<p>Do most students have flashy awards like USAMO, Siemens? </p>
<p>Or maybe most MITes launched an app that generated thousands of revenue? </p>
<p>Maybe they're chosen because of their near perfect SAT scores and rigorous AP scores?</p>
<p>Or maybe, just maybe, MIT students are simply the right match?</p>
<p>*** Extra question: If I only took IB SL Math (equivalent to AP calculus AB), and I want to apply to course 6, is it almost an immediate rejection due to lack of mathematics?</p>
<p>Sure, I have met classmates who were part of their country’s math olympiad team. I remember 2 classmates meeting each other in front of MacGregor House and recognizing each other from competing against each other in international competition. It was quite a reunion that made me feel very very small.</p>
<p>But from my experience that was the exception rather than the rule.</p>
<p>A LOT of students take 18.01 (calculus 1), so it is not like everyone comes in having AP Calc BC.</p>
<p>Some students come in already being entrepreneurs. Many aren’t. One of my best friends at MIT worked part-time at Baskin Robins during high school. Another friend bound text books together part-time.</p>
<p>Some come in with 2400 SATs, others sub 1800. One friend of mine had lower than average SAT scores, but she also spoke 8 languages. She graduated from MIT with her B.S in Biology and went on to UCB’s PhD program. Not bad for a girl who came to MIT with below-average SATs, I would say.</p>
<p>Everyone is different, everyone has their own special thing or things that stands out. </p>
<p>As an international student, you have it tougher. But, MIT is not impossible for you.
3 pieces of advice… 1,) Take the most challenging courses available to you at your school. 2.) If you are not a straight A student, be sure to always have improving schools each term. 3.) You do not have to be a math olympian or a Siemens winner, but do try to find things that can add breadth to your application.</p>
<p>I guess its really up to the student then I’ll give it a shot. Thank you nakoruru and Piper ( love that plane ) but still like Cessna better lol.</p>
<p>^I’m sure she means lower than average at MIT, not lower than average in the U.S. If there is anybody below 1800 SAT at MIT, probably you could count them on one hand. And my guess is that their writing score was much lower than math and critical reading, because MIT doesn’t care about the writing score.</p>
<p>How many course 6 MIT students have won respectable awards in computer science or developed something amazing on their own. Or did most C6 students simply got accepted due to their personality?</p>
<p>** Please try to give percentage estimations e.g. 50% of MIT students won USAMO</p>
<p>There are about 1100 MIT students per class (and about 1600 are admitted each year) – it is completely impossible for 50% of MIT students to have won USAMO. The admissions office estimates that about 30% of the class are “academic stars”, meaning that they have won significant awards or competitions (Olympiads, RSI, Siemens, etc.). It’s at least possible to say that 70% of the admitted class are not academic “stars”.</p>
<p>Applicants aren’t admitted by intended field of study, so there’s no available breakdown of “course 6 admits” vs. everyone else.</p>
<p>Majority of CS students I know did not win respectable awards or develop something amazing before MIT. (Though most did know how to code before coming to MIT.)</p>
<p>SAT I - 2260
SAT II - 800Math2 800Chem
GPA (failed highschool freshman, highschool sophomore was alright, current GPA about 3.9)
Started Programming for only about a few months, did not release anything major, no major awards, no major olympiads, nothing special.</p>
<p>Now, given such average stats, if this guy still got the “MIT Personality” and has a vision, does he still stand a chance?</p>
<p>After meeting my kid’s MIT friends over the last few years, there are some things that do seem consistent about admissions. All the students seem to have at least one area of amazing. Some invented things, started businesses, won international award, did amazing things relative to their own culture/circumstances, whatever. There is something amazing about every one of them-amazing in a way that is obvious (not subtle like she is a deep thinker or kind but blatantly blatantly blatantly blatantly blatantly blatantly Each one would have been the one named when asked “Who is likely to be famous some day”. And there is another thing that is consistent. We all know parents who carefully craft their child’s future in school with college in mind, like starting an instrument (violin) at age 5, making sure perfect grades for the hardest classes, participatioin in all the right clubs and sports, prepping for the SATs in 7th grade, initiating the mandated 90 minute/week volunteering by 8th grade. Well the kid of those parents isn’t going to MIT. </p>
<p>I think a lot of MIT people are deep thinkers. But they have to actually do something with the thinking. No one knows you’re a deep thinker if it all stays in your head :P</p>
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<p>Please, I was voted most likely to win the Nobel Prize ;)</p>
I’ll give it a shot. Thank you nakoruru and Piper ( love that plane ) but still like Cessna better lol.</p>![https://mosaic-blog.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Magic8Ball.jpg[/img]](https://mosaic-blog.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Magic8Ball.jpg%5B/img%5D){kind=link}
