How do I look in collegeville ?

International Students
1

<p>I got a 2050 on my SAT1 (630-cr,750-math,670-writing) and 800s in SATII's in phy,chem and math2. Because my SAT1 was bad I also took the toefl iBT and got 106. I am an Indian(male) and also have straight A's in class from class 9 in one of the best schools in India.I topped my class for 3 years in a row.
Besides I have internships in 2 organizations(pretty rare for indian), I play keyboard,have 2 international awards and am a state level athlete.I have taken part in all clubs in school, vocalist in carnatic music and also did research projects in summer on soil conductivity.I have 60-80 hours on community service and hope to qualify 2 Olympiads this year too.I am VERY passionate abt going to MIT.Sadly international students can only apply RD. Over the past 4 years only 1 person got in to MIT from my school. and that worries me a lot.
I am also applying to stanford,caltech and CMU,UIUC.</p>

<p>For me the main problem in EC's was because I am also focussing on IITs also(like other indian kids).
Do i stand a realistic chance, or a waste of a dream.
Guys can you help out ??</p>

<p>Also I forgot to add that I have made biofuels, telescopes(physics teacher is proud of that), making an iOS app(Apple does not have radio, indians need RADIO) and have done work in rural India on electricity and clean energy.</p>

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<p>With 2050, there isn’t much to expect, but you may stand a chance if your essays are stellar.</p>

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<p>Go through the the following link, only you can tell after reading through, what your chances are. My advise, have many more choices on your platter, that are a match for you, and you will not be disappointed.</p>

<p>Check out the Admissions Statistics MIT For the class entering in the fall of 2012</p>

<p>[Admissions</a> Statistics | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/stats]Admissions”>Admissions statistics | MIT Admissions)</p>

<p>This is from their page with regards to ‘perfect match’, among other things,</p>

<p>[The</a> Match Between You And MIT | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/match]The”>What we look for | MIT Admissions)</p>

<p>The Match Between You And MIT</p>

<p>" When we admit a class of students to MIT, it’s as if we’re choosing a 1,100-person team to climb a very interesting, fairly rugged mountain - together. We obviously want people who have the training, stamina and passion for the climb. At the same time, we want each to add something useful or intriguing to the team, from a wonderful temperament or sense of humor, to compelling personal experiences, to a wide range of individual gifts, talents, interests and achievements. We are emphatically not looking for a batch of identical perfect climbers; we are looking for a richly varied team of capable people who will support, surprise and inspire each other.‘’'</p>

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<p>“”“Over the past 4 years only 1 person got in to MIT from my school. and that worries me a lot.”“”“”"</p>

<p>Have a broader perspective, and do not let one particular college’s Acceptance/Rejection decision define who you are and what you have to do in your life.</p>

<p>Also read this very interesting blog, and you will get what I am trying to tell you</p>

<p>There Is No Formula</p>

<p>[There</a> Is No Formula | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/there_is_no_formula]There”>There Is No Formula | MIT Admissions)</p>

<p>““Of course you need good scores and good grades to get into MIT. But most people who apply to MIT have good grades and scores. Having bad grades or scores will certainly hurt you, but I’m sorry to say that having great grades and scores doesn’t really help you - it just means that you’re competitive with most of the rest of our applicants. MIT is very self-selecting in that regard.””</p>

<p>Also more Blogs that mit recommends you should read,</p>

<p>[The</a> Selection Process | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/selection]The”>Our selection process | MIT Admissions)</p>

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<p>@hopingforbetter : I think that since I am over the 25% range at my dream schools, I think that they’ll look more into my EC’s and (hopefully!) drop my SAT scores. Besides, with my SAT2 scores they should understand that I am quite proficient at my Sciences, and my toefl score should show that I am not so bad at English too(I still came in top 6% in sat1 in my country). BESIDES I dont want to show them how good I am at CR or writing but how much of a change I can make to the world right ?
@anialways: Yup , you are absolutely right. I tried going through those same paragraphs over and over but I dont know how much of a blend I will be able to provide.Thats why I want to ask you guys for help.</p>

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<p>Ben has this amazing way of putting things together and sewing them wonderfully into words. And besides the only point that actually deters me is the face that people put on when you say you want to be an MIT’ian. Its like you are a crazy guy trying to climb Everest with nothing but underwear and a pair of shades.</p>

