<p>Ok, so let's assume I'm equal with all other MIT applicants. Top five percent class rank, 2100+SAT, 750+ on three subject tests, fives and fours on AP exams, lots of volunteer hours at a local hospital, and a genuine interest in science. Is a science related extracurricular super important? I'm going to be in Academic Decathlon and the Texas Science UIL olympiad, and I also tutor kids in math and science, but how important is research? I am trying desperately to get a research assistant position at either a physics or chemistry lab, but I haven't had much luck. So how important is this research, will it bring my "average" application to a likely acceptance with good essays? Am I likely to get in without it?</p>
<p>Any help will be greatly appreciated as summer is coming up quick and I need to find positions!</p>
<p>Nearly all the students that go to top universities have a “specialization” be it your the next Monet, or be it your a skilled science researcher. Science research can hep you stand out from the other applicants. Many top research high school students consider MIT and are considered competitive for admission. But still don’t do research just for college. Your going to apply to M.I.T., they aren’t stupid and will know if you don’t truly care about something and just padded your resume.</p>
<p>If you like science and want to research then do it. E-mail professors at nearby universities, labs or medical facilities and look for opportunities. Your information makes it seem like you are going to apply to M.I.T. to go into a science related major, likely admissions officers will see the same thing (note: I use likely as nothing I say in this is definite, keep that in mind) So since you present yourself as a science oriented student you should look to do research to set yourself out from the crowd. Bad news though is that many research program positions are already filled by this point as summer is only a month and a half away, but you can still try to find one. If you are a sophomore then you still have another summer, if you are a junior then look into things you can do over the school year before you apply.</p>
<p>Keeping that in mind M.I.T. presents itself as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) based college hence “Institute of Technology” so science extracurriculars will likely help your cause. But say you love something like architecture, M.I.T. has a program for that too! M.I.T. is not a solely STEM school, it just focuses in on those areas.</p>
<p>@princeton315 I’m doing the research because I want to, but I also realize that it is important from an admissions standpoint as well. Worst case scenario: I don’t get to do any research for whatever reason, but I still have everything else on my transcript. Are my chances then slim to none?</p>
<p>You have a chance, if you have those grades on the SAT and SAT II, you have good letters of rec and a good gpa, also good essays; then you do have a chance. Top tier schools have no perfect student model, so if you have the grades, they will look at you and decide if you would be a fit.</p>
<p>Also, if you can’t do the research with a lab, maybe do something intriguing by yourself (BUT NOT SOMETHING CHEESY THAT SOMEONE WOULD DO AT A MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR!!!) I realize this is hard to do, so you can do some other science related activity. Like:</p>
<p>Call a local doctor and ask to shadow him
Take rigorous science AP’s next year
See if there area any programs at a local college
ANYTHING SCIENCE RELATED!</p>
<p>@princeton315 Thanks, I have few options as far as research goes, and I have a nuclear fusion hypothesis that I want to do some tests with, so hopefully I’ll be able to get some lab time. I’m also hoping that the fact that I tutor in math and science helps. I’m trying to set up a science summer camp for disadvantaged children, the logistics of all this are driving me berzerk.</p>
Absolutely not, and having done research doesn’t “bring an ‘average’ application to a likely acceptance”.</p>
<p>MIT being MIT, many accepted students have done research, or have been significantly involved in math/science-related ECs. But those activities aren’t required by any means.</p>
<p>Well, research isn’t required, but it also isn’t particularly unique in the applicant pool. It’s a great thing to do, no doubt, but it’s neither a requirement nor a “hook”.</p>
<p>A large part of it is contextual. MIT is very interested to understand what you have done with the opportunities that have been offered to you. This makes a lot of sense, as MIT is interested in admitting students who will make the most of what MIT has to offer. However, different students with different backgrounds will have differing opportunities. There is a high school in my region, which has a very strong research internship program for their seniors, and a large minority of the class participates in academic research their senior year. If you come from this school and have chosen not to participate in such a program, then it is a valid question why that might be? What else were you doing that did not allow you to participate in your school’s program. And if you do have research experience through the school’s program then that is nice to have, but not particularly impressive. That being said, at most schools in the region, nobody does any academic research. Coming from such a school without research background will not hurt you at all, however, if you are the first kid from the school to ever get involved in research, then that means a heck of a lot more. It is not whether or not you have done research before, but rather, what that means in context.</p>