What is a T/O applicant?
Test optional
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I don’t see the reply from @emmithegoat as saying your daughter got rejected because she’s white. His/her use of the word diversity means a broad range–i.e. students from multiple states, gender spectrum, various talents, etc. Had he/ she put a comma after the word diversity, then it is not uncommon for people to assume racial diversity.
I am sure it hurts and a lot of posters are saying not to take it as a personal rejection. The elites have their own method to shape a class and there is just not enough room to take all the amazing, outstanding, accomplished, driven and super intelligent kids like your daughter. But things have a way of working themselves out and don’t be surprised if you and your daughter look back a few years from now and acknowledge she landed at the right place and everything is as they should be.
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well said. She sounds amazing and this process is random this year as soooo many applications and its comes down to an essay or rec reasonating with admit lead etc. She is going to great - there are many paths - to success - I went junior college to U of C and mom went Harvard triple dip (undergrad.law/business) - keep being an awesome mom!
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This!
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Sorry, I think my message was misunderstood completely. Thanks edragonfly for clarification. If it helps my DS was rejected, and was not expecting that. However, What I know about him is that he is so good at what he does he will be great wherever he goes and make his mark as he has already wherever he has been. And by diversity, by no means i meant color of the skin although that is one of may factors as well. If you have a stellar kid don’t worry about him/her not getting into MIT. MIT would have admitted another kid probably even less qualified academically because it fit their divers class requirement, whether its from a different state, or a unique talent they are looking for or a talent in athletics. They even cite an example where they rejected a kid who made a nuclear reactor in his garage on his own because he didn’t fit that year. I know it’s hard, but the odds are just too too low. You don’t have to go to MIT to be a killer female engineer!
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For everyone who got waitlisted/rejected just realize that this year was very competitive! For perspective, I was a Regeneron STS Finalist, ISEF Finalist, and Published author in the American Chemical Society (ACS) and was still waitlisted at MIT. I also had many good/unique Ecs like music, volunteering, graphic design, etc… This year was definitely super luck based, especially because of the increase in apps so just move on and take what you can!
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@littlerobot Your D will be an incredible adult, not only because she sounds like a brilliant young woman but because she has an amazing parent. Thank you for showing everyone how to be gracious, have a grateful heart and highlighting what is really important in life. I wish your D nothing but the best.
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milcurtis, It sounds like your D is a great student and that she will do well. But the tone that I read into your posts sounds quite bitter. My D, a few years back, did not get into the college of her choice even though we thought she was a lock. Turned out for the better. She went to a fantastic college and did well. She made many friends and got a great job when she graduated. I’m sure it will be the same for your D.
However: MIT does not admit by major but to the college. You are free to designate whatever major you want at the end of your freshman year. So your D expected major had NOTHING to do with the admission decision.
There were 33,000 or so applications this year compared to about 20,000 last year. The alumni, like myself, who do the interviews were somewhat overwhelmed. We tried to do as many as we could but there were some that didn’t happen. MIT does not hold the fact that she was not offered an interview against her. FYI, on a “normal” year I do about 6 to 8 interviews; this year I did 14. One I thought was fantastic. None of the students I interviewed were admitted. Disappointing to them as well as myself.
You say that MIT “got it wrong”. I say that they got it right. MIT admissions has always said that there are many more qualified applicants then they have spots for. Sounds like your D proves that point. You are correct in that MIT is not perfect!
In my career I worked with great engineers from just about any engineering school you can name. It is the hard work and dedication to their career that defines one’s success. I’m sure your D will do great wherever she goes.
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Agree. People graduate for non-MIT colleges need to make a living as well.
I don’t think any student should feel entitled or deserve to go to MIT. In fact, that seems in complete opposition to their philosophy. I bet the vast majority of those admitted feel incredibly thankful and shocked. I know my daughter does.
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Well said
I guess the real point I was trying to make to milcurtis is that he should be proud of where ever she ends up going to school. If he is presenting that tone to his D then she will pick up on it and it won’t do anybody any good. She needs to be proud of her college in order to do as well as she can.
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This.
The combination of a 66% increase in applicants and 120 less spots (than last year) can be lethal. I also saw Moppers get WL’d left and right.
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The in take number of students is less this year compared to last year?
That’s what I read. 1340 vs. 1457
I mean, I don’t think anyone was entitled to admission no matter what they accomplished. Certainly, I was unsurprised by my rejection and would have been absolutely shocked to get in. But I would still like to believe MIT was wrong. My biggest aim in life is to somehow contribute in a unique way to the things that I enjoy in a way that betters humanity. I will work tirelessly for that aim. And if I ever get to that point—which is what most colleges probably hope for in their graduates—wouldn’t they wish they’d admitted me and could have helped push me there? And if I don’t believe that I can somehow get to that point, then, well, I’m wasting a heck of a lot of time and energy. So that’s not a very comforting belief and not a very healthy one either. Maybe I’ll never do anything meaningful, but I know I won’t if I’m not firmly convinced that I can. Hence, I believe that I’m someone who MIT was wrong to reject, because I would hate to not believe that.
The problem is that the number of people that MIT was probably wrong to reject exceeds MIT’s total student population by a large factor. But you know exactly who you are. You’ve studied yourself for 18 years. MIT studied an application for 10 minutes—that’s the extent of what they know about you. So if you’re letting their decision change how you view yourself, that’s flawed. Not everyone who goes to MIT has an easy path to success, and many people who go to not-MIT end up at the top of their fields anyway, even if that field is a strength at MIT. If you know you deserved to get into MIT, then it’s not fair to say you’re wrong. I say go ahead and prove it. I don’t think you’re wrong; I think MIT was wrong to reject the vast majority of people in this thread. Please, make MIT regret rejecting you. Right now, that might feel like a form of vengeance, but it’s not, because by the time you manage that, you won’t be thinking about MIT anymore. You’ll be thinking about how you took the opportunities that life gave you, and achieved all of your dreams and are living a fulfilled life.
We all know ourselves quite well. We know how hard we’ve worked, we know how capable we are, and we know what we want to do with that capability. I choose to believe I am capable of doing something great, because nothing I do would be worth doing if I believed that I could never do anything great. So MIT should regret rejecting me, as they should regret rejecting just about all of their applications, because we all know that we can do something great that MIT would love to be associated with. Their brief scan of our applications certainly shouldn’t tell them that we can’t do what we, after living with ourselves for 18 years, know that we can do.
Congratulations to all admitted, and to those not admitted, I see no issue with resolutely reminding yourself that you deserved to get in. MIT will wish they could have accepted all of us when they see what we can become. Because we’re all great, and greatness shines at any institution.
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Well written and absolute on the dot perspective!
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I know that 2.2% is the admission rate for RD decision. Some people (see below) are taking the 2.2% as the admission rate for the class of 2025 and that’s very misleading. Everyone had an equal chance to apply EA. Honestly, the MIT admission rate for the class of 2025 is 4.5% (1500 / 33000).
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Well written and true!