Is the "fast-track" fast enough?

Applying to College
1

<p>I am a freshman that wants to go to MIT.</p>

<p>In 1st grade, my parents wanted me to enroll in a Waldorf school. Because the school was still starting, I had to wait until I was a year older to enter first grade, so I was one of those really old kids. Since 1st grade, I was always held back in English and math. In 6th grade, everything was review; the only new things I learned was that a circle was really a polygon in our world, and how to draw an accurate pie-graph. We didn't even re-learn how to calculate the area of a triangle until the end of the year; even later than initially in 1st grade. After 6th grade, I had had enough. I switched out of Waldorf school into my local middle school. I did not only test well enough to skip 7th grade and enter 8th grade, so I was only a younger 8th grader now (whew!), but also good enough to skip Pre-Algebra, and enter AP Algebra (my math teacher called it "AP" because it was a high school class in middle school. My first test were B's to B+'s, but by the end of the year, I was scoring 98%-100%. Our textbook: Amazon.com:</a> UCSMP Algebra, Volume 2: Chapters 7-13 (9780076159321): Susan Brown, R. James Breunlin, Mary H. Wiltjer: Books So I passed the class with flying colors, and entered honors geometry at the high school, on the fast-track plan. But at St. Marry's, a nearby Catholic school, the average math class was Algebra II for 9th graders; honors geometry is the lowest class [for freshman]. </p>

<p>The main point:
So I am wondering "Is it still possible to enter MIT only on the not-so-fast "fast-track" plan? Or should I strive to learn Algebra II honors over the summer? I think I could do it. Does it also help that I am Jewish, and I am 4/8 Russian, 3/8 Hungarian, and 1/8 German? Does it also help that I know Java and Objective-C, and can become somewhat comfortable with a new in about 3-5 hours, depending on the complexity? </p>

<p>Some other information:
Because I am a freshman, I do not yet have a cumulative GPA, so don't ask
Middle School grades:
The first trimester: 3.87 GPA (89% in math)
The second trimester: 3.87 (89% in math again!)
The third trimester: 4.00 (94% in math; phew!)</p>

<p>I appreciate the feedback!</p>

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<p>Freshman in high school?
Oh you have a long way to do go.
Stay on the track. Do well, involve in some extracurricular activities, do well on scandalized exams, and write great college essay (which is really critical for MIT admission IMO…)</p>

<p>Take rigious classes… You don’t need to have IQ 180 to enter MIT.</p>

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<p>Thanks. Any other feedback?</p>

4

<p>Don’t worry; adcoms generally won’t hold it against you if you’ve taken the hardest courseload available to your circumstances. If you’re really concerned, you should consider taking an online math course or summer course for credit to get ahead, then continuing your math studies with a local CC or reputable online course. For online options, I took some AP classes with FLVS and EPGY and they were decent courses.</p>

<p>Just a heads up: middle school GPA doesn’t mean a lot. Middle school classes were mostly based on effort. You could get by without having any intelligence if you were willing to put in the work. If you start taking some advance-level courses in high school (AP, IB, and maybe honors depending on the rigor of your school’s academic curriculum), you’ll start to have classes that actually require a threshold of intelligence along with efficiency and effort. Start learning good study habits your freshman year–they’ll really help you come later years when your workload is more challenging.</p>

<p>It’s good that you have a goal and want to ensure your success with that goal, but you should start with the first step (building good study skills) before you aim for something much further away.</p>

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<p>Thanks again! I have a very good freshman teacher that teaches very good study skills. I have found that study skills are just like evaluating an expression: they work if you follow the steps. I have a 97% in English+Global Studies, and people say that my teacher is very hard, so AP classes shouldn’t be a problem they say. My high school is in the top 3% in the US, so they offer plenty of rigorous AP courses. Grade inflation is high; the average GPA is 3.5. But can you please send me the link to those courses you mentioned?</p>