I understand from the MIT Blog that past applications are wiped out and Admissions Officers only focus on your current application.
However, I see that they asked this question “Have you applied for Freshman Admissions to MIT before?” and the year of application. Does anyone have an idea why?
I see that you applied to MIT two years ago. I don’t know how your past application would affect your current one. However, the question I would ask is; what have you done in those two years to make yourself a more viable candidate for admission? One common thread I see from MIT students is that they are the ones who take advantage of the opportunities afforded them. Those two years were an opportunity.
@benjamineu:
Didn’t you get accepted last year to Caltech, Georgia Tech, and UMichigan?
Are you a current student at one of those three?
As an international interviewer, I sometimes see students applying multiple times. The short answers are:
No, a previous application will have no impact on a current application
However, in most cases, an admissions decision will likely be the same. The exceptions to this are when your application did not actually reflect yourself. This can happen when you made mistakes on your application. Unfortunate, but it can happen. The second exception is when you used the year to do AMAZING things. Good luck.
I actually saw this answer by Ben Jones on MIT Admissions Blog in 2006. Wonder if it still stands true.
“If you applied last year and didn’t get in, and have reapplied this year, we will see both applications. I’ve seen a couple of these cases so far this year. I look at last year’s summaries to see how the readers and selection committee arrived at their conclusions / decisions last year. Then I read your new app from scratch to see where you are now in contrast, in particular what you’ve done in the last year. As this year’s applicant pool is shaping up to be equally competitive (if not moreso) than last year’s, folks who reapply without having done anything since HS will likely not be accepted, as they will essentially be submitting the same app into an equally competitive pool. On the other hand, those who have taken the year as an opportunity to pursue some great experiences and grow as students/people may have a good chance of finding success the second time around. It all depends on the individual case. I should note that there is no advantage to having applied to MIT in a previous year.”
@benjamineu Can u link me to the 2 articles? The one where it says it doesnt and the one it says it does.