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<p>There is nothing wrong about aspiring and applying at MIT. The reality is that all applicants are equally strong and there are only so many, a particular number that they can pick. Therefore, your chances of making it are as as good as the rest of applicants. And frankly it is a lottery. And you should go for it.</p>

<p>No one can and will be able to predict your chances of acceptance at MIT or for that matter any other place where your application is a match ie. top 25 percentile, in terms of grades, SATs etc. A match just increases your chances not seals it.</p>

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<p>confusing … yet strangely reassuring.
thanks !!!
But what abt places like UC Berkeley and UCLA ??</p>

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<p>You have a better chance at UC. Essays will be the key. But UCs give no financial aid. There may be other chances of internships or opportunities (summer) in the UC campus (depending on how good you are). Any UC folks may have more to add.</p>

<p>Just adding one more rant…Indians seem increasingly obsessed over MIT. There are many many good institutions here that can provide you with a great education. Go for the right fit for you, not just rankings.</p>

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<p>Thank you !
I guessed so too, even my counselor seems more satisfied by UC’s
and by the way, I guess Indians are more fascinated by MIT because the academics and focus on learning is almost equally rigorous as a course in India…so it feels like home !</p>

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<p>Yeah, I’m sure it’s because of the rigor of the courses and focus of learning, and not the fact that you and your parents get to show off to everyone else.</p>

<p>By the way, here at Imperial College London, and pretty much everywhere else in the UK, we first-year aeronautical engineering students are studying advanced structural analysis, aerodynamics, and advanced mathematics. My counterparts back at MIT are still stuck on Biology 101, Chemistry 101, Physics 101, and how to “rigorously prove” the derivative of ln(x). And the appeal of such a school is, of course, academic rigor, not prestige or anything. Uh huh.</p>

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<p>Check the UIUC SAT profile</p>

<p>[University</a> of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois)- SAT Scores](<a href=“http://www.satscores.us/sat_scores_by_college.asp?college_id=145637]University”>http://www.satscores.us/sat_scores_by_college.asp?college_id=145637)</p>

<p>[University</a> of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois)- SAT Scores](<a href=“http://www.satscores.us/grid.asp?college_id=145637]University”>http://www.satscores.us/grid.asp?college_id=145637)</p>

<p>It seems your scores are a match here.</p>

<p>Also it is one of the best Engineering schools, in case rankings interest you,</p>

<p>[University</a> of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign | Best Engineering School | US News](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign-02055]University”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign-02055)</p>

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<p>@dasadhikarik::::showing off is what everyone starts of with when they first say the 3 letters. Even at my school there were many who said that they were off to MIT. But at this stage, after going through all the ‘trouble’ , i mean academics, EC’s and tonnes of people telling you that u are not worth a shot, I think it takes pure fascination to still say u love MIT. And this is not normally foolish bravery…
As for your college, it is definitely one of the best in the world…but it is again more like India, here I keep getting told to learn countless textbooks, I want to do more. That is exactly why chose MIT , for pure research.
Anialways I already applied to UIUC early, so I definitely know that it is impressive.</p>

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<p>Oh, so you consider it ‘trouble’, do you? Because I never said it was any trouble. It doesn’t take any bravery at all for anyone to anonymously say over the Internet that they love MIT. And generalize/make uninformed comments much?</p>

<p>You don’t know what it’s like at Imperial. I didn’t know what to expect last year, and since you have never been here, I don’t expect you to know anything either. Do you know that every single year at Imperial, we have projects which most MIT undergrads don’t even think about through their 4 years? First year is a 2ft x 1ft aluminum truss that can hold up a car without breaking. Second year is a wind turbine. Third year is a revolutionary aircraft concept. Fourth year is research in industry for 2 months.</p>

<p>Actually, at Imperial, we don’t have a single textbook. There are no reading lists for engineering courses. You should only consider supplementary material/consult the internet if you don’t understand something. This is more than I can say for ANY American college, MIT included, which dumps at LEAST $1,000 of college books on you each year. So, if you hate countless textbooks so much, MIT is the wrong place to be headed. Oh, and by the way, if you were really a research-oriented person, you would be doing research wherever you are, not bleating on and on about how MIT is the only place in the world where you can possibly research. Good day to you, sir.</p>

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<p>ok. thanks !</p>

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<p>Oh and I said ‘trouble’ sarcastically.chill out man. I just told you my opinion. and I respect yours too.</p>

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<p>Hey hey hey. See, I’ve agreed with most of your other posts. But this is just completely off. You accuse quiverfox of generalizing or making uninformed comments and then blatantly go off and do the same.</p>

