MIT FAQ for application year 2009-2010

<p>You can find lots of information about arts groups at MIT [url=<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/arts/]here[/url”>http://web.mit.edu/arts/]here[/url</a>] (at the arts@MIT page) or [url=<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/life/music_the_arts/index.shtml]here[/url”>Are the Arts active on campus? | MIT Admissions]here[/url</a>] (at the admissions site).</p>

<p>Hey, I’m an Indian student from Dubai and I’m actually planning on applying to MIT this year. I plan on taking the biomedical stream. One of my English language teachers who has taught me for three years is leaving the country this year and has written a letter of recommendation for me. I want to know if I can send this letter to the admissions office as an additional supplement or one of the two letters that MIT requires as recommendation ? (since she wrote it recently, I think she may hve not included ALL the criteria asked in the MIT applications form regarding this issue).</p>

<p>Secondly, I studied GCE O levels from one school, and the A levels from another. I wanted to know if MIT would accept the school transcripts from grade 9 to 11 (and now grade 12 and 13 when I’m done) given that both these schools did not have the GPA system since they are from the British curriculum. </p>

<p>Thanks =)</p>

<p>You can send additional letters as supplemental information if you would like – there’s no limit on the number or type of supplemental information you can send, and many people send an extra letter as a supplement.</p>

<p>You could absolutely send the letter as one of your two recommendation letters, but it may be better to send two letters that address all the points MIT requests, and send your pre-written letter as a supplement. It’s up to you.</p>

<p>As for your grades, MIT is familiar with a wide range of international school systems. Your transcripts won’t pose a problem.</p>

<p>Ahh thanks alot</p>

<p>if a made a bad first impression on Matt a year ago, will he still remember…?
btw miss your blogs</p>

<p>Matt does have a pretty good memory (although he meets or emails with a huge number of students each year!). But he’s also a professional admissions officer, and he knows not to let a first impression irrevocably color his views about an applicant. :)</p>

<p>When you apply to MIT, do you need a </p>

<ol>
<li>myMIT account (I saw on the website that its for online applicants–most people apply online right?)</li>
<li>if you do, when are you suppose to register for it (applying for fall of 2010 EA)</li>
</ol>

<p>Can I register right now, in June, and still expect the account to work when I apply EA in October? Or do I have to wait until the new application comes out? </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>You will need a MyMIT account if you want to submit your application online, get your decision online, get your interviewer’s contact info online, and/or track your application components online.</p>

<p>You can register for it whenever you want – you could register now and apply in the fall with no problems.</p>

<p>Ok thanks.
Ive got one more question:</p>

<p>It will probably be self-explanatory once the app comes out, but for the AMC scores, do you know if they ask for 2 AMC 10, 2 AMC 12, and 2 AIME? Or do they ask for more? Can you include more, like additional tests?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>How formal do the essays have to be?</p>

<p>I’m not even sure if this is a prompt, but I’m writing an essay response to “Why MIT?” It’s pretty light-hearted and makes a lot of references to esoteric bits of MIT culture. It’s not informal to the extent of using emoticons or slang (or the like), but it’s probably not something I’d turn in for English class.</p>

<p>^Where did you already find the essay topics? I think thats fine that essays are informal. They are meant to express your personality. Infact, I will do the same thing when I write essays.</p>

<p>I didn’t find them, I just figured a “Why MIT” essay would be a good way to continue thinking about why I want to attend the school. Even if it’s not an official prompt, I think MIT uses the common app and so I could submit this as an essay on “topic of [my] choice.”</p>

<p>MIT does not use the common application. In past years, its application has 2 essay prompts (for the main essay); the questions have not changed for quite a couple of years so i imagine it will be the same this year too. For last year it was:</p>

<ul>
<li>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?</li>
</ul>

<p>If you want to write a “Why MIT” essay, you can just submit it as a supplementary essay.</p>

<p>^ Yeah I looked up the Common App’s member school’s and MIT wasn’t listed.</p>

<p>Not really related to FAQ for 2009-2010, but is MIT the only top 25 school not listed? I’m just curious to see what other schools do not use the common app.</p>

<p>Would MIT look at other solid math/science SAT 2s and scores from history if you feel that they represent you well?</p>

<p>No, MIT will only consider your top math and top science SAT II scores.</p>

<p>Don’t submit a "Why (Fill in School Here) Essay for the Common App. As I recall, when you submit the Common App to your first school, the application locks, and nothing can be changed. Of course, if you don’t mind filling in everything all over again, I suppose you could just register for multiple accounts.</p>

<p>if we’re sending an art portfolio, are we encouraged to send a recommendation by an art teacher along with it? </p>

<p>and thanks for the reply about Matt; it’s a relief.</p>

<p>You certainly could, but the art portfolio itself will be evaluated by art faculty, while an additional recommendation would be evaluated by the admissions office itself.</p>

<p>More info on submitting supplemental material is [url=<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_freshman_application/supplemental_materials.shtml]here[/url”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_freshman_application/supplemental_materials.shtml]here[/url</a>].</p>