<p>@brown210 any tips on how I can get started?</p>
<p>Does anyone know when the decisions are coming out - like the exact day? I’m really nervous to find out if I got in. 
</p>
<p>@Ginnymills I do some coding myself. A great place to get started is codeacademy.com. Aside from that I would check out if your local library has any books. I would recommend starting with JavaScript as it is widely used and is a sister to C and many other languages. </p>
<p>@gpotter110 it’s been explicitly stated that the MITES staff are working to get decisions out within 10 days/2 weeks, so decisions should be out on or before April 25th. There is no exact date.</p>
<p>@ginnymills :;ke cps2015 said, codeacademy is great for programming (and web development). I’d personally start with java or C, or if you want to dig right into doing cool stuff without learning the same structure other languages use, try python. Python is super easy to learn and it’s not strict on how you implement things, unlike the other languages. If you go Java, use BlueJ as your compiler because it’s easy to use. To learn, watch some vids on youtube (thenewboston) and just start playing with things trying to do simple tasks. It’s really not as complicated as people make it out to be. The syntax/concepts are easy, at least at the elementary level, the key is PLAYING with code to get a hang of how the programming language works and its quirks. </p>
<p>@ emy I’m from Lee County. </p>
<p>@ brown, I took my state’s online course to learn java because my offer doesn’t even have a “comp sci program” (nor a physics class, grr…). However, I’ve learned Javascript, HTML5, CSS3, Python and C on my own and I’m learning PHP/MySQL right now. I started my schools comp sci club and we just do project Euler practice problems and other problem-solving type contests. My hook would be my programming (though, I didn’t emphasize that aspect on my application…), my officer positions (president of 2 and 3 other officer positions), or my interest in entrepreneurship (I’ve taken 5 business related classes at my local college & I went to a free enterprise summer program). HOWEVER, I failed to talk about all these things in my app outside of listing them as activities. I emphasized more on my story (lived in a foreign country for 8 years, separated from my dad for 4 years,stuff like that) and my general interest for problem solving. My deadly sin was forgetting to discuss the lack of opportunities in my school (i.e, no compsci or physics, a one teacher engineering [underfunded] department, ext)… </p>
<p>@Greenwave2015 That’s not too far away from me! I’m in Broward County.</p>
<p>@brown210 I believe what makes me stand out is me, my whole story. I believe that who I am as a person, what I do, and how I got to where I am today sets me apart from most. I don’t have any special hook like “World champion tennis player” (though I do love tennis) or a horrid background, but I do have my personality and my physical/intellectual capabilities to make me different.</p>
<p>@Nobody426 That is so cool! Go Indiana asians! we really could be twins 
AHHH now i wanna go to MITES and meet all these new people. </p>
<p>As for hooks, I dont really have many. In my essays, I talked about how I was shy in making a mentorship program for my school, but eventually overcame my shyness. And I also talked about how my parents opened a small Chinese restaurant in order to support my brother and me, and how they were both immigrants who escaped Communist Vietnam, but the strange thing is that we are not Vietnamese, they were Chinese people living in Vietnam. Anywayyy, I also talked about Science olympiad as my most important activity. </p>
<p>Ya know what, I’m just gonna say what I wrote in my essays.</p>
<p>Essay 1: (career goals) I talked about how I was undecided for a future career, but very eager to expand my horizons, etc… I think I really messed this one up, because I talked very little about STEM, and more about finding myself and learning about myself at MITES ):</p>
<p>Essay 2: Favorite activity is Science Olympiad----> fun, learning experience, lead my to science related careers, taught me teamwork when I was a very antisocial person.</p>
<p>Essay 3: (I think it was how my race affected me?) Chinese----> people expected more out of me than I realized. I trained myself to work hard to only not disappoint myself, but more importantly my teachers.</p>
<p>Essay 4: (academic challenge?) How I was anti-social, shy but wanted to start mentorship program for school, because I remember when I was so shy my freshman year. I talked about scared I was and how i wished that I had an upperclassman to lead the way.</p>
<p>Essay 5: (invention) I created an invention that would shot out OH radicals into our ozone layer/atmosphere and it would react with the methane and pollutants in our air and neutralize them or something along those lines. It was a while ago!</p>
<p>Essay 6: (Optional) I talked about my parents struggle to America, and how they knew no English, and how I want to pursue something like them. How they took a leap of faith, and now I want to too.</p>
<p>Overall, I think my essay 3, 4, and 6 were killer, because the essays were close to my heart. I definitely have to say my 1st essay was terrible, it was so choppy, and I’m worried that’s the one they really look into since its MITES and all and everyone’s saying they look to see if you are STEM material.</p>
<p>SORRY FOR THE LONG MESSAGE GUYS. I ramble when I’m nervous. and I’m nervous for these results!</p>
<p>@Fredsterboard ditto for me on the whole personality bit. I just feel I didn’t really have an opportunity to talk about it in my MITES essays because the prompts didn’t quite fit, so I’m hoping my counselor did that in her rec lol.</p>
<p>@luckystar888 Results will probably be out in another week or so lol - hang in there. Imo you had some pretty interesting essays! </p>
<p>edit: now that I think about it, I do have a couple of small “hooks,” but ECs and academics aside, my biggest hook, imo, is my apparent talent in helping depressed people. It’s just not really something I was able to mention in my MITES essays lol, but I’m quite proud of it all the same.</p>
<p>@emy cool! That isn’t too far from here. What clubs are you in? Our state has some pretty big conventions. I’m in TSA and Math Team (MAO) in regards to big state conventions. I’ve also heard YIG has a pretty big convention too.
