Junior in High School; Want to go to MIT

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'm a Junior in an IB high school in California. I really want to go to MIT. Here is my resume:</p>

<p>Science Accomplishments:</p>

<p>USABO Semifinalist last year. Hoping to become one again this year.
Won many awards at regional science fair for past 4 years. Planning to participate and go to ISEF this year.
Science Bowl B team this year.
Currently interning at a lab in UCD. I have been doing this for the last 4 months.</p>

<p>Debate Accomplishments:</p>

<p>Won many awards at local and invitational tournaments freshman year.</p>

<p>Robotics Accomplishments:</p>

<p>Participated in FLL for 2 years. In 2nd year my team and I went to World Festival and won Teamwork award there.
2nd year of participating in FTC. Hoping to qualify to World this year.
2nd year of participating in VEX. Qualified last year to World and won Think Award. Hoping to qualify again this year.</p>

<p>Leadership & Community Service:</p>

<p>Founder and President of Chess Club at my school. Mentored various students and took them to chess tournaments where we had success.
Secretary of VEX Robotics Club at school last year.
Vice-President of VEX Robotics Club this year.
President of VEX Robotics Club next year.
Leader of the FTC Robotics team.
A committed volunteer at the Folsom Public Library and at the St. John's Shelter for Women and Children with over 125 hours of volunteering over the past 2 years.
Started and mentored a FLL Robotics team last year. Committed over 75 hours last year teaching and helping them. Committed a lot of hours this year also.</p>

<p>FBLA:</p>

<p>1st in Business Math at regionals
3rd in Business Law at regionals
Didn't go to states because of an external conflict last year.
Hoping to qualify to nationals in Business Calculations this year.</p>

<p>Chess Accomplishments:</p>

<p>Participated in many chess tournaments for the past 6 years.
Won numerous trophies and accolades at local, regional, and state level.</p>

<p>Math Accomplishments:</p>

<p>2011 Stanford Math Tournament: 2nd place in General Math, 1st in Team Test
2011 ARML Local: 4th in my division
I have done several Madelbrot and CML tests and have had success with them. I have gotten multiple 6s in the past two years and I have averaged a score of 5 out of 6 on the CML and a score of 6 out of 7 on the Mandelbrot.</p>

<p>Sports:</p>

<p>Basketball for 8 years.
Planning to play for school team next year.</p>

<p>Academic Accomplishments:</p>

<p>4.4483 Weighted GPA at an IB school (end of last year)
3.9655 Unweighted GPA at an IB school (end of last year)
On track to get Full IB Diploma.</p>

<p>Classes:
Freshman Year (3 weighted classes):
MYP English 4
Algebra 2
Honors Chemistry
P.E. (It was required otherwise I would have taken something else)
MYP French 1
MYP Honors World History 4</p>

<p>Summer between Freshman and Sophomore Year:
Health (required)
Pre-calculus A & B online at NUVHS</p>

<p>Sophomore Year (4 weighted classes):
MYP English 5
AP Calculus AB
Honors Physics
MYP Drama
MYP French 2
MYP Honors US History 5</p>

<p>Junior Year (Currently Taking) (6 weighted classes):
IB English 1
IB Math 3
IB Biology 1
IB Physics
IB French 1
IB Economics SL</p>

<p>Senior Year (Next Year) (6 weighted classes):
IB English 2
IB Math 4
IB Biology 2
Honors Biology (this should be a free period but I'll take a random weighted class instead)
IB French 2
IB Theory of Knowledge</p>

<p>I am very interested in biology and I love math and engineering and I am planning to go into bio engineering. Please tell me your frank opinion about my chances of getting into MIT. Please give me advice and tips while your at it. Please also give me stuff that you did that helped you get into MIT or you think might help you or me get into MIT. Thank you very much for your time and your comments.</p>

2

<p>test scores? ap scores? Without them I can’t make an accurate chance. If you need one.</p>

3

<p>I took the PSAT this year. Still waiting on scores. I still haven’t taken the SAT yet but am mostly likely going to take it in March. I’ll be taking Math II, Biology, and Physics subject tests in two months and all of the practice tests I have taken for Math and Bio, I have gotten 800. Still haven’t started prepping for Physics. I took AP Calculus AB Test and got a 5 on it last year. Taking BC Test and most likely AP Biology test this year and maybe AP Physics. Any other information needed? :)</p>

