<p>um, rsi is probably worth going to. it's pretty hard to get in, i think. i certainly wasn't qualified. from what i've gathered, you show up with an idea of research you'd like to get done, and they give you an advisor, and you go to. it's got nothing to do with ap classes, and common opinion holds that doing rsi gives you a significant advantage when applying here. whether it's an advantage above and beyond that of having done relatively independent and probably fairly hardcore research at a prestigious institution, is questionable, given that there aren't that many, or even any, comparable programs. relatedly, the highly competitive admissions process is seen as analogous to mit's. but, of course, nothing is guaranteed.</p>
<p>I have never done any big research projects, I was refering to something such as a summer camp.</p>
<p>Practically every MIT applicant has high scores and grades. Most have at least respectable ECs, IMO. Research can be nice but since it is not realistically available to most high school students, it is not necessary.</p>
<p>Ask yourself: what tends to distinguish an MIT student from everyone else? IMO, I think it is important to show that one does more than merely take in and put out information. Some sort of originality, depth and significance of thought and/or deed, some sort of passion or intensity for something other than grades is, IMO, very important if not actually close to necessary.</p>
<p>ok, so like most of MIT's applicants, I didnt think i had a snowball's chance in hell of getting in. Turns out, I was wrong- for those of you who still don't know what the f im talking about, i got in : ). Anyway, I had absolutely no research, didnt attend any summer programs (save my town's summer theater orchestra), and didnt take any advanced college courses. Same thing goes for two other MIT applicants from my school (public high school). One thing we did have, however, was a passion for learning and extracurriculars focused in a few disciplines (as opposed to being president or a member of numerous unimportant clubs). We all had good grades (duh) and we all played a varsity sport (dont worry, were not recruited athletes). Somehow, all three of us got in. Really, the message im trying to put out is that you dont have to be an academic all-star, Intel finalist/winner, or IPO IMO winner to get into MIT. All you need is a little dedication, a willingness to learn, and a drive to make a difference in the world. It is my personal opinion that the two most subjective parts of the application, the interview and the personal essay, hold the most weight. Everyone that applies to MIT has outstanding marks, but it is one's personality that will determine whether or not one is a match for MIT's environment. Just make sure to be yourself in high school, enjoying what you do without the hidden motive of getting into an elite college. I didnt even think about applying to MIT (or any other college for that matter) until the end of my junior year. Love whatever it is you choose to do and make sure that it comes through in your essay and extracurriculars. That's my two cents.</p>
<p>try to bypass some math courses to get straight into BC calc
that will help</p>
<p>Thank you very much. Were you a straight-A student? And how much does it hurt you if you get 3 B or B+ as a final grade your sophomore year and all A's for everything else? (In my case: AP US History I, AP Biology, and Honors English II).</p>
<p>yes, i was a straight A student, but it is my understanding that once the adcom is satisfied that a student is qualified academically, actual grades arent given a lot of thought (of course, i have no idea, because im not on the adcom- it's pure speculation on my part). So in answer to your question, no, i dont think a few b's will hurt you as long as they dont recur throughout your high school career. Since everyone that applies to MIT has at least <em>decent</em> grades, it is my opinion that they dont hold a lot of weight in the final decision for admission. Personal characteristics and ECs that demonstrate passion are what will really set you apart from the crowd.</p>
<p>Hehe... I was in your exact position last year. I am a sophomore/rising junior now(going to 11th, head hurts). Here is my advice:</p>
<p>A) YOU ARE A FRESHMEN/RISING SOPHOMORE(going to 10th[I hate this summer what grade you are in thing]). DON"T WORRY ABOUT GETTING INTO MIT RIGHT NOW! Trust me, if you try to imitate people on this board, you will go insane. Even worse, if you don't get in to MIT when you finally apply, it will make it even worse.</p>
<p>B) Don't overload on AP's. From what I have seen of the majority of MIT kids, they didn't take tons of AP's and kill themselves. Example:</p>
<p>I talked to Ben(Adcom who comes to these boards) about 7 months ago. I asked him whether I should take a B in french, and do something else, or work for the A. He told me to take the B. So I did, and now I have an intel project more than halfway complete.</p>
