<p>Hey, i never really considered applying to MIT early because I thought it was way too risky. I had planned on EDing Columbia. But, after talking with the coach, I may have a chance to be of use on the track/xc team. Obviously, it'll help a great deal if i'm literally recruited, but I heard MIT doesn't really do much fo that. But, even if I'm not recruited, is it possible for the coach to help me get a little extra attention from adcoms? My other stats are:</p>
<p>asian male from NJ (lol yes i know this is bad)</p>
<p>Academic:</p>
<p>2310
800/770/760 math/bio/history
2/150
calc - 4
stats - 4
bio - 5
history - 5
psat - 229
AMC/AIME school winner (AIME - 3)</p>
<p>EC:</p>
<p>100 hours at hospital
tutored poor kids in china for a week
6 week paid intern at Cornell Medical College</p>
<p>Track/XC for 3 years
Lots of RAndom clubs
Violin, region orchestra</p>
<p>So do you guys think I would have pretty good chance of getting in with a little attention from the coach? OBviously, it's a crapshoot without any help from him. Hopefully after a visit and meeting with him, he'll be able to do something for me.</p>
<p>My ultimate question is...would I have a better chance EAing MIT, or EDing Columbia (where I doubt the coach would help me much at all)</p>
<p>if columbia is ed, that means u can also apply ea to MIT-would you be ok if MIT accepted you but you were forced to go to columbia? also, i think the 4s in calc/stats might not look great, and aside from the xc the other ecs (apart from aime) are very average. Obviously any type of recruitment takes you from not that competitive to pretty competitive.</p>
<p>well i assume if the coach decides to help me, he'd be pretty mad if he found out I'd applied ED to Columbia, so would applying to both early be the greatest idea?</p>
<p>without recruitment you really think i'm "not that competitve"?...i'd say myscores and EC's are better than the avg applicant right?</p>
<p>Your SAT scores are good, but the 4's on calc and stats doesn't look too great. Maybe it won't matter much.
Your EC is ok, but i don't really see any leaderships, "Lots of RAndom clubs" seems like you don't care about them and that you are just in them for sake of having clubs. Awards?
The school winner with 3 on the AIME kinda shows your school is not competitive in math though, iono if that is good or bad for you.</p>
<p>how much does MIT really care about sports though?</p>
<p>and remember the AVERAGE applicant doesn't get in, it top 12% (that has good score, grades, EC, match/fit etc.) does get in.</p>
<p>track/xc is apparently one of MIT's strongest programs</p>
<p>i have captain for XC, and as for putting "lots of random clubs" I was just trying to save time. Obviously I'll make my dedication show on the application.</p>
<p>Do the 4's in calc and stats (which was a selfstudy) really hurt that much? I was under the impression that AP tests didn't really have much sway in admissions. Should I just not report my AP's all together?</p>
<p>it's not that they are bad. just i think most of the applicants that apply with calc would have 5's on their AP tests, and stats is suppose to be easy or something. just report them, doesn't matter. You won't get credit for calc because its not a 5 and they don't count stats for credit either.
if you want to go to Columbia more, then i guess it doesn't hurt to apply ED there and EA at MIT.</p>
<p>MIT's distance is amazing. They just got a coach who ran a 3:58 mile. The coaches tell alot of people that they have chances, it is just good recruiting. I don't know what you run, but don't get too excited.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would EA MIT, because you can EA other schools as well. Your ability in XC will certainly be an asset to your application if you play your cards right. It's too bad you're not a sprinter though, then it would be a piece of cake. Smart sprinters are just about the rarest thing in IVY athletics.</p>
<p>I could be wrong, but I really don't think that MIT recruits for athletics. If you show talent in an area such as running, then that will be a boost for you just like any other non-academic EC accomplishment. I don't think it is critical whether you are good enough to fill a spot on their team. For ivies, I think it is very different. It's more like they are trying to fill spots on their various teams and they try to find great athletes with decent or good stats...</p>
<p>With MIT, I think it's more like being a track star is an equivalent boost as being student council president.</p>
<p>Perhaps one of the adcom people could chime in about this...</p>
<p>4 in calc is not good for MIT or ivies. I would leave that one out. Report your other ones though...</p>
<p>I think overall you've got a decent shot at MIT. Unless you would definitely choose Columbia over MIT, I wouldn't do Columbia ED if it is binding. Also, take a look at Dartmouth. If you are deadset on going to a prestigious school, it seems like they are more statdriven so I think it would be a match for you.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would apply to a bunch of ivies + MIT. I think you might get into a few of them (or you may not), but your record is good enough thatyou have a shot at any college and it's hard to tell which ones will take you.</p>
<p>ye collegealum i have that feeling as well. I'm planning on starting apps early and applying the "shotgun" approach, as I like to call it =). I haven't really considered dartmouth because I heard it's sort of in the middle of nowhere, and I want to be somewhere like boston, where things are happening.</p>
<p>As for MIT not really recruiting, I think they did recruit 2 distance runners this year. For any other sport, I would agree with you guys, but track/xc is arguably one of MIT's best programs, so I think that's a plus.</p>
<p>Anyway, I appreciate the replies. I've been talking to an MIT student/athlete and he says it'll be a good idea to come and meet the coach and get a sense of what the practices are like. Maybe after a talk with the coach, he can tell me whether or not he can really help me in admissions or not.</p>
<p>I'm still torn about whether or not to apply to columbia ED, but I'm leaning towards no now. I doubt I would be able to run for columbia, but at a school like MIT, I think a nice DIII program would be good for someone of my caliber, and i'd still be able to get an ivy-quality education.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I could be wrong, but I really don't think that MIT recruits for athletics.
