I'm a bad student! Chance me anyway!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>SAT: 2270 (800 math, 780 writing, 690 CR)
SAT-IIs: Just took, expected scores: Math Level 2: 750-800 SAT Physics: 700-750 SAT Literature: 700-750
AP: Biology 3, Chemistry 2, European History 2 (This year took: Calc BC, US History, English Language; expect at least a 3 on all of them, a 4 or a 5 on calc)
APs Next Year: AP Psychology, AP Physics C,
GPA:3.90 Weighted.
Freshman 4.1 Sophomore 4.0 Junior 3.6
Senior year expected: above 4.0; presumably 4.2-4.3ish.</p>

<p>Rank: School doesn't rank</p>

<p>Junior Schedule:
AP Calculus BC (through Stanford's EPGY)
AP US History
AP English Language and Composition
Religion III (I go to a Jesuit school.)
Honors Physics (Didn't offer AP.)
French I (Took honors spanish I and II previous years)
Drawing I and II</p>

<p>Senior Schedule:
AP Statistics; taking a few college-level math courses through EPGY on my own time
AP US Gov't/Economics
AP English Language and Literature
Religion IV
(AP Physics C through Stanford's EPGY)
French II honors (Maybe. I don't know)
AP Psychology</p>

<p>ECs:
Head of Design - School Newspaper (this year and next year)
Junior State of America - Soph - Senior year
Choir (freshman year, junior and senior year)
Theatre (In all productions so far; 1 fresh year, 2 soph, 2 junior, and presumably 2 senior)
(I have others, but I'm not passionate about any of them.)</p>

<p>Awards:
:(</p>

<p>Recommendation Letters: My English teacher is supposedly going to give me a good reccomendation; however, for a math teacher reccomendation, I'm in dire straits: I have taken courses from two math teachers at our school, and the only math teacher I'm friends with isn't one of them.</p>

<p>I am a white male.</p>

<p>The only thing I have going for me to explain the GPA problems: My mother died of cancer right before 9th grade. My father almost died of a heart attack end of 10th grade. And I was in a depression for the majority of 11th (although I'll probably not mention that, I don't think MIT wants students who have a history of depression)
(Yes I stole the layout from the thread right below me)</p>

<p>I don't think I have a chance, but I'd be glad to hear anybody say something that isn't 'high reach'. Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>sorry about your mom =[
yeah i think you have as much of a shot as the rest of us…although those ap scores are a little icky…just go for it and see what happens!</p>

3

<p>The AP scores are one of my weaknesses, yeah (along with GPA :< ). I was thinking about dropping Chem and Euro from my application… would that be bad?</p>

4

<p>yeah, lol don’t report failing ap scores obviously. just report the better ones. they let you self report on the application. you don’t even have to report them at all actually.</p>

5

<p>Hmmm … Why MIT? I ask because you look like a good, solid, well rounded student. I think of people who go to MIT as being very good science and math students with maybe not too much interest in areas outside that.</p>

6

<p>I really don’t have much interest outside of math/science; I’m looking for a school where many doors are unlocked for me in the fields of math, physics, and computer science. I’m passionate about Math; if I had known about it before this year, I would have taken the AMC. (WIll I have time to take it senior year before the decision is made?) Yes, I have some interest in politics and debate, but my passion lies in mathematics and the sciences. (I also love Drama but am willing to put that on a back burner for MIT.)</p>

7

<p>You should definitely apply. If MIT is your dream school and you don’t have to shop around for financial aid next year then you should apply early decision. I don’t know specifically about MIT but with other schools it helps.</p>

8

<p>Thanks!
What could I do to increase my chances at MIT? I know I don’t have the best chances right now… Is there anything (other than earn stellar grades senior year) that I could do to change that?</p>

9

<p>Do something no one else has done. Invent something, do something completely original. Specifically MIT loves that stuff</p>

10

<p>RE “will I have time to take the AMC this year before decisions”: It’s after the application is submitted and not long before decisions were made. I seem to remember scores came out this year after the admissions committee had been reviewing decisions for a while but <em>right</em> before they started making final decisions. I didn’t send in my score.</p>