I’ve been hearing a lot about how research competitions such as Intel STS and Intel ISEF are a big help in college admissions to top schools such as MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Harvard, etc. Can someone tell me if this is true and if just qualifying for Intel ISEF along with good grades and some other ec’s is enough?
ISEF/STS/Siemens etc help but are not “enough.” If there is one thing that is clear with that type of school, there is never anything for most people to do that is going to be “enough” to be sure of admission. Sorry. It is just that competitive now.
Please check out: http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways - it is an excellent excellent explanation of what I am referring to.