<p>I would appreciate any feedback about my chance at MIT. A lot of the times I'll look at results threads for MIT and try to compare myself to the applicants, but it is impossible because I'm a sophomore. I constantly doubt myself, so maybe you can put my anxiety to rest.
Grade:10
ranked: 1/551 people will probably drop out though :'( really sad
4.0 UW
PSAT:don't know yet, but I got a 2080 on a practice test
I'm taking the SAT in March. I'm studying 2 hours on weekdays and 4 on weekends (I'm only doing this now because I don't want to be paranoid thinking about it for the next two years)
-I WANT TO MAJOR IN MATH BECAUSE I LOVE IT!! Course 18! Woot woot</p>
<p>White female
Large public school in FL
Rookie on a World Champion Robotics team! FIRST Team 180!!!!
Varisty golf team
Red Cross Youth Council -(We've organized a youth leadership camp to teach kids about communication, leadership qualities, peer pressure.
We also organize a county wide fashion show for students and teachers to raise money for the less fortunate people in our community)
-Independently collected 1000 or so audiobooks for nursing home residents
-NHS and Sci.HS
-Sewing (Made hair bows for the golf team, assortment of dresses, stuffed animals I donate to nursing home residents every Christmas) 197 hours so far(working towards the gold youth congressional medal)
-Irish Dancing
-Mu Alpha Theta
-Swing dancing (passionate about 1940s American culture. Did you know MIT has a Lindy Hop Club?! Omg)
-I tutor students in pre-calc (on several occasions I've stayed after class to tutor kids when I have my lunch block. Lately I haven't had enough time to eat lunch because of this, so I have to eat my lunch in the bathroom next to my last class...aprox. 10 minutes to cram a tuna sandwich in my mouth...yuck lol)
My school does not have any math/sci. Leagues or teams -I want to start a science olympiad team, but I'll be so busy with the patent(see below)! :( Do you think I should try to start one?</p>
<p>AP Human Geo 9th grade: 4
Taking AP Stat,AP World, AP Psych, honors Chem, honors pre-calc, spanish 1 and 2, pre-AP english 2, and honors physics this year (2 extra classes)
I'm working on a provisional patent application, which I plan to submit by May 2014
-Applying to Harvard SSP to take Calc 1 and Govt. summer 2014
-I am SOOOO PUMPED to apply to MIT WTP!! That program was made for me!!! Omg </p>
<p>Next year's classes(counselor already came to ask us):
AP english lang
APUSH
AP Calc BC
AP govt
AP Macro
AP Physics
Honors art criticism
Law Studies (hey I needed an easy one, cut me some slack lol)</p>
<p>Possible hook: I was the first patient to attend Duke's Eating disorder pilot program when I was 12 (anorexia). After I greatly improved my mental health, the program started to open its doors to other girls suffering from eating disorders. Now many girls' lives are being saved because of this program. (so I was basically the guinea pig to get this program rolling. God bless Dr. Nancy Zucker!!!)
I love to learn so much and I want to go to MIT because I am a passionate, giving, and motivated person who is a "hyperactive learner"-Pre.calc teacher lol
If I can go to MIT I will have the greatest chance of changing the world and meeting the most exciting people. MIT is the Mecca of Mathematics! An Annapolis of analytical thinking! MIT has been my dream since I was 8 (on dress up day in 3rd grade I was a mathematician from MIT haha... some things never change)
Please be honest. How can I improve?</p>
<p>I just realized that this post is far too personal, but it is completely honest and from the heart.</p>
<p>Your record makes me feel severely inadequate. That being said, MIT is really competitive, so I don’t know if it’s ever possible to be truly “good enough”, even if you’re the reincarnation of a deity or something.</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend choosing a wide range of backup schools, regardless of how good your scores are (and they are good). California’s CIT is also an excellent school, and is also rather competitive, though not quite as much. I’d recommend that no matter how amazing your scores are, it’s best to look at all of the options available. All of them.</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice. I’d be content at my state school, UF. Like you’ve said, I’ve come to the realization that nothing is “for sure.” There is only so much that we as high school students can do until we explode. I have faith that if I work hard everyday and take life as it comes, I will end up where I belong, as will you. I don’t need to go to MIT to change the world
*BTW I love Cali, but my parents prefer that I stay on the East coast.</p>
<p>Well, CultClassic already said everything. Bc you are a sophomore, it is hard to tell the “path”. MIT is extremely competitive but in your cases for your back up schools chooses CSU systems or UCR or UCM (since your GPA and SAT) seems great! keep up the good work! junior year is only going to get harder!</p>
<p>WARNING: MIT only lets you list 5 ECs on the application. There is also a space to talk about something you do for fun (sewing or swing dancing could be fun here) but think about really developing the few that are most important to you! Otherwise your application looks really awesome. One thing, if you don’t do as well as you want on the SAT now, don’t sweat it, just try again next year. I went from a 199 to a 220 on the PSAT without studying between sophomore and junior year, I think my brain just developed or something. Anyways, you look like an awesome applicant and don’t kill yourself too much over getting in, tons of top schools would be happy to have you!</p>
<p>^^^^^
I’ve noticed that plenty of people get rejected with 2300+ while others are admitted with lower scores. I’ll obviously work hard for the SAT, but I think I should focus more on playing up the other aspects of my application.</p>
<p>You are clearly an extremely bright and motivated young woman. My advice? Make sure to take time to breathe, to enjoy learning for its own sake, to have fun doing things that have nothing to do with college applications. Folks with history of eating disorders are often perfectionists. Give yourself the space to be a teenager, don’t start the college application intensity sooner than you have to–and I’m sure you’ll end up at a wonderful school whether it’s MIT or another one…</p>
<p>"'ve noticed that plenty of people get rejected with 2300+ while others are admitted with lower scores"</p>
<p>There is definitely an abundance of 2300+ scorers who get rejected while some others with lower scores might get admitted. However, I don’t see you getting admitted with lower scores since there is no hardship on your app.</p>
<p>MIT WTP is a very good way for women to gain entrance to MIT. The program brags that up to two-thirds of WTP attendees who apply to MIT get in. WTP, however, is for women exploring and gaining an introduction into engineering; if you are already deeply into programming or mech engineering, you may not be a good fit for the program because you’ve already studied those areas. You’re going to have to judge those puts-and-takes yourself and the other MIT summer program for independent research might be the better one for you.</p>
<p>I forgot to add that my Robotics team was one of five teams chosen by FIRST to represent in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. I couldn’t write it when I first posted this because FIRST hadn’t issued a press release.</p>
<p>Wow, how do you have enough time in the day to do all that?!</p>
<p>You’re on the right track. My only concern would be whether you’re sleeping enough. I’m not kidding, not sleeping enough is an epidemic among ambitious high school students, and is probably the single thing that will most affect you physically, mentally, and emotionally in the future. </p>
<p>Definitely got the right instinct about not focusing on the SAT’s since it sounds like you’ll probably do fine with minimal study. God I wish your school doesn’t rank because it’s just slightly screwing up your otherwise stellar priorities. You’re the type of person (as in grades are high enough not to be a concern) to whom I would say: focus on learning the right way (ie not rote and please do question the authority of your teachers), doing things for the right reason (ie for passion and not to get into college), and everything else will follow. Does that mean you’ll get into MIT? Who knows. But you’ll more than likely get into <em>some</em> very prestigious school, and it’ll certainly be more conducive to success and happiness in life, which is much longer than those 4 years in college.</p>
But nothing is for sure with MIT, haha</p>