<p>Looking through this thread, I noticed that MIT actually states what type of teacher they would like for college recommendations. I asked my AP Calc teacher before school ended already so would MIT not accept a math recommendation? What about language? Would that be considered humanities?</p>
<p>Yes, the math teacher would be fine. MIT asks for one math or science teacher, and one humanities teacher. And I’d count the language teacher as a humanities, so that’s fine as well.</p>
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<p>Should this only be done in special circumstances, or is it not uncommon to have three recs? I’m not sure how good my math/science rec will be, but I know two humanities teachers from whom I would expect great recs (from different perspectives – they wouldn’t be saying the same thing). Would it be a good idea to get recs from all three?</p>
<p>From Matt’s blog, [here](<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):</a>
So, it’s up to you – you’re free to send an additional recommendation, but it’s really only going to be useful if it shows something different about you than the other two recommendations. If you feel your extra recommendation will show something about you that isn’t well-explained elsewhere in the application, then, by all means, send one.</p>
<p>With regard to letters of recommendation, I’m uncertain as to what exactly is considered part of the “humanities”. More specifically, is foreign language considered a humanity?</p>
<p>My general rule of thumb is that a teacher teaching a subject that would be contained within MIT’s School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Science, were it held at MIT, is acceptable. Foreign Languages and Literatures is within the SHASS, so by my rule, it would be fine.</p>
<p>[MIT</a> School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences](<a href=“http://shass.mit.edu/]MIT”>http://shass.mit.edu/)</p>
<p>If you submit an additional recommendation and in the adcom’s eyes it doesn’t add anything significant to your application, can it hurt you at all?</p>
<p>It doesn’t hurt you, at least in the sense that the admissions officers won’t get angry with you and decide not to admit you because they feel annoyed. But I think it does hurt in the sense that you’ve lost an opportunity to present the best, most directed, most informative application that you could.</p>
<p>Hi Molly,
I’m an alumna (class of '87) and mom of a would-be student. As I understand your advice re: recommendations from a humanities teacher, my son should pick a teacher who teaches in a field that is taught by the School of Humanities. My son has had particularly good experiences with teachers in AP Economics and AP Psychology. Should he ask the AP Econ teacher for a recc instead of the Psych teacher (since economics is in the School of Humanities and psych is not)?
Thanks.</p>
<p>I just sent Matt an email asking for clarification, so I’ll post here when he responds.</p>
<p>Psychology classes do count as HASS classes even though they are under Course 9. Personally, I would choose the psych rec.</p>
<p>If I have a research mentor who’s submitting a recommendation that’s not written in English, who should translate the recommendation?</p>
<p>You should, but include the untranslated original as well.</p>
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I emailed Matt, and he confirmed that this is just right. (Yay me!)</p>
<p>megmno, I also specifically asked if econ or psych would be okay, and he said either would be fine. As Piper mentions, although psychology classes are taught within Brain and Cognitive Sciences, they count for HASS credit, so they count under my rule. :)</p>
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That’s good to know. Thank you very much.</p>
<p>Is it true that EA admission% is just as same as RA?
if then, wouldn’t it be better to apply regular since EA pool is ALOT harder?
thnx and when is the application gonna be available?</p>
<p>EA is pretty self-selective, and therefore probably harder to get in. The thing is, if you don’t get in EA, you’ll probably be deferred to RD where you’ll have the same chances as if you’d applied RD to begin with. So if your app is ready before the EA deadline, no harm in applying early.</p>
<p>You’re not going to get rejected EA if you would’ve been accepted RA (you’d get deferred to regular admissions). In my opinion, if your application is ready by EA, might as well apply EA.</p>
<p>Overall, a larger percentage of people who apply EA are accepted – last year, 540 students were accepted EA, then another 299 EA applicants were accepted during the RD round. 1057 RD applicants were accepted. So the total number of EA and RD applicants accepted are roughly equal, but more people apply RD.</p>
<p>In the end, the timing of your application will not be causative for your admission. MIT doesn’t lower their standards for either EA or RD applicants.</p>
<p>We don’t know yet when the application will be available. It’s usually available in mid- to late August, but Matt told me in an email that it may be out a little later this year.</p>
<p>Last year I know that the application came out on Monday the 4th, which, judging by Mollie’s post, is earlier than usual. Already it’s later this year than last year, but perhaps what Matt meant was just that it would be out later this year than it was last year, and not later than it usually is? (Just acknowledging a possibility; I wouldn’t otherwise question your information, Mollie.)</p>
<p>With a bit of twisted logic, therefore, I’d say that it might come out on the tenth this year. Or, it might come out later than that: I have no secret information source so your guess is as good as mine.</p>