Dream School-MIT

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm applying early to MIT. Please do not chance me (I'm applying to MIT no matter what anyone says. If MIT had ED, I would have applied ED.). Just tell me how to do some last minute adjustments, what to emphasize on my ap, what I can do the first semester of senior year, whether I should take any more SATIIs/retakes, etc.</p>

<p>This is my shortened <em>resume</em> (I repeat: my resume, not my college ap. It's what I use when I look for summer volunteer, so yes, it is very comprehensive.)</p>

<p>My school is a magnet school and does not rank.
GPA (unweighted): 3.89
Average: 96.55</p>

<p>STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES</p>

<p> SAT (2007): Composite Score: 2360
o Critical Reading: 800
o Math: 770
o Writing: 790</p>

<p> SAT II Subject Tests
o Molecular Biology (2005): 770
o Math IIC (2007): 800</p>

<p>AP
Biology: 5
French: 5
Music Theory: 3</p>

<p>RESEARCH EXPERIENCE</p>

<p> 2006: Polytechnic University Othmer-Jacobs Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering with Associate Professor Jose Pinto. Topic: modeling Hepatitis C</p>

<p>2007: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Gene and Cell Therapy. Topic: role of stat3 in T-cell differentiation</p>

<p>AWARDS/HONORS</p>

<p> Math Competitions
o 2006: National Qualifier of the American Mathematics Competition 12</p>

<p> Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Fairs
o 2005: Winner at the Hunter College High School Science Fair Showcase
o 2006: Winner at the Hunter College High School Science Fair Showcase
o 2006-2007: Regional Finalist at the Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology
o 2007: New York Academy of Science Finalist Award at the New York City Science and Engineering Fair
o 2007: Polytechnic University Scholarship Award for Underclassman Best in Engineering at the New York City Science and Engineering Fair
o 2007: National Society of Professional Engineering Award at the New York City Science and Engineering Fair
o 2007: Society for Women Engineers Award at the New York City Science and Engineering Fair
o 2007: John Hopkins University Society for Engineering Alumni Second Place Award at the New York City Science and Engineering Fair</p>

<p> Music
o 1999: National Piano Playing Auditions District Member
o 2000: National Piano Playing Auditions State Member
o 2001: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Grade 4 Piano: Pass with Distinction
o 2002 : Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Grade 5 Piano: Pass
o 2003: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Grade 5 Music Theory: Pass with Merit
o 2003: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Grade 6 Piano: Pass with Distinction
o 2004: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Grade 7 Piano: Pass with Merit
o 2006: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Grade 8 Piano: Pass with Distinction</p>

<p> Literature
o 2005: The New York Browning Society Poetry Competition Seventh Place
o 2006: The Poetry Society of Virginia Jenkins Prize First Place</p>

<p> Merit Scholarships Awarded
o 2006: $7,000 to Polytechnic University for Successful Competition of the Summer Research Program
o 2006-2007: $1,000 from the Siemens Foundation for Excellence at the Siemens Competition
o 2007: $5,000 annual to Polytechnic University for Excellence at the New York Science and Engineering Fair</p>

<p>EXTRACIRRICULAR ACTIVITIES
 2002-2008: Caring Students for Animal Welfare: President
 2003-2008: Biosphere: Science Magazine and Nucleotide: Science Newsletter: Editor-in-Chief
o 2003-2008: Science Club Member
o 2003-2008: Biology Lab Intern
o 2005-2008: Senior Chorus, Alto
o 2008: Selected to represent school at Music Festival in Budapest
o 2005-2008: Chinese Movies and Drama Association Founder and President
o 2005-2008: Mu Alpha Theta Selected Member (National Math Delegation)
 2006-2007: Washington Seminar Delegate
o 2005-present: Columbia University Science Honors Program
 1996-present: Piano
 2002-present: New Apostolic Church
Choir Member
Confirmation Classes
Sunday School Teacher
Organist
Youth Group Participant
English Teacher for Chinese Immigrants</p>

<p>VOLUNTEER and WORK EXPERIENCE
 2003-2008: Hunter College High School Assistant Lab Technician
 2003-2008: I-HELP LIBERIA Project Intern
 2005: Mega Academy Teacher’s Assistant</p>

2

<p>you probably have a 1/4 chance of getting in. don't forget that you should also apply to some more realistic looking schools, maybe a good state school or a less competitive math/science school. good luck!</p>

3

<p>Looks great. Since you'll have time this summer, you might want to consider taking a third SAT subject test of your choosing, preferably one in the humanities. Make sure your senior year grades are strong, especially if you are deferred: strong midyear grades can be the difference between admission and rejection/waitlist.</p>

4

<p>I say u can get into MIT</p>

5

<p>you might as well take the French SATII...From your AP your obviously good at it.</p>

<p>Also, I would strongly consider taking the chem SATII or the physics SATII if you think you will be prepared. Actually, I think that is more important than the French...</p>

6

<p>for schools like MIT, you should prob have the Physics SAT to prove your standardly qualified for it since apparently you didnt take a physics AP exam.</p>

7

<p>You will be deferred early action and will have a 30% chance of getting in regular. This is not flame or anything, but MIT (well, at least when Marilee Jones was there), seemed to be moving towards people who had passions outside of the usual high SAT's/high GPA math/science things. </p>

<p>You didn't make AIME, USAMO? You needn't take the SAT II Physics, but make sure you have at least two of the three AP Sciences and high levels of Calc (BC, Multi, and Linear if Hunter offers it--- which they might).</p>

