Do normal people get into MIT?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
101

<p>To other students applying, I’m sure my story as a current applicant will help you with your hopes. </p>

<p>In 2008, after a caustic three years, my Bipolar Mother divorced my Father in a very destructive manner and had a dentrimental impact on my life. I was very much stressed, and being a home schooled family, I the oldest plus my two younger simblings were court-ordered to public school for the expressed desire for a concrete learning environment during this period of instability. I picked up honor courses in English and Science, while I got thrown into Algebra 1, which I had done the year before along with Geometry due to State credit requirements. My first semester was during my peak shock to my character and life as I knew it. I barely passed my Algebra 1 class, and along with my other classes, too, being rather low other than a PC support class which since I built my first PC at twelve, I had no issue with the curriculum involved. </p>

<p>During Winter break, tensions eased a bit (though not completely) and I regained some of my diligency and some piece of mind; as the next semester started, I did exceptionally well in my honors classes along with my other classes. I even won an IT Business award from the school for my promising computer prowess(I got invited to work with the IT director troubleshooting computers on campus during my duration in public school) and almost won an engineering award, though I lost it to a gentleman that had the class for a full-school year opposed to my one semester there. After the 9th grade, 10th grade quickly clicked on by and by the 9th week of it, I thought I should go back into homeschool. I knew the math credit situation was keeping me behind, and I wanted to take calculus by the time I got out of high school.</p>

<p>I enrolled into home school again a week after the first nine weeks of 10th grade, and surely hurried to get back on track with stuff that I wanted to do at home. During this period, it is important to note that my siblings and I lived my Father exclusively, and since my Father is not a teacher, let alone competent enough to teach me my desired curriculum, I had to find a way to do my school work (and assist my Sisters work), and pronto. I devised of a way to do this by setting up an interest/transcript-type list, along with desired academic goals by the end of twelfth grade. It definitely was an integrity-intensive learning curve but by the end of my 10th grade semester I was well on my way. With the help of Khanacademy, Academic Earth and MIT’s OCW, I’ve prepared myself with the material I wanted to learn. e.g. I saved up and bought the required textbooks and took 8.01 and 3.091sc on MIT’s OCW for my Junior year, along with Ancient Greek history from Yale’s video lectures and Khan Academy helping with roadblocks encountered along my K.A. Stroud Engineering Mathematics/UF pre-calculus textbook curriculum. </p>

<p>I’ve encountered quite a few more problems during those times and have failed in some ways, and I have learnt from those failures and it has made me the robust, and morally-sound person I am today. Persistence and learning from your mistakes is the best advice I can share with any perspective applicant.</p>

<p>Today, I am taking 6 courses at my local community college, and taking two at home including MIT’s OCW 18.01 using this Fall’s 18.01 problem sets as homework (it’s really awesome stuff, I’ve got to say!) and MIT’s OCW 6.00. (I really wanted to do MITx 6.00, but I didn’t want to dive into new waters of an unknown depth with hands full.)</p>

<p>Do what you feel is natural for you. For me, it’s taking things apart, putting them back together, messing with ham radio and computers or any other random thing that comes to mind. </p>

<p>Good luck all. </p>

<p>-Nikos</p>

102

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<p>How much truth is in that statement? ^</p>

103

<p>It’s not true, of course, but very few international students are admitted each year, and even fewer from any particular country. So people can get away with using small datasets to make large predictions.</p>

104

<p>Yes, normal students do get into MIT. Most undergraduates at MIT are normal students.</p>

<p>No, ordinary students do not get into MIT. Most undergraduates at MIT are much more than ordinary.</p>

105

<p>@ Cortana431</p>

<p>I don’t think that’s really true because I got in and based on those ratings, I would only have a couple (like only 1 or 2) 3’s and 4’s.</p>

106

<p>How can we tell what normal is? We are not the ones reading all the applications. It is hard to determine what makes an applicant stick out.</p>

107

<p>First off, i would like to say that I have been admitted EA, but I consider myself to be pretty “normal.” I don’t have an outstanding gpa, SAT scores were high but not perfect, subject tests were high but not perfect, and I play hockey outside of school. I’m by no means a genius and I know that MIT doesn’t just accept geniuses. If they did, then the school and society would all be the same dull boring people. In reality, all the undergrads are extraordinary, but are normal people just like you and me. I hope nobody gets discouraged because they didn’t get 2400’s or all 800’s on their sat subject tests. You are more than a number, just be happy and hope for the best!</p>

108

<p>Hey, I’m an international student that lives in a country where no interviews are offered (and is thus waived by the admissions office). I realize that MIT says it won’t disadvantage me in any way, but what that also implies is that I won’t get an advantage as well, and frankly, I need all the advantage(s) I can get. Is there any way I can still conduct an interview, or will this affect (or in this case, not affect) my chances of admission?</p>

<p>Thanks :)</p>

109

<p>I’m pretty sure that waived is waived. If you somehow got an interview, despite it being waived, and no one else in your region got one, that would disadvantage the other people applying from your region. I don’t think there’s any way you can get an interview, especially not this late in the game. After applications have been turned in.</p>

110

<p>lidusha is correct in that it is way too late to do something about it this year. The deadline to schedule an interview was 10 December ([Deadlines</a> & Requirements | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/freshman/dates]Deadlines”>Deadlines & requirements | MIT Admissions)). That being said, it is sometimes possible to get an interview when not interviews are offered in your country, and that is by traveling to a country where interviews are being offered. </p>

