I know this question has been asked by others half a million times, but here it goes. I’m currently a high school sophomore (but I did skip a grade in Middle School) and I like to think that I am an exceptional student. I’m taking AP Calc BC, AP Physics 1, and honors chem and lit this year (10th grade). I’m planning on taking Linear Algebra and Multivariate Calc in my Junior and Senior years, respectively, as well as AP Physics C, AP Chem, AP CS. I got a 1200 PSAT score last year (9th grade), but my March 2020 SAT got canceled. Practice tests indicate I’ll get around 1450 on my SAT, but that will hopefully improve by Junior year.
What are my odds of MIT admission? (And yes I know it’s a 7% admissions rate, but do I fit with the 7% or the 93%?)
You need a test score fall of senior year. That is much too long from now to predict what your score will be, as score tends to increase over time.
In the meantime, you can review MIT’s admission statistics https://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/stats/ and this helpful blog article https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways/
Since nobody, including you, has any idea what your grades will be for the next two years, nor what your test scores will be, there is absolutely no way that anybody can predict what your chances of admission will be at any college, much less a college with an average acceptance rate of below 7%.
Put your time and your emotional and mental energy into doing as well as you can in high school, and engaging in ECs for which you have passions and interest. In another two years, when you start putting together a college application, you can try to figure out your chances of acceptance into MIT. For now, you should be focusing on high school.
You have the goods to be considered. Accepted is a whole other category as MIT rejects very talented people on a routine basis.
To illustrate people that were on the bubble as far as MIT was concerned, here are two examples of students who were first deferred before being accepted during regular decision.
- Top student out of a class of 500. USAJMO qualifier, then later USAMO qualifier. Founder of a successful regional activity. Performed research at a top 5 research university.
- USAJMO qualifier. US Physics Olympiad Gold medal. Attended one of the nation's elite private schools (MIT cares far less about that than other colleges).
Now, MIT does admit kids who don’t have these levels of qualification as well. The point I am making is that top grades and scores are just a starting point. You need to then show something else they want to get admitted.
Bad grades will keep you out of MIT. Good grades don’t necessarily get you in.
You seem to be on the right track grade wise but there is so much more to one’s MIT application that it is impossible to say what your odds are.
Students who take the hardest classes and do well, have ECs in which their particpation favors quality over quantity and are genuinely good people have the best chance.
Read the admissions blog on the MIT web site but don’t obsess about MIT. Do what you think will give you the best chance.
If you get in then great, if you don’t then you will have made yourself the best student you can be where ever you go.
It’s a little early to chance your admission, but good work! Keep up the good stats, and make sure to have solid ECs that tell your story. Good luck