How do I know if I'm in the right mindset?/My chances

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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<p>!!!ATTENTION, WALL OF TEXT INCOMING!!!
I ended up writing like a three page paper on my life.</p>

<p>Hi there, I'm a junior this year in High School, and after binge reading the MIT Admissions Blogs, I've come to several conclusions:
-I've got to be passionate about what I'm doing.
-I've got to be myself.
-Everyone is "qualified" who applies.
-I'm probably in the wrong mindset.</p>

<p>I've been thinking of college for a while, where I want to go, etc. But only recently have I really considered my options. I've been lazy 9th and 10th grade, and well... I feel screwed. This year I signed up for a whole bunch of AP classes, then moved up to APUSH after having Honors US hist. not fitting into my schedule. Then of course I start looking into colleges, MIT catches my eye. I'm considering GA Tech (I'm from GA and the state would give me a free ride if I do good these next two years), but they don't really have a polisci major and that's nearly a deal-breaker as I'd like to dual major in polisci and computer science (yeah, two nearly totally different things, but I enjoy both areas). So, anyways, back to MIT, I enjoy computer science and political science, but I really signed up for majority of those classes because I was lacking the past few years and not challenging myself, whereas MIT wants you to be yourself and not just do stuff to get into their school, and knowing/feeling that I'm under-qualified is really influencing my decisions this school year.</p>

<p>Again, I'm really unsure if I'm just doing these things because I won't get into a selective school if I don't or because I want to... Probably a mixture of both, but what are my chances?
- Chemistry was alright (I did make a bad grade in that class last year, barely an 80, but really only because I was lazy last year), biology was alright but not for me (I don't recall my second semester grade, but my first semester was pitiful because I completely forgot about science fair, which is graded here), and I'm really loving AP Physics this year, it's a two period class, one period I have a 97, the other, which is a lab period I have an 89, oh, and I'm trying to post unweighted grades for all my classes if I remember correctly). I want to take another year of Physics next year if I can, if not, I'm unsure what. I also took a Physical Science class in 8th grade that counts as a HS credit, don't remember what I made though.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Math... Well, I think I passed the past two years of Math with a B or low A average, and those past two years have been a mixture of statistics, geometry, and algebra. I'm in the GA Accelerated math course again this year so I'm in a pre-calc class and I'm taking an AP Statistics elective, which I have an unweighted high-B in that class at the moment (which will rise, I missed one question on a quiz, and as a result, bombed it.). My pre-calc teacher hasn't even given us any grades yet, but I think I'm in a similar boat there as with Stats. I plan on taking AP Calc next year (It's AP or nothing for stats and calc at our school). I'm not the best at math, I have to work at it, and I'm slow but eventually get the right answer.</p></li>
<li><p>English, I'm good at English, I hate analysis, but I absolutely love to write. On the ACT-PLAN test last year I scored 98% higher than most sophomores in the US, and "100%" higher than sophomores at my school. I only took a regular English class the past two years, had the same teacher both years, and we had a good relationship. I had the highest grade the first semester of last year, but freshman year I was somewhat lazy and the second semester of last year I got lazy again (I still finished with an A I believe). I'm taking AP Language at my school this year, and I've got a high A in that class right now, it's a different teacher this year, but I think I like her.</p></li>
<li><p>History - I love history, hate to learn it in a classroom though - I've spent hours upon hours of just reading historical Wikipedia articles, alas, I was lazy the past two years and I don't remember what my grade was freshman year, but I finished with a low B in World History last year. I'm taking AP US this year, and I love the way the teacher lectures, but I AM going to have to work hard this year. The guy has a history of breaking people and most fail his tests. I'm determined to make at least a B on each of his tests this year. (I WILL BREAK HIS RECORD OF FAILING SCORES!) The guy is absolutely great at teaching though and he's proud of how many of his past students make high scores on the AP test.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>(Wrote too much, on to the next post... if i could write this much, this fast for history, that'd be great).</p>