[/quote]
MIT doesn't, really. The confusion comes in because the word "recruitment" is used, but it doesn't mean even approximately the same thing it means for a division I school. </p>
<p>I mean, look at the recruitment</a> form that students can send to varsity coaches -- it's like 3/4 academic information, and then a little section at the end about the sport you play.</p>
<p>I'm a little surprised at this question of "are my AP scores good enough". Most applicants take at most (or at least some) of their AP courses in their senior year, after admissions decisions have been taken. As a result, AP scores really don't count all that much in admissions. They count for placing out of classes, but that is another thing again. </p>
<p>Furthermore, whereas schools get all of your SAT/ACT etc scores if you put down their code, they only get AP scores if you explicitly release each of them to the school. </p>
<p>What does matter is the course load you select. MIT will see if you take a lot of AP courses, commensurate to what your high school offers. That can matter a lot in admissions. </p>
<p>MIT looks to academic quals to answer a few basic questions:
1) Is the candidate capable of doing the work at MIT?
2) Is the candidate so academically exceptional that we cannot in good conscience reject them. Merely perfect standardised tests don't even come close; significant published research might. Almost nobody falls into this bucket.</p>
<p>If the answer to 2 is yes, then you are in. If the answer to 1 is yes, then the candidate's application is worth considering. The whole function of the tests is to assist in answering 1. I have never met a candidate who was rejected with a 740 on their SATs who would have been accepted with an 800. Both scores say "this kid can do the work". A few points is not a useful way to separate yourself from the herd. Don't stress it.</p>
<p>You have made a clear statement here about why MIT running appeals to you. Talk to the coach, and then, if it sounds good, apply, making the same clear statement to the admissions office. Good luck with that.</p>
<p>thanks mikalye...i was a little worried about the AP scores. I know they don't count but this is MIT lol, and 2 math 4's worried me a bit. I'm taking 7 APs next year so I think my coarseload will be good.</p>
<p>i'm going to get a supp rec from the CIO here at the Cornell IT dept, hopefully that'll help a bit</p>
<p>molliebatmit, if you look at ivy league recruitment forms, they are basically the same. There isn't much to say about your running ability other than your best marks, so 1/4 of the form is adaquete. MIT's is only a bit more academically geared because they ask for AP test scores, which I havent seen before. Other than that it's about the same as any other form.</p>
<p>But yes i understand what you're getting at. Obviously the pull of an MIT coach isn't the same as that of a DI coach. But, it is a strong program and hopefully the coach can help me get noticed among all the other competitive applicants.</p>
<p>Yes, I'm not trying to say that talking with the coach is useless. After all, once you're academically qualified, anything that helps you stand out from the rest of the applicant pool is a good thing.</p>
<p>I would definately concentrate on highlighting your leadership roles in your EC's...your commitment to an EC, how you made it better and conversely how it shaped you are things to discuss - and in this way you show depth as a person. </p>
<p>It's not just about being smart and what you do with your time, but about the impact of that on your life and the lives of those you interact with. Articulating depth is important!</p>
<p>Definately contact the coach, but if he doesn't write you a letter for your admissions file, don't take that as a signal to not apply. My son applied without the letter from the coach in his file - but contacted the coach again once admitted and they're excited to have him play on the team. My son did not expect to get in and had alot of match/safety schools, along with some Ivies and MIT (but he's matriculating to MIT). With your scores you should have good options...just don't put all your eggs in one basket and expect you'll get in - you have to apply to be accepted - but make wise choices in reach/match/safety categories - common sense.</p>
<p>i think AP scores have little sway in admissions. Obviously a string of 5's (maybe 5-6+ subjects) will help a bit, but it wnot be a deciding factor.</p>