<p>As for Music, the Royal School stuff every asian has on the app. Include something else if you have it. As for the research, try to get an impressive recommendation from your mentor (many times they'll let you write it and they'll just mail it). Also, it matters if you actually published something. Send in your original publication, or protocol or hwatever you did. </p>

<p>You have enough based on your hard stats to get you a chance of admissions--- but your EC's are mediocre because as an asian, I recognize half of that stuff as total bull/every asian has it (i.e. Royal Schools music stuff, Columbia SHP, MEGA Academy LOL in FLushing???? rofl..., "research", math team). If you made USAMO, scored high on AIME's, USchO, USABO it'd be another story. Bottom line, not enough for an early admit. I suggest try Stanford SCEA.</p>

<p>EDITT:: Hold on, I just realized you were a girl. In that case your chances of admissions just shot up precipitously.</p>

8

<p>forget my previous post, i didn't know you were a girl either. </p>

<p>basically, welcome to MIT!</p>

9

<p>Haha, it's so easy to find out who Siemens Regional Finalists are. My friend who is a Chinese male with lower SAT (2210) but Regional Finalist got into MIT, so you will most likely get in too. Btw, the "National Qualifier of the American Mathematics Competition 12" is kinda pointless; the contest is open to everyone.</p>

10

<p>You have LOTS of stuff but try to fill your application with an area of focus in mind. Maybe take another SAT II. Good luck! You have great chances!</p>

11

<p>
[quote]
National Qualifier of the American Mathematics Competition 12

[/quote]
</p>

<p>What is this? Do you mean you qualified for AIME?</p>

<p>I think you are fine the way you are. MIT doesn't look at SAT 2's beyond Math + Science, and your scores in those are adequate already. You don't need to take Physics necessarily if you have a good Science score already. Take something else if you feel you must for other colleges, but from the way things are, I'd say you're in at MIT already...</p>

<p>You might consider shortening even more of your resume, as the MIT app gives not a whole lot of space for EC elaboration (there is quite a bit for research, though). They want the essence, not all of the intermediary steps. For you, I think you should highlight your research, Siemens, New York Science Fair, ABRSM Grade 8 (one mention is sufficient...too many would make you sound pompous - if you made it to Grade 8, you probably have completed the previous levels anyway), your presidencies in clubs at school, and I think that should be the "big idea."</p>

<p>Your merit scholarships are redundant with your mention of Siemens Competition and New York Science Fair. I think if you made it thus far, MIT would know that you probably got some money with it too.</p>

<p>I think the tricky part for you is to be selective of what you mention on your application. Don't try to cram everything in or it will look unfocused or even, conceited.</p>

12

<p>You might just be 1000X more "qualified" that I was when I got into MIT. Not to say that means anything, a friend of mine knows my region's admissions officer and said he immediately saw my application and thought I was a hilarious down-to-earth kid which was exactly what MIT was looking for. I had the stats, but virtually no EC's beyond sports.</p>

<p>The only recommendation is to look like a real person, don't write essays about all your academic achievements, or anything like that. I think I wrote essays on a sports game I played that month and another on how a college application is a load of garbage. Apparently he liked it.</p>

13

<p>"MIT and Princeton needs guys like Sklog..."</p>

<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilaUVGjMkJo&mode=related&search=%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilaUVGjMkJo&mode=related&search=&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

14

<p>Sklog is my role model now!</p>

<p>@stupidkid
Haha, is your friend Jeff Guo (one of my fellow siemens competitors)? He matches your description--chinese, siemens finalist. :)</p>

<p>@oasis
yeah, I meant I qualified for the AIME through AMC 12. (not too impressive, I know, but the math team in my school sucks so much that I quit out the second year and was never really into math again)</p>

<p>Thank you all for help and encouragement. I'll reflect on each piece of advice.</p>

<p>So, my current thinking from your advice:</p>

<p>1) SATs: I plan to take the Physics SAT, not b/c of MIT, but b/c I'll do better on it anyway than if I take other tests and b/c I love physics. (strange, i love physics and bio, but i still fail to comprehend a lot of chem...) I might as well take the french, since I love french, too. The thing that bothers me is that if I don't get into MIT, the other, non-tech schools will see me as: math, science, science, french, aka I suck at humanities (i actually do).</p>

<p>2) @ truazn8948532: Yes, great point. I've been compiling a "resume" of every little thing over the years, which is now 4.5 pages long, and I realized that when ppl see it, they either 1) think I do everything very shallowly/have no real passion/want to impress college aps or 2) they don't bother to read through anything, skim and assume that I'm a good student.</p>

<p>So basically, what you mean is that I should take the best out of each category, whether it is piano, siemens, nycsef, and only put those on the ap, right? My question is then, should I copy and paste all those awards into the "academic awards" section, or should I choose the best? (I always thought awards are more important, b/c it's harder to win awards than becoming a president of a club). As for ECs, I suppose I'll choose my top 7, and instead of adding more ECs later on, I should describe them?</p>

<p>One more thing: how did you figure out I am a girl?</p>

15

<p>Also, one thing I should mention about mid-year grades.</p>

<p>My GPA would be close to 4.0 (97-100) if it weren't for those humanities courses. So by 12th grade, I finally get to choose my electives, and I plan to choose the hardest science courses in my school, so I except hard-worked As and A+s for my mid-year report.</p>

16

<p>"So basically, what you mean is that I should take the best out of each category, whether it is piano, siemens, nycsef, and only put those on the ap, right?"</p>

<p>That's a bad idea -- it would truly look like you have no focus.</p>