<p>hey guys
i know that the app for 2010 is not up yet
but for those of you who applied for class of 2013, what essays/short answer questions were on the app? how many essays were there?</p>
<p>and also, when does the application come out?</p>
<p>^late summer</p>
<p>CAVEAT: The questions could be completely different this year, you realize.</p>
<p>But here are the questions from the previous year(s):</p>
<ul>
<li><p>We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. (This isn’t a trick question. We want to see how you bring balance to your life.) (100 words or fewer)</p></li>
<li><p>Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? (100 words or fewer)</p></li>
<li><p>Essay (around 500 words): Choose essay A or B. Essay A: Tell us about an experience which, at the time, really felt like the “end of the world” – but had it not happened, you would not be who you are today. Describe the process through which you discovered value in the negative. Essay B: Describe the world you come from, for example your family, clubs, school, community, city or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations?</p></li>
<li><p>On a separate sheet, show us and/or tell us about something that you have created. This can be, for example, a design, a device, and object, an idea or concept, a piece of music or art.</p></li>
<li><p>No admission application can meet the needs of every individual. If you think that additional information or material will give us a more thorough impression of you, please respond on separate sheets.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>@CalAlum - Was the “separate sheet” question required?</p>
<p>no, it wasn’t. only the first 3 were.</p>
<p>Those were the same exact prompts for the class of 2012 as well. I don’t think they’ll change them.</p>
<p>Is it more advantageous for me if I complete the “separate sheet” thing?</p>
<p>Do you have anything interesting to write?</p>
<p>The optional essays are there for you to utilize, if you have anything to say there. It won’t help you if you say something there just for the sake of saying something.</p>
<p>Just for the record, I think the second-to-last one was optional too. I left it blank.</p>
<p>For the second question, are they asking you to talk specifically about the program at MIT or about your interest in that particular subject area?</p>
<p>Uh yea another question thats kinda related to this</p>
<p>On the counselor recommendation, if you do not have a class rank (our school does not), what do they put for rank?</p>
<p>Do they put the percentile on the MIT application? I heard that, but some people told me when they put the percentile, they put only to the nearest decile (10%). Is that right? Because isnt that a little misleading? Lets say Im actually top 1%, but since theres no top 1% option, I would be classified the same as someone thats right on the 10% line? Or does decile mean, like 1.1%, as in decimal?</p>
<p>It might be too early to ask, but I just want to make sure because Im interested in applying EA.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Cicero: I think you just talk about the subject area. That’s what I and a few others did anyway.</p>
<p>@HiPeople,</p>
<p>If your school does not rank, your school counselor will leave that section blank.
MIT Admissions will look at your grades in the context of your school’s official profile and your course load and level of difficulty. </p>
<p>Don’t worry about it; many schools do not rank their students.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response.</p>
<p>But what if my school doesnt numerically rank but they do do the percentages ranking? I always thought that schools had to report percentages if they dont actually report the rank/total students. Is that usually reported or am I wrong? Our school does it by every percent (1%, 2%…) and not by deciles (like what people told me most applications-including the Common App and MIT’s application does it by), so that is why I asked the question–because it will be a little incompatible and really, really misleading (top 10% includes just at 10% and at 1%, and trust me, theres a huge GPA gap between #1 in our school and #2,#3… with the weighted grades, even though both are in the top 1%…so by just reporting GPA and top student’s GPA with only deciles, it will be misleading).</p>
<p>Its probably not that big of a deal in the overall context, but from what I hear, school ranking plays a bigger role than actual GPA in college admissions. And I just dont want someone to be mislead by a percentage becuase its a little ambigious.</p>
<p>So thats why I asked if the percentage ranking is usually reported by deciles (10%…) or every percent (1%, 2%…) on the MIT application. Thanks.</p>
<p>^^ All that schools are required to report on the secondary school profile are percentages for schoolwide unweighted GPA. To see how this looks, here’s a link to recent school profiles from a California secondary school that does not rank its students: [Homestead</a> High School: School Profiles](<a href=“http://www.hhs.fuhsd.org/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1231765762680]Homestead”>http://www.hhs.fuhsd.org/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1231765762680).</p>
<p>If you are so concerned about having the school counselor report your exact percentage standing at the school, make an appointment with your school’s counselor and ask that this be reported. I don’t recall what MIT asks for on the school counselor form, but rest assured, you’ll be able to view it soon when the application comes online this summer.</p>
<p>Bear in mind also that the teachers who write letters of recommendation on your behalf will have the opportunity to let MIT know how you stack up in the context of your school.</p>
<p>In my opinion, you’re asking the wrong questions right now. You’re fretting about the wrong things. “Why do I want to go to MIT? What stories/anecdotes can I share to demonstrate that I’m a great match for the school? Who could write letters for me that reveal strengths not evident anywhere else on my application?” *These *are the questions.</p>
<p>^Ya I realize my question isnt that important, but it was a technical question that I wanted to ask (it actually applies to all colleges, not just MIT, but since I saw this thread I just wanted to ask what was on it). Basically, I just wanted to see if there were any technical differences if one school weighted grades and the other did not (in terms of application). You answered my question, so thanks.</p>