<p>Hi, I wonder how much does making it to the finalist for Intel STS helps when it comes to MIT admission?</p>
<p>Does MIT like people who do well on Intel STS? Even if the person received a few Cs in history courses during freshman year, but improved to all As afterward?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>It will help a lot. I'm not an admissions officer, but I think the admissions committee will take a good hard look at you. If your verbal score on the SAT is good, that should help make up for it. Also, your english rec should help make up for it if it's good as well.</p>
<p>Definitely don't worry about the 'C's you got early in high school. If nothing else, it shows that you started out with reasonably poor work ethic, but then pulled yourself together and did very well. Definitely won't hurt your application.</p>
<p>Intel STS finalist is a nice addition to your application, but it doesn't guarentee anything. Read this</a> admissions blog post to get an idea of what they're looking for. Notice that "incredibly smart" isn't on the list. If a person absolutely brilliant, but doesn't show any of the other qualities, the admissions committee won't think twice about tossing the application directly into "cylindrical filing cabinet".</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I feel so inadequate now after looking at the Intel STS website. These kids must be geniuses!</p>
<p>Intel STS Finalist does quite a lot for your application but I personally think the true value to an MIT app is the time spent in the research lab, the hours spent mulling over the actual report and the discussions with your research mentors that add the "personal qualities" onto the app and truly make the application shine. </p>
<p>Same analogy holds for RSI: it's not really RSI itself that gets people into MIT but the stuff the applicants had before RSI.</p>
<p>STS Finalist helps a lot. My friend who got 2nd nationally was accepted everywhere he applied, despite crappy SAT scores. Finalist has to help...</p>
<p>i think that if you are absolutely brilliant, you will still be accepted to mit if you can show that you are absolutely brilliant. i know some people who are so smart, but a**, and they got into every school they applied to. you probably have Intensity and Curiosity in the area that you are absolutely brilliant in.</p>