<p>So if this was October and November, it is possible to write to <a href=“mailto:interview@mit.edu”>interview@mit.edu</a> and ask something along the lines of “I will be visiting country x for a while in November/December and was wondering if it would be possible to have my interview there.” The admissions office will ordinarily contact the Regional Chair of the Educational Council in the country that you will be visiting and an interview can often but not always be conducted. In my region, we conducted 3-4 out of country interviews this year.</p>

<p>That being said, when the admissions office says that having your interview waived will not disadvantage you in any way, that is because having your interview waived will in fact not disadvantage you in any way. That may not necessarily be true of those whose interview was not waived, but who CHOSE to bypass the interview.</p>

111

<p>You could have arranged and skype interview, too.
But Mikalye is right, it will not disadvantage you. If you’re concerned about not being advantaged by the interview, you should write a “Why MIT” (typical question asked) essay in the additional section or the midyear report.</p>

112

<p>Of course you don’t have to be an international star in STEM, but that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt either.
As others have said before, MIT wants a well-rounded class with many specialties. They don’t want just math/science stars - even they get rejected sometimes if they are unable to show that they are more diverse than simply that.
MIT wants people they think will grow and benefit from their education.</p>

113

<p>No. “Normal” people do not get into MIT. Normal is a statistical range that MIT simply does not admit.</p>

114

<p>Well, in my country (I’m an international student by the way), there’s an anecdote that you have to be either extremely cool or nerdy to be admitted into MIT. And I’ve never seen people from my school go to MIT without a shiny IMO gold medal or the presidency of an established non-profit organization.</p>

115

<p>Great forum guys, although as different people provide their various insights I feel my hope levels move in a sin wave as new information is presented. So my main query is - how important is it to take full advantage of H.S opportunities. I am a middle class Australian, and from years 7-10 (is that junior high for you guys?) went to an impoverished outer suburban school (bottom 15%) last year (year 11, I am now in my final year) I got into the (selective entry) John Monash Science School (top 7ish%). however in the last year or so, I have not entered any science fair or science Olympiads and my only “research” has been pyro-technical ;). sat scores are O.K (700ey) but gpa is average (selective high school and all). I play music and love it (violin completed grade 8) and a little bit of track (sub 4:30 1500 and sub 20 min 5k). Now you guys have my application (apologies, only meant to write about the school but one thing led to another) what are my chances?. just to re-iterate: great forum :)</p>

116

<p>I felt the same thing, yes I’m passionate, dedicated, and hardworking but there seems to be zillion more people much better, talented, and gifted then I am… I just hope that MIT sees me as an individual less gifted but more dedicated :)</p>

117

<p>It’s definitely very important to take full advantage of HS opportunities. Dedication and passion are crucial, so being dedicated to a few things is important. But many people do lots of things that MIT looks for, so it really comes down to your essays and how you present yourself as a candidate.</p>

118

<p>You don’t have to be a superstar to attend MIT. But what Admissions looks at in considering an applicant takes into account what opportunities were available to the student in their individual school or community and whether they took advantage of them in a demonstration of their passion for science, technology, arts, literature, etc.</p>

<p>I’ve met a number of students who had few opportunities available (rural, for instance) but did amazing things with what they had- and I’ve met other students who were from schools with lots of resources available who just took what was suggested for college track (i.e. loaded up on AP’s but had no hobbies, no extracurriculars, etc.) and pretty much “expected” they’d checked off enough boxes to merit admissions. The latter doesn’t tend to fare as well in the process.</p>

<p>Just be yourself. But colleges (any college) are using your high school experiences to determine what you will contribute once on campus and whether you will take full advantage of what they have to offer.</p>

<p>Even then - the bad news is there are now so many applications that MIT can only take 8% of those who apply - and the range of students would surprise you. They want interesting students, not necessarily perfect ones.</p>

<p>So yes - sometimes “normal” is refreshing in a pile.</p>

119

<p>I’m a normal student. Decent SATs, not a lot of ECs, not too athletic (though I did play sports). I come from modesty. I didn’t even expect to get waitlisted at Harvard or MIT (only two American schools I applied to…I’m from Canada). </p>

<p>And I got into both. Not only that, but an MIT admissions officer that I was talking to remembered my application and explicitly told me it was no mistake I got in.</p>

<p>What I’m trying to say is they care about who YOU are; not necessarily what you’ve done. They want to see potential. They want to see that you have a passion for what you do and your motivation has substance. If that’s you…then you’ll probably have a good shot.</p>

<p>Most of the students at MIT are NOT legacies, and most come from public schools. When I visited I got the impression that it really was just a collection of the smartest students from across the world - regardless of social standing or personality - getting together in one place.</p>

120

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<p>No top university, including MIT, is offering an excellent education. Rather, what they are offering is the OPPORTUNITY to get an excellent education. Education seems to be the only product or service where a common objective seems to be to get as little as possible for one’s money, and ideally nothing. It is possible to get an awesome education at MIT and it is also possible to get a mediocre education at MIT. </p>

<p>As a result, one thing that admissions officers at every top university really try to figure out is “How much advantage will this student take of the opportunity that we offer via admission?” That is a really hard question to answer, with very little data to go on, and they do judge people by how much advantage they have taken of previous opportunities. As a result, not taking advantage of the opportunities offered at your HS (without some interesting explanation) will hurt a huge amount not just at MIT, but at every top institution.</p>