Hi,
In Junior year, I self studied Physics C Mech and E&M and BC calculus (and got 5’s on all 3 AP exams) when both classes were Senior only. How much would this add to my app in the eyes of MIT adcoms? Thanks
Schools prefer that you take the class opposed to self-studying, but since there was a limitation, I guess it’s ok.
If you’re not taking those 3 classes senior year, then what are you taking instead?
@rdeng2614 I am taking Multi variable Calculus (Calculus III) and Honors Modern Physics
That you self studied and got 5s is impressive. Perhaps you can get your college counselor to mention this in his recommendation.
That’s good as you continue to take rigorous courses even after you self-studied. Self-studying shows initiative and a thirst for knowledge, but I specifically saw something where it said that top schools are not impressed by self-studying AP’s.
Great job though. Those are difficult courses to self-study and to get 5’s on all of them is pretty amazing in my opinion.
OK thank you @rdeng2614 do you have the source for colleges not caring about self studying?
Sorry, I couldn’t find the specific source, but after reading some previous posts on here, self-studying “random” AP’s is not very good.
Your situation is different as you weren’t able to take the courses, so you self-studied them, and then senior year, you decided to take even more advanced courses to pursue knowledge in Math and Physics.
MIT isn’t impressed by you taking 3 AP’s, much like how they are not impressed by someone being President of Math Club. You have to show your interest in Math and Physics in other ways (research, science fairs, competitions) for your app to really stand out. That’s not to say self-studying is a bad thing, it’s just saying that self-studying 3 AP’s by itself is not enough to move the needle considerably in admissions.
@rdeng2614 would self studying 18 AP Tests and getting 5’s on all of them and all of which (except 2) couldn’t be taken by me in the year of me taking the tests be impressive to the adcoms (I am an AP state scholar)?
I do.
Last year, I went to an Exploring College Options event, which had reps from Harvard, Stanford, Penn, Duke, and Georgetown, among others. During the Q&A, someone asked, “What do you think of applicants who self-study for additional AP’s over and above the AP classes they take?” One rep responded, “Please don’t do that. We’re not impressed by that.” The other reps all nodded.
@skieurope In my case, almost all of the subjects i took the tests for were subjects that my school did have an AP class for (like Honor Chemistry not AP Chemistry)
@yesman678, It appears that you have placed all of your hopes in one basket based on all of your previous posts for MIT only. You are already assuming that you will be guaranteed admission to MIT just because you keep piling on the AP classes. MIT is impressed by what you do outside of the STEM core.
If all you do all day is study and take tests, you will be rejected. That school, in particular, wants people who are smart, but also involved in their passions, within a community environment.
Your tribal number affiliation will get more notice than anything you are doing to insincerely impress the adcoms. Because it doesn’t sound as though you’ve done anything with your tribe, it is a red flag.
My son was waitlisted at MIT and didn’t pursue it further because he had already been admitted to his west coast schools. He had his MIT alumna interview in our neighborhood, so the interviewer was familiar with the local charities, events, and activities.
The interviewer had local newspaper clippings/ print-outs with our son’s activities (photo with congressmen/women on son’s charity projects; photo as winner of prestigious local engineering scholarship; article on local NM winners: things which our son hadn’t even included in his common app, nor submitted). The interviewer asked about son’s community involvement activities and kept the focus of the interview on those activities.
You can hope, but you had better have some safeties. Your GPA isn’t helpful since you will be in classes at MIT; not sitting in some corner self-studying.
MIT, like all colleges, has the expectation that applicants will pursue the most rigorous course of study available at their schools. If AP classes are not available, MIT will not expect you to take the exams. AP exams are not the equivalent of an arms race whereby the one with the most wins. Self studying an AP course because you have a thirst for knowledge is admirable; studying it to potentially earn college credit makes sense. Doing it to “impress” MIT or any other school, is folly. To quote [MIT](http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/on_aps_1):
^^^^^@Skieurope is dead-on accurate.
Heed his advice.