MIT Chance?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi there!
I am currently a junior attending North Hollywood High School Highly Gifted Magnet.
I really want to attend MIT but I'm just worried if i'm not qualified enough for it.
Here's a list of what i had done so far. </p>

<p>SAT Score:
(Before 9th Grade) Math 800 Writing 730 CR 610 - 2140
SAT Subject Test:
Math II 800</p>

<p>AP Score:
(9th) World 5 Calc AB 5
(10th) Calc BC 5 (AB subscore 5) Euro 3 Physics M 5 Physics EM 4
- AP Scholar with Distinction</p>

<p>GPA
(9th)
1st Sem -
AP World: A
AP Calculus AB: B
English Honors 9: A
PE: A
Spanish Honors 1: A
Drawing: A</p>

<p>2nd Sem -
AP World: A
AP Calculus AB: A
English Honors 9: A
PE: A
French Honors 1: B
Drawing: A</p>

<p>(10th)
1st Sem -
AP Calculus BC: A
AP European: A
AP Physics C: A
Spanish Honors 2: A
PE: A
English Honors 10: B
Bio Med Tech: A</p>

<p>2nd Sem -
AP Calculus BC: A
AP European: B
AP Physics C: A
Spanish Honors 2: A
PE: A
English Honors 10: B
Bio Med Tech: A</p>

<p>(11th) Classes I'm taking right now
AP English Lang
AP Biology
Spanish Honors 3
Discrete Mathematics
AP Psychology
APUSH</p>

<p>(10th Grade)
AMC 10A: 117 - Distinguished Honor Roll (recognizes approximately top 1% of scorers in the nation)
AIME: 4</p>

<p>EC:
Magnitude - School Newspaper/Magazine
Chief Fiction Editor - Edit and revise submitted fiction stories and evaluate qualities of the stories. Decide whether or not the story should be published. </p>

<p>Duke Moot Court- Contest held in Duke University
Essayist, Competitor - Qualified for the competition in Duke University through essay. Debate competition arguing for and against a case depending on the round. Team made it to Semifinals. </p>

<p>Hugh O' Brian Youth Leadership Conference - Selected people get to represent their schools in a state wide and nation wide seminar.
Ambassador - As an ambassador for my school, I had a chance to represent my school in a seminar in Southern California. I was also selected to represent Southern California in a nationwide Seminar with people from Taiwan, China, Iraq, Argentina, etc. </p>

<p>First Robotics Team - Participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition
Builder - I get to help build the robot that will compete against other robots in the competition. </p>

<p>San Jose Elementary Science Club - A club made to help help elementary school kids to learn science and spend their friday nights productively.
Founder and President - I founded this club to help kids at my local elementary school to prepare them for a science competition. This year, the school got 1st place. </p>

<p>Los Angeles DeaFestival - A Festival for Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing to gather to learn and have fun.
Interpreter and volunteer - I helped translate ASL to English to people who needed translation and help with communication. I also volunteered around booths. </p>

<p>School on Wheels - Program in local homeless shelters to tutor children
Tutor - I help tutor two girls in Science, Math and English.</p>

<p>Global Youth Mission - Go on volunteer missions.
Volunteer - The last trip I went to was to Tecate, Mexico to help a church with passing medical supplies and bread. </p>

<p>I plan to retake the SAT and take the PSAT soon. I am aiming for a 2350 and above 230. With that, I am planning on SAT Subject Tests for US History, Biology, Chemistry. I am also going to take the USA Biology Olympiad Open Exam and hopefully get to Semifinals. I am also studying for AIME to get into USAMO. I also hope to get straight A's this year. Furthermore, I have been working on an art portfolio that I am planning to send with my college app.
If I reach all my set goals and with the EC's and all the stuff I have, what are my chances of getting accepted into MIT? What do I have to work on? Is this enough? Help!</p>

2

<p>Great qualifications! But MIT is practically a “lottery” application for all. More than 90% are rejected. So keep it on your list. But start working on a well rounded list of schools.</p>

3

<p>Uh, your SAT is kinda low… MIT honestly doesn’t care <em>that</em> much about CR, but it’s still pretty jarring. Don’t retake the PSAT. Nobody cares about that. If you get into USAMO obviously your chances go up significantly, but it’s still like a 50% shot for people who make it to the round after that. If you get into Bio Olympiad, again your chances do go up. However, if my memory serves correct, semifinalist is… two tests in? It’s not a huge deal, it’s just another piece of the application. </p>

<p>It doesn’t look like you have any major awards but you’ve got a solid application otherwise. I’m not sure how I feel about the random Bs on your report card, it probably won’t make or break you because only one is a math class, but it’s still not optimal. MIT doesn’t really care about the art portfolio because… it’s MIT >.> </p>

<p>Meh, you have a shot, it’s just not a great one. I say pretty low reach just because of how many kids who apply with a ridiculous focus on math/science already. If you’re applying as an English major or something your chances do go up though.</p>

4

<p>Thank You very much for your reply!
Just wondering, do you have any recommendations for a person in my situation?
You already mentioned SAT score and USAMO but I was wondering if there was any other competition or activity you know of that can further set me apart from other applicants and increase my chances?
What should be my primary focus?</p>

5

<p>If you can do something absolutely ridiculous in the next few months, then go for it. Um, off the top of my head, interning for a congressman always looks good, holding student office/any kind of office in a nationally recognized club is always good, doing a major community outreach (eg organizing people to go vote for a certain issue) is good, basically anything that says you care about things outside of school and that you make an impact on the world around you.</p>

6

<p>Definitely go for the PSAT. It is the junior year that counts. It may be not important for MIT, but you should not let go of an easy honor.</p>

7

<p>I agree with most of what LILBDABASEDGOD said, but also with billcsho. Take the PSAT’s if you have the bandwidth for it. Why not, unless you don’t have the time and energy. </p>

<p>Do something out of the ordinary for the summer in between your Jr. and Sr. year. Go to a foreign country and help construct an orphanage, attend a math camp (preferably at MIT!), etc. It’ll be something you can at least one short personal essay about.</p>

8

<p>“I am also studying for AIME to get into USAMO.”</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>As of right now (or even with 2350 and 800s): Reach to high reach</p>

9

<p>Thanks!
I’ll need all the luck I can get!
Also, do you think MIT would be a reach to low reach if I actually get into USAMO?
How much will my chances will improve if I make it?</p>

10

<p>chris - Try not to get fixated on MIT (or any one school). There are many great engineering schools. Keep up your grades and enjoy high school while you can.</p>

11

<p>Making USAMO definitely gives you an edge. I made the USAMO once and got into MIT but was rejected by Caltech, so obviously it’ll be a reach school regardless.</p>

<p>You should also look into other schools in case you don’t get accepted. It’s perfectly fine to have MIT as your top choice (it’s the best!) but apply to some other schools as well.</p>