<p>“You don’t know what it’s like at Imperial.” You don’t know what it’s like at MIT either. </p>

<p>“My counterparts back at MIT are still stuck on Biology 101, Chemistry 101, Physics 101, and how to “rigorously prove” the derivative of ln(x).” Are you crazy? Sure, they have their General Institute Requirements, but even they range in complexity.</p>

<p>Take the basic course in Mechanics for Example. It’s 8.01, i think. Even in Mechanics, you have three different courses: 8.01L, which is for students who have no great knowledge of physics or mathematics, calculus in particular; 8.01, which is for a student who has studied calculus previously; 8.012, for a student who has extensive knowledge of calculus and physics. 8.012 is where they give you “Olympiad Level” problems.
Besides, it’s not as if everyone at MIT even has to take 8.01 in their freshman year. And forget about just undergraduate-level courses, you can take graduate-level courses (which i presume are more complex than “rigorously prove(ing) the derivative of ln(x)”) as an undergrad if you’re capable.</p>

<p>“Do you know that every single year at Imperial, we have projects which most MIT undergrads don’t even think about through their 4 years? First year is a 2ft x 1ft aluminum truss that can hold up a car without breaking. Second year is a wind turbine. Third year is a revolutionary aircraft concept. Fourth year is research in industry for 2 months.”
This is nonsense. If you pass the necessary exams, you could take part in the UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunites) as early as the fall of freshman year. [MIT</a> UROP: Basic Information - What is UROP?](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/urop/basicinfo/index.html]MIT”>http://web.mit.edu/urop/basicinfo/index.html)</p>

<p>UROP, unlike your “revolutionary” pre-decided projects, allows you to do research on the frontiers of science as an undergraduate. Your ability to do research at MIT is unfettered. Look at some of the project openings: [MIT</a> UROP: Current Research - Project Openings](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/urop/research/openings.html]MIT”>http://web.mit.edu/urop/research/openings.html)
The projects you talk about aren’t that great at all.</p>

<p>I know you were a qualified candidate, and probably deserved more than you got. But there’s no point trying to act offended. It initially seemed like your opinion was unbiased and you were, in a sense, helping people. Now, you just seem like a kid who can’t seem to get over some rejections. If you are as happy as you state you are at Imperial College, you wouldn’t be “bleating on and on” about how MIT is this soulless institution filled with unqualified American students. If you really believed what you are writing, you wouldn’t apply to the institution in the first place.</p>

<p>“Good day to you, sir.”</p>

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<p>FYI, we have UROP too. Do your research before you post. And do you have any idea what UROP is? It’s basically where you get to act as secretaries for your profs. Just in Aeronautics here, we have research in CFD, Composites, and all that candy.</p>

<p>I don’t care MIT rejected me. I DO care, however, that there can be other people who are so delusional as to treat MIT as their one and only goal in life. Read some of the posts here, and you will see what I mean. There are people all across the board who are saying, “I can only apply to MIT because I will demean myself if I don’t”. There are people who are actually REFUSING to apply to other schools. And WHY? They won’t even admit that they’re in it for the prestige. They’re talking all sorts of nonsense about research opportunities (which you can get anywhere), and the “spirit” of the place. So, what am I saying? Get your heads out of the sand (or out of some other place where the Sun never shines). If pointing out the faults of MIT is the best way for me to get you people to do that, then I’m going to do it for as long as I need to. MIT is NOT heaven on Earth for Indians, as all of you make it out to be. The fact that they are going to reject 394/400 of you proves that.</p>

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<p>Dude, I am so sorry, you are totally going off an aircraft hangar.you said and I paraphrase-"“I can only apply to MIT because I will demean myself if I don’t”. There are people who are actually REFUSING to apply to other schools. And WHY? They won’t even admit that they’re in it for the prestige."
1.I just said I was really passionate about the college.
2.I never said I wont be applying elsewhere. In fact I am applying to 7 other amazing colleges too.
3.ALL PEOPLE DON’T APPLY FOR OR BECAUSE OF PRESTIGE! and I can give u a first hand account on that.
4.what about the 6/400?
5.If the sun doesn’t shine at your place, bad luck, cause it shines brightly here !</p>

<p>and thanks adityaP!</p>

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<p>I understand that you are trying to help and appreciate it, but I just find it an amazing college. tHAT IS ALL.</p>