@luckystar888, those sound really good! My first essay sounded like yours lol.
@ap, I’m on the same boat as you. I feel like there were some ‘hooks’ that I could have stressed more but just didn’t have room for. </p>
<p>Here were my essay topics for those who are curious</p>
<h1>1- undecided on what career to follow, however I did mention some of my interests/likely contenders with specific examples ( entrepreneurship/web development, AI technology/neurology, or aero/astro engineering) and I went in-depth into how MITES would benefit me. Also stressed my love for problem solving.</h1>
<h1>2 - Technology Student Association - how I went into the club when it was pretty much hopeless and how I have since taken the position of VP (and therefore project management - now president but too late to add to my app -_-) and how I solely run/started the candy shop that afforded us a working CNC machine.</h1>
<h1>3 - How my parents never pushed me to do anything because they only cared about me growing up to be a morally good person and how I realized this in high school and hence why I’m so proactive in finding and exploiting opportunities to make up for so many years of not taking full advantage of my potential. This is attributed to how in my country drug wars, terrorist groups, and lack of opportunities destroy people’s aspirations. (I lived through this as well - 8 years).</h1>
<h1>4 - transition from my country to here (change in language and culture) and how that experience has influenced my approach to life since.</h1>
<h1>5 - apparatus that analyzes your brainwaves and turns them into video format so you can make your own movies and stuff like that. Tied this to culture and opening up a new array of expression. I was really passionate about this idea!</h1>
<h1>6 - Didn’t realize this was a freebie, I thought it was used to underline special circumstances. I explained my high school’s GPA system. I could definitely have used this to explain the lack of opportunities in my high school… fail.</h1>
<p>It was actually my impression based on the wording that question 6 was only for special circumstances O_o</p>
<p>@Apdenoatis you should take an ap psychology class or something. It’s really fun :). I’m personally taking abnormal psychology right now in my college and I will be volunteering in the switchboard of Miami for suicide prevention next fall. And essay number 6 was either for special circumstances or anything you felt was missing from the rest of the application. I personally put equations I came up with over the span of a few weeks as my essay (I love math).</p>
<p>@Greenwave2015 I’m glad I’m not the only on who was undecided! I was really worried about that essay. And #6 essay, I’m pretty sure it said “special circumstances, optional info that you want admission to know, or something like that.” I took it as my special circumstance was my struggle in life–from the restaurant to school. I mean anything you write, they will read it, so it was good if you write anything to let them get to know you. </p>
<p>And everyone please talk about your essays! It lets the anxiety pass a little (: Plus I bet the MITES applicants next year will appreciate it.</p>
<p>Here’s a brief overview of my essays:
- I talked about my love for engr and how MITES emphasizes that by creating a pool of talented students who also share a love for engr. Kind of weak, IMO.
- Science Olympiad! Talked about how exciting it is to build, work in labs, and how it creates infinite possibilities that (ironically) quelled my fear of the future.
- Discussed aspects of both Korean and American influences in my life and why I’m not offended when someone refers to me as “2nd gen.”
- My recovery from a very rough HS transition at the beginning of freshman year and how the strategies I learned during the recovery influences me today.
- Wrote about an additional protein that would bond with collagen and elastin to provide superior resistance against bacteria from entering via the skin. It also has cosmetic effects too-the skin won’t wrinkle at old age with extra reinforcement.
- I didn’t supply any other information aside from the fact that my math teacher was away so I had to ask me former math teacher for a rec.</p>
<p>I thought my essays were moderately strong and definitely inferior to everyone else’s here! One thing I forgot to mention was that (I think) I have used all the resources I can get in my area to further my education in engr. also, since I don’t have any hooks I give myself a 2% chance. :P</p>
<p>I just got 4096! 
And should I just post the link to the google doc with my essays?</p>
<p>Just called the mites office and they said the results will be out before Tuesday,22nd april.They cannot give a more specific date</p>
<p>@fredsterboard it might not be the best idea to directly post your essays! Especially with college apps coming up, you want to really avoid giving others the chance to plagiarize…because who knows, people might steal your essays and youll be the one that gets hurt in the long run! </p>
<p>@Greenwave2015 I’m in HOSA but I don’t really go to the competitions. I really regret not joining MAO, but it seems like it’s too late to join now. Our MAO group just went to states this weekend though! They did pretty well.</p>
<p>Ahh ok. We went too, our Alpha [precalculus] team did really well. It was fun:P. </p>
<p>We don’t have MAO at our school this year (starting it up though for next year c: )
@sechukie you’re right, so here is a summary of what I wrote about instead.</p>
<ol>
<li>My passion for tinkering and building, how I love things ranging from relativity to quantum mechanics and the desire to apply these theories practically, wanting to go into aerospace engineering, and how mites can help me get experience in these subjects and engineering for the future. (good)</li>
<li>I talked about starting an FRC team at my school this year, all the work we’ve put into it, and all the memories I’ve gotten working on our robot. (good)</li>
<li>I talked about moving here when I was 8 from Portugal and the rough transition there. I then talked about going past my obstacles and going from trouble with english to now taking half college and half high school (all ap). (very good)</li>
<li>I talked about being bullied and how I escaped torment through my dreaming and imagination, inspiring me to build, learn, and think. (excellent)</li>
<li>I talked about a virtual reality projector in which the 3d projections are interactive (you can touch what you simulate) and how it could be used for designing, inspiring, and teaching. (very good)</li>
<li>I put a list of equations that I derived on my spare time and talked about my love for mathematics. (excellent)</li>
</ol>
<p>I put my personal ratings on the side on how well written each essay is (based on myself and other people’s reactions).</p>