<p>After having done well in high school but with a feeling of not having done nearly what I think I am capable of, I want to set my goals high from the beginning.
I am very excited to go to college at UCLA (for engineering) beginning next year, and I am firm on going on to a good graduate school after that.
For all you experienced folk, what is your advice to somone trying to get to MIT (or similar). What kind of things are most important (ie: GPA), and what type of things are probably not as important as they seem? Having gone through high school, I feel I know little things that could help someone aiming high in high school... what are some of these "little things" to know at the college level? Please enlighten us.</p>
<p>Good Gpa 3.65+</p>
<p>Excellent GRE scores.</p>
<p>Good reccommendations</p>
<p>lots of luck.</p>
<p>mit has certain courses they want you to take. i think they also requires SAT scores and high school recommendation (not sure though). visit <a href="http://www.mit.com%5B/url%5D">www.mit.com</a></p>
<p>MIT's website is <a href="http://www.mit.edu%5B/url%5D">www.mit.edu</a>. Other factors would include intellectual curiosity, getting involved in research (MIT's undergrads participate in the UROP or Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program), but also a broad base of knowledge (MIT also has strong social sciences and humanities programs). And get involved in some extracurricular activities as an undergrad; MIT has a Musical Theatre Guild as well as a strong intramural athletic program.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>lol seanlee he's talking about gradschool not undergrad. plus your website is wrong lol.</p>
<p>Does anyone know statistically how many people go to MIT each year (or in general) from UCLA?</p>
<p>oops! 10char</p>
<p>I don't know anyone who went to MIT from UCLA undergrad. It's usually either back to UCLA, or to another UC. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>does ucla put alot of undergrads into ucb engineering graduate programs?</p>
<p>I know that a student who graduated from my S's high school got his undergrad degree from UCLA in bioengineering or something similar and is now in grad school at MIT. He came back to the high school last year to talk about his experience, although I don't really remember the specifics. But it is definitely possible.</p>
<p>Dude, if you want to have ANY kind of social life, you will do yourself a favor and stay at UCLA for engineering. My friend from high school, who I graduated with last year, got a full ride scholarship to MIT in physics. However, I recently visited him at his school during March, and let me tell you, not only was it -30*F (not kidding), the school is very boring and lacks all of the fantastic social environments that UCLA has. Trust me, you'd be much happier at UCLA. My friend even says that he has problems with how everyone at MIT lacks a social life and the competition is so fierce for good grades that if you stop in the hallways between class times you will get RUN OVER by students. No joke. It's happened to him. I'm telling you, you'd be much happier at UCLA.</p>
<p>
:rolleyes:</p>
<p>well, thats good to know, but I really AM going to UCLA for undergrad.
A lot can happen in four years, but I think MIT is a good aim... that doesn't mean that I will definitely go MIT, but it would be cool if I COULD if I want to.
Besides, if I have enough fun during undergrad, I probably won't mind a couple years of serious graduate study (though the temperatures could be a problem).</p>
<p>especially if you grew up in southern california like me =p</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't know anyone who went to MIT from UCLA undergrad. It's usually either back to UCLA, or to another UC.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>One of the best profs I've had, Donald Hoffman, got his phd at MIT from UCLA undergrad.</p>
<p>yes its possible. just keep your grades up</p>
<p>Get some research experience. If you're planning to go to an elite grad school this is critical. Oh, and if you're ultimate goal is the PhD you're going to spend more than a couple of years in grad school.</p>
<p>my friend just got accepting to harvard grad. after ucla....that just shows it all depends how smart you are.....and your gpa</p>
<p>Engineering, for example EECS, grad school at MIT is very competitive. You'll have to have a good GPA/GRE but even then this isn't, comparatively, a big hurdle at all.</p>
<p>Your best bet is to get involved in research, and before you apply, try to get in touch with a professor at MIT - if that's where you are really set on going - who shares your research interests. If you can manage to make an impression on him/her, and make them want you in their lab/on their project, it'll be a huge help. If you can do this, your admission will almost be a certainty, but that will be tough.</p>
<p>However, why are you so set on MIT? Remember, it isn't about where you go for grad school, but what you end up working on during your graduate career. In that vein, it's much more important that you end up with a professor that fits your interests rather than ending up a school that fits you.</p>
<p>last year when i went to the physics/math open house at UCI, there was a guy that had just been accepted to MIT's physics grad program and one guy that was going to Yale's grad physics program. just shows that even "lower" ranked UC's send out students to top programs.</p>