

<p>Last year 4 out of 5 of the principals at my school retired, so there have been a lot of changes. One of them is the ability to skip classes which are deemed unneeded, for me this was calc II. Since no one else at my school has anywhere near the competence to take anything above calc II, I was put in a class by myself with the best math teacher at the school. The class has no title and I was told that whatever material I got through would be put on my transcript. Based on by progress so far, according to my teacher, I will easily complete one course per quarter with time to spare. The class is completely individually paced and most of the problems are more theory based than actual textbook example problems. I, however, have no way of knowing if what is being learned is adequate. As of right now, having started at the end of August, I will complete the Calc III curriculum, as determined by my teacher, in a week and a half for a total of a little less than 2 months of instruction. Whether this is reasonable or not, I do not know, but, as it is being taught, I do not have an overbearing workload. I have control over my homework so not to beat any subject to death several times over as has been done in every other math class I have been in. On the average night, I have anywhere from 10 to 30 problems, some of the harder questions out of the text and some application/theory problems devised by my teacher. </p>

<p>As for determining what classes to be exempt from in college, I figure I will go as far as I can based on placement tests and teacher/professor recommendations. My neighbor is a retired math professor, so I figure that I may keep my notebooks and ask him what I should try and test out of. According to my math teacher the final 5-6 chapters of Calculs A Complete Course by Finney, Demana, Waits, and Kennedy covers all the material of a calc III class at a college based on the one offered at Penn State Harrisburg, which was my other option, but did not fit into my schedule. As for the textbooks for the other subjects, as the high school obviously does not have them, I will be using the books that my math teacher used in college. </p>

<p>Physics at my school is a joke. None of the classes even mention calc based concepts so any sort of derivation is limited to what can be accomplished through algebra. I feel that this approach is a waste of time for all you need to know is how to substitute in the given information and hit the “=” button on a calculator. As a basis for the class, I am following the 18.012 through OCW. This should ensure that I have the best possible chances of actually learning the material that is expected in a college level course.</p>

<p>As I am sure you have realized, I am very interested in art, though just not as a profession. Are there any good art programs for the casual artist around MIT? I would really like to take some art classes as I feel it would give me a break from the mathematical world of science. After all, I love breaks where I get to just do something spontaneous. </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

10

<p>I can answer that last one: MIT has a student art association ([website](<a href=“MIT W20 Arts Studios”>http://saa.mit.edu/)</a>). Several of my friends took art classes through it – some were total beginners and others were already at a pretty sophisticated level. There are fine arts courses through the department of art and architecture as well, and MIT students can cross-register for classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, but if you just want to take a few classes in your spare time, the student art association is probably what you want.</p>

11

<p>mit seriously doesnt look at the writing score? I thought it was just the SAT essay they didnt look at. if thats true i dont have to take the SATs again to raise my writing score</p>

12

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<p>Correct. MIT refuses to do so until there’s scientific evidence of the score being useful in some way. If/when that happens, maybe they’ll start caring, I have no idea…</p>

13

<p>if you think you’re so good that you can understand things perfectly without investing considerable time and effort, you’re either so smart that you wouldn’t be asking us this question in the first place or you’re in for one hell of a rude awakening when you run into some of the smartest people in the united states at places like MIT.</p>

<p>guess which one you are.</p>

<p>if i were you, i’d spend my senior year doing more advanced stuff through a postsecondary program while doing contests and other extracurriculars to fill out whatever time i have left. that’s how i spent my senior year. i was also a young junior doing advanced math and physics who almost graduated a year early.</p>

14

<p>I have no question whether or I could handle the workload, and as you say I will not be the smartest person anymore. That is one of the main reasons I want to get out of high school. Not being the top, would force me to have to work at something. That experience is what I need in order to advance myself from a teenager into a constructive member of society. I mainly asking for opinions as to whether the college atmosphere would provide me with this need in a way that taking classes on my own and competing against no one but my own expectations cannot. Many people hear have first hand experience with the colleges that I am considering and know people who have been in a similar situation to me. Some people I have talked to regret skipping a year of high school for the rest of their lives, others think it was the best decision they ever made.</p>

15

<p>that’s cool. all i’m saying is that you should tread very carefully, young padawan.</p>

16

<p>“all i’m saying is that you should tread very carefully, young padawan.”</p>

<p>that couldn’t have been phrased more horribly . . .</p>

17

<p>I think the message people are trying to get to you is that this is not just a game anymore, especially attending a school like MIT. This is RL (real life) with no reset button, and I can tell you that doing well at MIT is not just whether you are smart, but whether you are mature enough to handle the place. This kind of judgement is not something that can be made by some people online. Find someone who knows you well who has gone to a rigorous technical school like MIT or Caltech, and get their opinion. At least from everything I’ve read on this forum, I sounds to me that another year in high school to grow as a person would be very very helpful for you.</p>

18

<p>ashy: don’t like star wars?</p>

19

<p>@ OP: You are giving a horrible impression of yourself as an immature kid who is not using the opportunities available to high school students. There is no reason to be proud of not studying, not taking time to do homework, not “belonging” in high school, etc. If you really are as smart as you claim, do something useful, work at a research center as a student assistant, intern at university, or start a tutoring program, as you seem willing to help other students. Haughtiness and self-righteousness in your situation will not pull you through.</p>