<p>Grade: Junior
Asian Male
School Type: Competitive Public</p>
<p>GPA: About 3.4 unweighted. Bunch of Bs.
SAT:2300
SAT 2s:3x800
7 APs by end of this year. Probably 4s and 5s.</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
Most are math/science related.
3xUSAMO(8th,9th,10th grade, honorable mention in 10th grade).
2xMOSP
10th nationally in mathcounts in 8th grade9don't know if this counts)
2xUsaPho semifinalist without even taking physics classes in hs. Only took
via EPGY.
1xUsaBo semifinalist. Finalist exam pending.
Membership in math science, robotics, and JETS.</p>
<p>Basically my friend's an incredible smart slacker. In fact, looking at his acheivments I'd even guess he's the most brilliant slacker in the nation.
You guys think mit will overlook his gpa and accept him based on his math/science prowess?</p>
<p>Though all these "chances" threads are really frivolous; a LOT of your admissions decisions boil down to the essays you write. Stats themselves can't reveal anything.</p>
<p>In response to pebbles, I think he plays starcraft for like 5 hours a day. The 3.4 is not really indicative of how much he slacks off. When he was doing calc bc(in 9th grade no less), he'd cram like two weeks worth of homework into the lunch period it was due, but still somehow ace the tests. In ap comp sci he'd start labs which he'd had a week to do do at 11:00 PM when they were due that day at midnight, yet still somehow finish them. If anyone else did that they'd probably have something like a 2.0. This guy has some kind of mental block against doing homework but is from another planet in terms of intelligence.</p>
<p>Eh, I don't think a 3.4 is bad enough to throw up a ton of crazy-slacker-red-flags. It would hurt a little, but I think if he writes good essays and has good recs, he should stand just as big a chance as anyone. I mean, procrastination is a part of being a high school student - unless I'm just unusually lazy, and normal people do all their work when it's assigned. ;)</p>
<p>If he really does want to go to MIT though (which doesn't seem to make sense for someone who hates doing work...) I would recommend that he doesn't brag to the admissions officers about playing video games and riding on his natural intelligence (which really wont buy him too many more years, not beyond high school at least). You might think he has a lot of potential, but potential is as much about intelligence as it is about enthusiasm and dedication and yes, hard work. No one ever won a Nobel Prize by slacking off, no matter how smart.</p>
<p>Being a stand-out is common for smart high school kids, but it's amazing how quickly people catch up to you in college. There are a lot of hardworking people out there, a lot of hardworking SMART people too. Those'll get you every time. But if my estimations are correct, he's not a slacker at all. He's probably quite dedicated to the things that he is good at, studies textbooks on the side, except he doesn't like it to be known so that everyone assumes he is some kind of 'genius'. I can't imagine being good at something like BIOLOGY without rote memorization. It's just impossible, it's a fact-based science. I CAN understand if he thinks he is too good to do your high school's work or to write another paper for Shakespeare but I don't believe that whole farce about not doing any work at all. And if it were true, he'd be pretty screwed unless he straightened out a bit.</p>
<p>I agree with Pebbles, it is nearly impossible to be proficient at things such as Biology, Physics and Calculus without have some previous exposure to it. Being an avid computer scientist myself, I'd assume the kid has some interest in Computers, otherwise he would be able to accomplish the tasks in such miniscule amounts of time. Having an interest definitely helps in performance in school. For instance, I'm really into politics and current issues, hence I don't have to work at AP Government and Politics, I just have a general passion for it and it assimilates into my daily routine, and as a result I don't have to "try." However, Pebbles also makes a great point about how being smart isn't everything. You have to have a work ethic and be willing to put the time and effort in. At college, it isn't about the smarts, its about using it well and being a good worker and having a passion for something.</p>