MIT MITES @2015

<p>@seal16 as a girl engineer, I think you do qualify as a minority</p>

<p>a minority coul also be considered someone from an unrepresented background, not necessarily someone of a specific raise. For example, someone who grew up in the projects could be considered a minority.</p>

<p><em>race</em></p>

<p>SO does anyone know how selective MITES is? I am considering MITES, RSI, or Stanford Medicine program… Could anyone compare their selectivities? I am from Alabama and have some awards like USAJMO qualifier and USNCO top 150… Can I submit SAT IIs also?</p>

<p>@seal16‌ Minorities usually are URMs, so yes based on your ethnicity. I believe females pursuing engineering is not a minority per se. Its a slight “hook” if you will, because it would add diversity.
@jhgong‌ no I dont believe they look at SAT IIs. Its SAT, ACT, and PSAT. They say that they will accept up to jan SAT scores! So happy about that!</p>

<p>@PoisonIvy20‌
How selective is MITES though? Is there statistics I could find somewhere?</p>

<p>The PSAT stats aren’t too selective, usually around 60’s for CR and W and a 68 for Math, but overall there’s usually 80 students accepted out of 2000, so around a 4% acceptance rate. A lot of emphasis is based on essays I think, most people who apply are probably going to have really good grades and scores anyways. Being an ethnic minority should probably increase your chances of getting in. I have no idea about how many non minorities actually apply to the program, since the program accepts a few every year.</p>

<p>I hope minority doesnt apply soley to URMs…</p>

<p>E2@MIT 2014 alumni here. Don’t worry about the minority label in “MITES”. Generally URM’s are highly represented in these programs (MITES especially, MOSTEC not so much), but you shouldn’t not choose to apply just because you’re some ethnicity and/or some gender. I’m everything BUT a minority. At E2@MIT, some people I met jokingly asked me, “How did someone like YOU get in?” I would just respond, “Essays.” As long as you shine in your essays, they will see beyond the labels. </p>

<p>Thank you @Existentialized‌ . Since I plan to apply to a few other programs I am trying to have number of essays under control. I am primarily interested in MITES, but since it has “minorities” in the name, it is probably aimed toward minorities. Just wanted to check with alumni if any no-minorities got in.</p>

<p>@Existentialized it’s so great you found our thread!!! As a MITES alumni, could you give us any tips for our applications, some trends you saw among the students who got accepted, your experience in the program, etc.?</p>

<p>Also, could you tells some of the things that helped you get into the program, such as your extracurriculars, junior year schedule, awards, etc.?</p>

<p>I’ve gotten plenty of questions about the experience and the essays. I’ll post all my answers to your questions here, since I think it’ll benefit everyone–lurkers and posters alike.</p>

<p>After I was admitted to E2, I actually had pretty high expectations going into MIT this summer… because c’mon it’s MIT! And I gotta say by the end of the week, they surpassed every single expectation I had. The people made it what it was. It’s amazing to meet people from all over US–from the secluded state of Alaska to the small island of Puerto Rico. You’d think that people from different parts of the country would have their differences, but then you remember that everyone shares similar passions–passions in STEM. It was surprisingly easy to relate to everyone. Most of us stayed up until 2 AM every night in the lounges of Simmons Hall, not because of our work load, but because we felt that if we had slept, we would have wasted the limited time we had. So we shared stories, played card games (CAH), sung songs. What I’m trying to say is that everyone was really social and extroverted.</p>

<p>Then there are the instructors, alumni, career speakers, and professors. They were all so talented in their distinctive ways and really willing to help you out. I’ve never felt so spoiled.</p>

<p>The classes were all amazing. I won’t disclose too much. It’d be tantalizing (almost cruel) if I spoke about the greatness of the program before y’all even applied. But just letting you know, it is SO worth putting your efforts into your application for the chances of admission. </p>

<p>Like I said, essays are the tickets to admission. There is no formulaic approach, but I think I have sense of what OEOP wants. They don’t want robots. Show flare in your life through your essays. In other words, be specific! Write about experiences that distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicants. You should also aim for what I call “flaming sincerity”–let your words persuade them that you’re being brutally honest. Show drive. They want students who know what they want to do and seek to make an impact in the world–essay 1 and essay 5, respectively. As for tone, go with what makes you the most “likable.” Refrain from writing English essays–no saucy vocabulary or convoluted syntax. I’d go for a quasi-formal conversation with the reader.</p>

<p>The fact that many of you have found this program so early already says a lot about yourselves. I actually learned about MITES in January, but I knew I really really wanted it once I stumbled on it. Just be sure to show them you do too.</p>

<p>Do you have to be interested in engineering? I am really interested in medicine but I want to see if I get in, I might get advantage of using MIT’s facility and see how I would relate such an amazing facility to medicine. I hope MITES is not just an “engineering” program.</p>

<p>Wow. That was a great answer @Existentialized! Thank you so much for the help.</p>

<p>Would I be penalized for submitting SAT in February? I think I got 220s on PSAT but I think I can get 2300s on Jan SAT… Does anyone know if that would harm my chance?</p>

<p>Another prospective applicant here! Have you all finished your essays/gotten recommendations/etc? I just want to see how behind I am haha</p>

<p>@Slytherclaw12‌
It came out less than a week ago lol I 'd revise your essay as much as I can haha</p>

<p>Secured my recommendations, just waiting for them to be completed by my teachers. Sadly, I haven’t started my essays yet, but I plan to start, maybe this weekend. Everything else on the app except test scores are done. :)</p>

<p>Hey guys! MITES 2014 alum here. I’m honestly super excited that you guys already have a thread going. Reading this reminds me of the stress and worry when I applied to this program last year. First, I’d like to say that your essays are so important. There are tons of applicants with excellent standardized test scores and qualifications, but your essays are what will help you stand out the most.</p>

<p>During MITES, I learned that how you express yourself in your essays is incredibly important in being accepted. They seriously want you to be yourself when writing your essays. Be unique and honest; don’t generalize your essays. They want to see what you’re passionate about. I agree with @Existentialized
This might sound crazy, but I started my essays right when the application can out! I seriously spent months on them.</p>

<p>Also! MITES isn’t strictly “engineering” @jhgong
Students from MITES go on to do a variety of things. I know someone from MITES '11 that went on to study both Italian and medicine at Brown.
To answer your other question, you can turn in your scores after the February 4th deadline. I believe the latest scores you can send are from the January standardized test dates.</p>

<p>Although no one specifically asked, I recommend sending in all of your tests, whether it be PSAT, PLAN, SAT, or ACT. It won’t hurt by giving them the scores you have now before you take your December or January standardized tests.</p>