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<ul>
<li><p>Electives - I took band since 5th grade, though I didn’t like my director the past two years. I’m not taking it this year, because it really wasn’t my top choice and conflicted with APUSH and Stats. We’re required to take a semester of health and a semester of personal fitness in freshman year, and I didn’t make a good grade in Health (I would say I’m relatively healthy though. :stuck_out_tongue: <em>looks at coke bottle</em> … <em>drinks</em>). I also took three years of Spanish (one in middle school though, but I think it did count as a HS credit). I can’t remember what I made in those classes though. I’m in an Architecture class that’s taught by a phenomenal teacher who is actually a real architect, he’s my favorite teacher overall, and I was able to be bumped up-ed a level just so I could fit Arch into my schedule (My friend and I were the only people able to do it, possibly in the history of the school, so I’ve got that going for me). I would love to take AP Computer Science, but it wasn’t available this year.</p></li>
<li><p>Extra curricular - Well, I didn’t do much my freshman year at all. I was new to the school that year (I had gone to a religious private school but we moved back to the public system because of money that year) and didn’t know what there was, or know that many people. Sophomore year I did marching band, and was unable to do anything else until the end of the year because of that (director is an all-or-nothing type). I wanted to do SGA last year, though. Didn’t work out though. I was a charter-member of the SkillsUSA chapter at our school last year, although none of us really understood what we were doing. I’m doing it again this year, and hopefully I’ll be able to compete. I’m working with my English teacher to start a debate/speech team, ever since hearing about one from an online-friend, I wanted to participate in one but never got the chance. I also want to start a computer science club with one of my friends (who also happens to want to get into MIT, heh), I’m afraid of doing most of the leadership by myself though, to be honest. My friend is a genius, but I don’t think he understands what starting a club entails (could be a language barrier though, he’s from China). I haven’t got all the details worked out, but I’m thinking we are going to attach it to SkillsUSA so that we can take advantage of their competitions. Planning to go to our school’s administration with a plan next week with my friend. I’m also planning to go into our robotics club this year, it was started last year, but band got in the way… again. I was going to do SGA this year but after attending a few meetings I concluded that it was a joke and didn’t want to bother, titles meant nothing and all they did was plan the events. I’m looking for a job and once I get my drivers license I’ll considering tutoring English (I’ve been able to help my Chinese friend a little, and in the first grade I helped a Cambodian girl learn). I go to church regularly and help out when asked, and I’ve taken the initiative on working our church’s sound boards and presentations, and would like to get permission to work on a new church website.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>At the risk of sounding stupid, I’d like to mention the gaming clan I’m participating in, the people there have really inspired me to push hard. That’s where I got good and started to appreciate writing, it’s also where I became interested in computer science (I learned lua to script our Halo servers). It’s rooted in Halo PC, and the community has gotten relatively small, and as a result I’ve learned from/been inspired by some really amazing people. One guy (who we suspect works for the NSA) is a really great programmer. I don’t know much about him, but after our clan picked up a server-mod for Halo (called Phasor, it interprets lua), he decided he would help out in coding it and now pretty much maintains it by himself. Another guy who inspired me is a past clan leader, a polisci guy himself. He’s who I would credit my appreciation of writing and politics to.</p>

<p>And a few more things I’d like to mention: I’m trying to teach myself German with Duolingo, and I’m trying to be faithful with myself in completing the MIT OpenCourseWare 6.00 course.</p>

<p>If any admissions officers/alumni are out there for MIT, what would you say my chances are? And if MIT is not the right choice for me, where should I look?</p>

<p>Sorry for writing so much, but after writing this I feel better at least.</p>

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<p>

That’s not true. Not everyone who is qualified gets in, but not every who applies is qualified.</p>

<p>

Yes, but what that means is not the same for every applicant.</p>

<p>

Indeed, and not just for college admissions.</p>

<p>No one can tell you your chances of getting into MIT, not even an admissions officer–not until you actually apply and they can see your application in the context of the entire applicant pool. I suggest doing what you love doing, and finding some way to take it beyond your high school, whether that’s through college classes, research at a university, community outreach, writing a novel, or whatever it is that you dream of doing. I also suggest doing what you do for you and for the things and the people that you care about, not just to try to get into MIT.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>As Lydia said, not true. About 80% of applicants are academically qualified, though, so just academics will not make you stand out. </p>

<p>Your whole post sounds in line with a weirdly common thing I see - This idea that you’ve done poorly in your life achievements so far, so you suddenly grasp to the idea of attending a top institution to resolve yourself of past academic issues. It’s a common movie motif but doesn’t tend to work well in real life.</p>

<p>So stop clinging to MIT. Stop clinging to what you can’t control. </p>

<p>This is what you do: You figure out your goals. You work hard towards them. (You allow them to change!) You figure out objective criteria that’s mostly in your control – make your own website, code your own video game, volunteer for an activist campaign. </p>

<p>When college comes around, sure, apply to MIT. Maybe you’ll get in. You probably won’t. (That’s not about you – that’s just simple statistics and is true for anyone applying.) But your life is centered on what you can achieve, and college becomes about being its own experience and a stepping stone rather than some weird redemption. </p>

<p>Stop thinking that it’s “too late” for things. Is it too late to turn your life around for MIT? Maybe. Who knows. But you’re 16, and it’s not too late to learn things and build a fantastic life. People can do that in their 30s. Or their 80s. You have plenty of time to figure things out – just start trying :slight_smile: </p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice. I guess I could consider some of that stuff. By college classes do you mean like a dual enrollment program? That might be the best option, seeing as my school lacks AP Comp. Sci. and might not have another year of physics.</p>

<p>At the same time that I’m considering dual enrollment, I don’t want to wish my high school years away, if that makes sense, and that’s why I didn’t do it this year.</p>

<p>I feel somewhat lost in this whole thing too. I visited our counselors office a couple times for schedules and whatnot but I don’t really know how to approach them to get the questions I have answered, it’s why I’m here.</p>

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<p>I totally agree with piper. I feel like I’ve read the original post many times on this forum before.</p>

<p>From the grades that you have listed, your high school studies are challenging enough for you. I don’t recommend dual enrollment in college. It’s also very unlikely that ECs are going to put you over the top in terms of a top 15 school, so don’t load up on them for that purpose. Go ahead and apply to top schools anyway if you want, but your best bet is to buckle down and try to get straight A’s next year. You will need recommendations from three of your teachers, so if you can be the top student in these classes it will help your cause. Keep in mind that the kids who get into places like MIT are people who can get A’s in the hardest classes like the AP US history classes you describe. </p>