4

<p>FyodorMend67, do you have any recommendations for any competitions, activities, tests, etc. that I should do or take additionally?</p>

5

<p>I think that’s fine. To be honest, the SAT Physics is the hardest, but it has the lightest curve. Math II is not bad especially if you have a strong enough affinity for math. I’m saying this since I tool Math II and Physics this May and got 800 on both (790 Chem so close XD). A lot of what I’ve seen is math-based so I think from an admissions perspective they will focus on that a lot more, so I’d suggest trying for math olympiad. More so than your other stuff with FBLA. Either way, what do you want to do?</p>

6

<p>Ya I am going to study for AIME this year and then hopefully USAMO but last year I missed the AIME cutoff by 1 incorrect question! :frowning: I want to do something either in biotechnology or something completely medical. Math is a passion and I am good at it, it’s just I want to do something biology related as a career.</p>

7

<p>Assuming you do very well on your SAT (2200+, and don’t worry about your PSAT score, it definitely isn’t necessarily indicative) and SAT IIs, I like your odds, particularly if you participate in ISEF. You demonstrate commitment in your volunteering, you’ve got a nice array of science/math awards (amazing, by the measure of most every school that isn’t MIT), and your lab internship is nice. Now, of course, me liking your odds for MIT isn’t quite like liking them for, say, a good state school… but I think you have a considerable edge on the majority of the applicants. Unfortunately, you’ll need to edge out the vast majority to get into there… it can appear random from the outside looking in. More qualified applicants than you will probably be denied, and less qualified ones will probably be accepted. Focus on your essays, lock in some great teacher recs, and you’ve got as a chance as anyone-- in fact, a better chance than most. </p>

<p>But, though I’m sure you know this, I really encourage you to try not to become too attached to MIT; realistically, it’s all too likely to end in disappointment for anyone.</p>

8

<p>I’d agree experiadocet on the last statement. It’s better if you don’t get too attached on just one. And speaking of what was experiadocet was talking about, are their any hooks (such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic background, famous relatives, legacy, etc.) that will make you stand out? </p>

<p>Example:
I was a research assistant over the summer, and I’m a low-income (<20,000) URM with a single white mom and legally disabled father. I’m Merit Commended, am a National Achievement Semi-Finalist, have a 2270 superscore, self-studied 5 for APs (5’s on all) and an Aca Deca nerd gaining various local and county awards (sadly, my team can’t make it to state against others >:/). I’m an officer in a few clubs and have done work with theatre for 2 years and love to tutor crazy for free with math and chemistry.</p>

<p>The rub of admissions is that in some respect backgrounds such as race/ethnicity or socioeconomic background or even the quality of your high school give you an edge by portraying you as someone who, although not a 2400 SAT, IMO finalist, can hold himself against all the other qualified applicants, considering your difficult outside circumstances. Here I’m not trying to brag, but give you a different example of it in mind. I can’t stress this enough since I am considering the biomedical field or something similar along your line of pursuit. I bring this up, though, since if you were applying right now, what hook can you possibly stress that will make you stand out against me or another person?</p>

<p>If ok, think it best if you actually talk about such things concerning your background if you don’t mind posting them on here. That or pm or just don’t, we respect that. Just keep in mind how can you stand out? That is where I think is the most important part: stressing on something you like. Should you focus on your strive towards a biological career in your application or your love for math? Because I honestly believe you are more avid of a math person than so a biology person (just saying from an outside perspective and only ONE perspective.).</p>

<p>And lastly, relax. Junior year should be your busiest and most immaculate. Having stress over a chancing before you even have to worry about applying would be too tragic :)</p>

9

<p>Ya I really want to get into MIT but I do have good backup choices also. I am an Indian with no real big outside circumstances except for the fact that I am 1.5 - 2 years younger than all my peers in my grade level and this has reduced a lot of opportunities and scholarships for me. I do love math and am good at it but I do not see it as a good career for me in the future. I love biology also and I only started summer before sophomore year so that is why I don’t have too much bio stuff yet. Also do you guys think it is worth it for me to do Science Olympiad B team at my school this year (I didn’t get selected on to A team) and then I will have very good chances at A team next year. It is just that by the time teams are chosen next year, it will be early December and I can only say that I am on the team but we didn’t win anything yet! Should I do this or not?</p>