<p>How much does MIT, a more-tech-y school look at athetics?
I'm thinking about doing water polo (I've swam and played basketball for 5 years), which i'll definately make varsity, or cross-country, (I'm not as sure I'll get into varsity). But that's beyond the point. How much do they look/put weight into athletics?</p>
<p>Being an athlete is a great extracurricular, and MIT will be happy to consider your participation, excellence, and leadership on your athletic teams in your application. Athletics aren’t really any different from any other EC you could participate in as a high schooler, and a large number of MIT applicants have participated in sports.</p>
<p>MIT is a great college to play sports at. Most teams are D3 so the time commitment is there but isn’t overbearing. The compitition is quite good but obviously not D1. Even if you decide to not go the varsity route, the intermural programs are very good with several different levels (ie. leagues).</p>
<p>I am not an admissions person, but someone who can play a sport at a high level and maintain a MIT GPA shows me something. You’d also bring that to the MIT community which would be good. A good EC in my book. </p>
<p>Curious; OP, have you played water polo before? Wasn’t sure from your post. Not my sport of choice but was my son’s. Being a good swimmer is a great start to becoming a good water polo player, but not a given. Do try it though, great sport.</p>
<p>I haven’t before, but between life guard training and swim team we messed around a lot. I was pretty good, since I’m alright at basketball. Thanks guys!</p>
<p>What about those athletes of sports that are not played at MIT ?</p>
<p>@LionHeart365: If you’re wondering about playing a sport at MIT if it doesn’t exist on the varsity level, I’m sure you could find an already existing group of interested people who play the sport for fun, as is the case for rockclimbing or whitewater kayaking or ultimate frisbee.</p>
<p>As for how much that sport would help in admissions, I’m pretty sure it would be considered an awesome sportsy EC just like any other awesome sportsy EC. In other words, admissions would consider the time management and dedication that you demonstrated by playing a sport while still being exceptionally awesome academically. If there’s another sport that is tangentially related to your sport and <em>is</em> played at the varsity level at MIT (like crew if you did slalom canoeing in high school), you could probably contact the coach for that sport and get the coach’s support. I’ve heard that a coach’s support doesn’t particularly increase your chances, though, in the sense that MIT does not give preference to athletes in an effort to improve its sport teams.</p>
<p>Having the coaches support DEFINITELY helps. What it does not do is get a student admitted who otherwise would clearly not be admitted (as it does at many other schools). Keep in mind that some 84% of MIT undergraduates have participated in MIT’s extensive intramural program while on campus. So enjoying sport does not put someone into some esoteric minority at MIT.</p>