<p>Moral:</p>
<p>You need to have time off when you can do your own tinkering. This is the only time you get to do something truly innovative. Take 1/2 hour a day when you don't have exams, and just work on some project that deals with whatever you like. You will find it very enjoyable, and it helps w/ stress.</p>
<p>C) Read magazines and journals like MIT Technology Review, Nature, Scientific American, Popsci, Popmech, etc. Some are intense, some are just gloss over, but the point is that you stay on top of what is going on, and perhaps, you might just inspired.</p>
<p>That being said, here are the AP's I took:</p>
<p>9th: AP Stats
10th: AP Calc BC(self-study, look into that), AP Physics B, AP Computer Science AB</p>
<p>Yeah, I've adjusted my schedule a bit due to a few courses I didn't need such as calc a/b and comp sci. a. There is a problem with the self studying though, although it would get me a head start, I need math classes to fill up my schedule through 12th grade to keep me fresh in that. I will be taking all the math classes my school offers. I am waiting to hear from University of Maryland if I can attend a few courses next summer, but it won't work out this summer. There isn't much research I can do around here due to my living in Europe at the moment. My dad just retired from the US army here. Please give me any suggestions here if you can. I am not trying to do this stuff to get into MIT because there are other highly qualified school out there that I could get a great education from.</p>
<p>Ah sorry to double post on this, but I read mostly computer articles \ magazines, although I could expand my selection a little ^_^ I'm not stressed at all to be honest. If I make it in then great, if not then there's another college for me :) Thanks for all your help so far, keep it coming :)</p>
<p>The recent post by sagar_ actually reminded me of my son, who got in. He got good grades but also did a lot of outside reading and did not kill himself to get As in every single subject/every single test. He did find/make time to pursue his two or three ECs, which he did with great intensity and interest.</p>
<p>I think that reading widely is very important to expand and discipline your mind. Many kids don't have/take the time to do that. I would even suggest that you consider taking some limited but reasonable time to read stuff that seems utterly foreign and difficult to you but you have reason to believe is high quality--fiction by Faulkner or James comes to mind, history for a part of the world or time period that is unknown to you, philosophy, etc. Read it very slowly if necessary.</p>
<p>P.S. I also like your attitude. There is a good college out there for you. Concentrate now on doing things that will prepare you for the rest of your life. That will be a lot more important and valuable to you than aiming solely or primarily to get into any particular college.</p>
<p>Trust me. You seem to be a very motivated person. You will get into an outstanding university. I can't garuntee MIT(sp/nobody can), double since you are international. </p>
<p>All I can repeat is to take some time off, between 30min to 1hr a day, and do some tinkering. Build things. One time I built my own 4 function calculator. I learned a lot about how a computer works, electronics, etc. Come up with theories of you own, and debate them. Take a look at the Deterministic Universe thread I started. We have some really good stuff in there. In worst case, you get proven wrong. So what:</p>
<p>A) You are younger than most people here, or on other forums for topics like that, so nobody will try to compete with you and put you down.</p>
<p>B) You will learn. Either you are right, or you learn. Win-win situation.</p>
<p>Also talk with people. When I say people, I mean the people who can get you connections. I don't mean like get you into MIT, but perhaps they can tell you about their lifestyle, answer your questions, give you support, etc. Some one senior to you as my dad says.</p>
<p>All I have to say is mad props for wanting to take AP Art History -- most inspiring class ever [lol, don't expect to hear that from an MIT person... ;)]</p>
<p>Sorry, what's an adcom?</p>
<p>"adcom" is collegeconfidential shorthand for "someone on the admissions committee" which at MIT is called, I believe, the selection committee.</p>
<p>How much do freshman grades count?</p>
<p>well, freshmen grades matter less than other grades, but on the flip side, your freshemen grades tends to be a good determiner for the grades you'll get throughout highschool, so if you're not happy with your freshmen grades, you need to change your study patterns.</p>
<p>Sagar - congrats on your intel project being halfway done. That's exactly the kind of thing I meant when I said take the B in french and do something that you're passionate about instead. Awesome!</p>
<p>Ya I had about a B average as a freshman and an A after that...thank you!!!</p>