<p>I am an international applicant who applied to MIT for the class of 2010. I am in a problem and was hoping from a response form the CC Community.</p>
<p>So, my situation is this. I made my MyMIT account sometime in November, once I had finished with my SAT Subject Tests (Physics, Chemistry, Math II). Following this, I had my Sister's wedding, then the preparation for the December SAT Reasoning Test (my first attempt was disastrous!) and then a week long hospital affair (my eye problem at work!). Finally when I opened the account about a month later, the interviewer's contact information had been taken away! In a sense of panic, I talked to my School Counselor. She asked me to submit the App anyway and then wait for the interview request again. She said this was nothing to be afraid off!</p>
<p>Today when I opened my MyMIT account again, I again started seeing the Interviewer's contact information. Does this mean I can contact him now once the interview deadline has already elapsed?</p>
<p>I feel that it would unwise to contact my EC (he turned out to be the President of the Alumni Club of my region) now. I was hoping to submit an explanation for the lack of interview in the Mid Year Report that is now due. What do you guys (and gals) feel? Do you think this is the right way or do I actually call my EC and give an explanation to him? Is there anything else that I can do?</p>
<p>MIT values interview just so much more than the other places. This is what is stressing me out. International Acceptance Rate is already close to 3% and the lack of an interview will further lower it.</p>
<p>What is preventing you from just picking up the phone? You say that your EC is the President of the Alumni Club of your region. Wouldn’t you like to meet him? At the very least, he could answer the question you’re posting here.</p>
<p>When you contact him, I suggest keeping your list of excuses quite short. A brief mention of a hospital stay should be quite effective. </p>
<p>I’m not an interviewer; the expert on this board is Mikalye, who serves as an international EC. I hope he sees your question, but you should realize that he might not check here for a while. I’m the parent of a MIT student and a professor at another U.S. institution. My gut reaction to your post (whether this is right or wrong) is that you wish to avoid talking with your EC. Be aware that many MIT applicants manage to schedule interviews while working part time, studying for SAT tests, traveling with sports teams, and so on. Apart from the hospital reference, your list of excuses strikes me as somewhat flimsy. </p>
<p>Your EC sounds like a really interesting person, someone you should meet, no matter what happens with MIT admissions. After all, once you graduate from university and begin to seek employment in the real world, you will rely on your social network to learn about job opportunities. You never know how a single conversation can lead to something in the future. Don’t be afraid of it.</p>
<p>Hmmmm… I’m an international EC and I see the question, and I still do not know quite how to answer it.</p>
<p>The deadline for our interview reports to be at MIT has passed. So it seems highly unlikely that you can still get an interview. Further, the number of students who still in late January or early February who contact me and demand an interview is scarily high. So do not call expecting an interview. That being said, an EC serves a variety of purposes. He/she is there to assist you, to answer your questions about MIT, and to be a resource that you can call upon for all things MIT. </p>
<p>Although your mileage may vary, I would tend to send him an e-mail. In that mail, indicate that you are not demanding, or even expecting an interview, but would like to talk to him about MIT and see what happens. Keep in mind that his inability to submit any report that helps your application at this point, also represents his inability to submit a report that hurts your application at this point. He may be able to get your interview status changed to L (Applicant contacted the EC too late to schedule an interview) which is a lot better than N (Applicant never contacted the EC at all), but again don’t demand that he do this. Every year some international applicants get in with an N. Good luck with it.</p>
<p>Thanks ‘CalAlum’ and ‘Mikalye’ for the wonderful posts!</p>
<p>Quite honestly, I am scared of my EC. He is from the '69 batch. So, he is way old and scrupulous than I am. Who knows what he will do? I just feel like killing myself for not being at work when it was required.</p>
<p>‘Mikalye’, do you think it would be a good idea to actually write an Email to him knowing that he would most probably bash me!</p>
<p>I tried contacting my EC and he even responded to my Email. But, he says that he is out of the country till March 20, 2010 and I can contact him again when he comes back to the country.</p>
<p>Would it now be a good idea to explain my personal circumstances for not having an interview in the MIT Mid Year Report? Do I mention the fact that I tried contacting my EC but he is out of the country?</p>
<p>Hmmm you should definitely explain the situation to MIT( I myself had to go through 3 ECs- all of whom were outside my country at the point of time- before they assigned me one who was ready).
So don’t lose hope-MIT considers your situation.=)</p>
<p>Since the deadline is strict, and MIT has a very scientific way of working, missing the deadline for so long without explaining or waiting for the EC’s information to show up though the deadline has passed might be judged to be an unscientific behavior. However, because your counselor told you to wait, I think you should explain the situation (stress your counselor’s role, but don’t speak like blaming him/her). They might tolerate the mistake which wasn’t made by you. Though they might have bad opinion about you, I think it won’t be as bad as doing nothing to set up the interview. Anyway I’m just an applicant, so don’t rely much on my advice.</p>
<p>The local USIEF authorities (I am an international applicant) also put forth the same advice as my School Counselor! I was shell shocked to be told by the lady at MIT Undergraduate Admissions Office that the deadline had passed! Would they still hold me responsible for the goof up?</p>
<p>^ I’m not sure about that. You share the responsibility with your counselor, because it was you who decided not to follow the official instruction. However as Mikalye said, the L interview status is still better than the N one.</p>
<p>‘12npm12’, would they not consider my application at all without the interview or would they be skeptical about admitting me assuming everything else is great?</p>
<p>Hey ‘12npm12’, I get the puzzle thing! Thanks for the link!</p>
<p>So, everything that had to happen has happened. I still have the Mid Year Report with me. This is my last chance to give an explanation for being remiss.</p>
<p>‘12npm12’, what would you have done if you were in my shoes?</p>
<p>@harvard17: If I were you, I would explain it right away with an excuse like “though I know it’s too late to conduct an interview, my trying is for a full experience of MIT application, as I believe I am ready to enjoy any challenges blah blah blah” Just don’t try to be pitiful as if you desperately want to be in that 10%-admitted group. Show them something greater. @kenhungkk: MIT is just as imperfect as human always is :)</p>
This may help:
Just don’t try to be pitiful as if you desperately want to be in that 10%-admitted group. Show them something greater.