So i want to really get into MIT. Its my dream mainly because of their amazing engineering programs and the extraordinary things they create there. Im really lacking in the extra curricular department and so know i need to step it up big time.
My transcript.
3.71 U.W
3.71 W(im a freshman)
Rank 105/700(its like this because theres not to much diversity in classes and no AP classes)
I am talking to my counslers about taking summer Alg 2 course and taking pre calculus instead of Alg. 2 next year. I am taking Ap history and advanced english next year as they are the only ap/honor courses avaliable. I want to start some extracurriculars. I dont really like much things outside of building( i want to build a computer, a drone, etc.).
What should my GPA be to have at least have a chance and what should i do.
It feels like you woke up one day, happened upon a college ranking list, and decided you need to attend a top college.
For starters on getting a dose of reality, spend some time reading through the “decision threads” for MIT and the other top schools you’re interested in. You’ll see the academic profiles and ECs for many applicants who were both accepted, waitlisted, and rejected. That should give you some sense of how well prepared those who you’ll be competing against are.
Admissions to MIT has gotten very competitive recently (due to more applicants and slightly smaller class size).
Also, there are many factors to consider other than ranking on US News & World Report, for example, location, size, student body, etc. It looks like you just selected your top schools only based on this list, and you should take these other factors into consideration.
As a current MIT undergrad, high school GPA and SAT/ACT scores are important, as well as what you do outside of school, but you should not pursue such activities for the sole purpose of getting into MIT or another university.
OP. Since you claim to want to attend one of the top engineering schools MIT, Stanford, Caltech, UCBerkeley…why is your username FutureIvyboy. I don’t see any from that athletic conference on your dream list…
@MITer94 thanks for keep the answer realistic and making it helpful, unlike the other comments. I am located in california, an hour away from UC Berkley so i could save on housing. However i like MIT because of the great things i have heard of it and the amazing engineering program. It is far away so i would need housing, also i dont care about class size i have never had trouble figuring things out on my own or doing research. What would you consider more important to getting in U.W or W GPA. Also what E.C do you suggest for a future computer/mechanical engineer(im taking a web design/computer classes/ robotics class next year since my school offers it.),
MIT undergrads are guaranteed housing within its undergraduate dorms, so don’t worry about housing. However, housing at MIT and Cambridge/Boston in general, is expensive.
I don’t know/remember if MIT considers UW or W GPA, but I would imagine a combination of both (e.g. UW, plus any AP or advanced classes you took).
I was on my school’s FRC robotics team, which requires a mix of computer design/programming and engineering. You could also look into USACO (I never did this in HS but I know a lot of people who have).
@MITer94 thanks for you expertise its extremely helpful, i have time to make good changes that will postively impact me.Is the sat/act really hard or at least challenging.
If you’re aiming for MIT, the SAT/ACT shouldn’t be hard. But it is a good idea to spend some time preparing for it (e.g. a couple months before the test).
@FutureIvyBoy yeah, that’s actually true. For example, you used “its” instead of “it’s” in your original post. Additionally, you are expected to be able to write decent papers at MIT.
I’d like to say that learning proper grammar is probably not a bad idea but it won’t have much of an effect on your admittance to MIT. First of all, the writing section of the SAT is not considered by most schools, MIT included. Second, I’ve noticed mistakes with “it’s” and “its” all over MIT campus. A sign on the downstairs bulletin board of BC and all over the brochure that describes the different dorms, given out to Freshmen last year, are some examples.
I’d also like to add that I don’t think that as a freshman it’s bad thing to have a list of prestigious schools to strive for attending. It’s a great motivator to work hard. Continue to dream big. You have plenty of time to investigate the schools thoroughly in a few years in order to actually find the schools that will be a best fit for you.
My best advice is that you should seek out things that challenge you and excite you. And have fun while your in high school, the years go by very quickly and you won’t get them back!
@rothstem thanks for your helpful words. I’m sorry if this sounds dumb, but what’s the difference between its and it’s. I don’t really understand. Is its for multiple things and it’s for a specific thing or what.
Just to elaborate on what MITer94 explained; “its” without an apostrophe is a possessive pronoun. Possessive pronouns never have a apostrophes. It’s (it is) easy to remember this when you think of other possessive pronouns like “his” and “hers”. You wouldn’t write “hi’s” or “her’s”
The same thing goes for “theirs”. “Theirs” does not have an apostrophe. The word “They’re” means something different; it’s a contaction for the words “They are”.