<p>I once read one of the posts made by MITChris and I quote:
"As always, our international acceptances are out of this world good. They have to be."</p>
<p>Well this poses a bit of a problem, What do they define as "Out of this world good".</p>
<p>For Example, One assumption was that test score need to be perfect. Last Saturday I did my Math Level 2 Exam and it was a pretty bad day and while I won't be getting below a 750 at the same time I won't be getting an 800 (Which is probably the 88th percentile) Which is pretty bad considering the quote above. I know that MIT makes no difference between a 700 and an 800 when it come to math in Sat I. But this is the SAT II We're talking about and the difference between a 750 and an 800 might as well be 10 questions or 5 question ,considering the above internationals are supposed to get an 800 with relative ease.</p>
<p>I'm not sure whether I should sign up for another go on Math Level II. I'm sorry about my constant ranting but I should probably not ignore that quote if I were serious about applying. Thanks, any clarification especially from MITChris would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Being “out of this world good” is not achieved by having 2400 SAT I and 2400 total on two SAT II. It’s in another category of accomplishment all together. If you have accomplishments of a much higher level (e.g., Olympiads, Intel, patents, publications) then the SAT won’t matter. If you don’t have them, it won’t matter either.</p>
<p>International admissions are genuinely ridiculously competitive.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you think that your Math Level 2 performance was outside the range you could normally count on, and if you can afford it, you might want to take it again. It could help your applications other places.</p>
<p>Not meaning to be harsh, here . . . just that I think it is important for international applicants to understand the odds they are up against, and the level of qualification of the international applicants who are accepted.</p>
<p>@QuantMech I know that you’re not intending to be harsh and I know the odds I’m up against. That’s why i have several other options set aside. Well I do have a patent and a publication and I figured that if I were to be serious about applying. I’d give it my all. If I don’t get accepted I’ll never give a second thought but if I do, It’ll be worth every minute spent of the application. I still do not have an idea about the qualifications of international students who are accepted. I guess I’ll leave that for mit to decide since they know better. Thanks!</p>
<p>I have no connection with MIT admissions, but I have been “observing” their operations for a while (based on what’s available on the internet, so it’s a fairly shoddy type of observation). But I would say that with a patent and a publication, your application will not succeed or fail on the strength of your SAT II Math 2 score. It will depend on the other factors. MIT is not much interested in “perfection” of SAT scores.</p>
<p>More knowledgeable people can correct this statement if it is wrong in the context of the international pool.</p>
<p>Is it true that all internationals have to be Olympiad participants and winners to be considered?
Because these competitions are unheard of where I live and I’m sure other people who apply from my country haven’t won any of those awards. </p>
<p>If that’s the case I might as well save myself a few bucks and not apply :(</p>
<p>My list of examples (Olympiads, Intel, patents, publications) was not intended as a set of requirements. The examples should be joined by “or” in any case; and I am sure that a few international applicants are admitted who have none of those examples. But international admissions is hyper-competitive. The accomplishments of Americans who are admitted cannot be taken as a guide to the level of accomplishment needed for someone outside the US.</p>
<p>Also I suspect the competitiveness of international admissions depends on exactly what country you are applying from. If none of the people from your country have international awards then it is probably relatively easier to get in. Additionally, studying abroad in the US during high school is widely believed among Chinese undergrads at MIT to significantly increase odds of admission for internationals.</p>
<p>Another important factor in the international admissions is your gender. It’s a little easier if you are female. Almost all the guys from mainland China who didn’t attend high school in the US won some sort of international olympic awards. Some people got in with low SAT1 scores; I know one of them who didn’t even submit one.</p>
<p>My impression is that admission officers do want diversity among internationals which is one of the main reasons it’s harder to get into from MIT from some countries than others. I think the emphasis is more on how you performed relative to the opportunities available to you which is related to but distinct from how other applicants from your country performed.</p>
<p>I am a international EC. I see international students get in year after year and the overwhelming bulk of them do not have international Olympiad medals or the like. Indeed, the last international medallist from our region got in off the waitlist. Now, that may seem daunting, in that even a medallist cannot be assured of getting in, but from the other perspective, many, many other students, who were not medallists, got in instead.</p>
<p>Academic excellence is a necessary but not sufficient criteria for admission. Too many students do not demonstrate anything other than academic excellence. If you are not sure what you should be demonstrating, take a look at [The</a> Match Between You And MIT | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/match]The”>What we look for | MIT Admissions)</p>
<p>The key is that MIT is not looking for anything different from its international pool than it is from its domestic pool. There are simply fewer available openings per applicant.</p>
<p>Thank you Mikalye, that was very informative.</p>
<p>Since I’m coming from a different country, there are a lot of cultural differences and what’s considered good here may not be considered good in the US. For example, should I list “belly dancing” as an extracurricular activity? I come from the Middle East and I learned belly dancing from my aunt when I was little. I am an awesome dancer. But I’m having doubts about mentioning it because in the western world, belly dancing is associated with strippers and exotic dancers. In my country, however, it is an art and I am proud of my dancing abilities. </p>
<p>I am also an extroverted person with a lot of social skills who can make friends easily. I am going to list my interpersonal skills as the trait I’m most proud of. I don’t know if it’s a good idea since many people who are good at math are rather introverted. Where I live, being quiet and lonesome is a plus (I know it’s weird).</p>
<p>I’d really appreciate it if anyone could answer my questions.</p>