Prospective high school student looking to apply to MIT, but am feeling unsure whether I should even apply [anymore].
I think I have some above-average stats beyond my grades: I have a 36 ACT, I am a national merit scholar, and I’ve had internships and job experience pertinent to my major. In addition, I think my interview went splendidly. But my achievement in the classroom is less than stunning.
Before senior year, I had a 4.44 GPA, 3.78 unweighted (not that great). I had received B’s and C’s in Algebra 2 as a freshman, but have shown an upward trend since then, ending junior year with an A+ in AP Calculus AB, and a 5 on the AP test. However, my senior year I wanted to challenge myself even more, so I decided to take two math classes (statistics and calculus BC, both AP). Unfortunately, I could not handle the rigor and ended up with a B in both of them.
I know senior year should be a reflection of your best work, the culmination of everything you’ve learned during high school. I fear that, by overextending myself at this final hurdle, I have reduced my chances of being admitted to a top school to 0 (and for MIT specifically, who emphasize mathematics and science grades, this would look especially bad).
What can I do now? What are my chances at this point? Should I even apply anymore?
I mean this nicely, I promise. Why would you WANT to? Valedictorians who got 5s without effort on BC Calc in junior year struggle at MIT. It’s known for being tough both to get in and stay in. Why set yourself up to be miserable for 4+ years? With your great ACT, etc you could get into another top-notch school where you’d thrive. Is money a factor at all?
If you want to get in, you need to stand out. Everyone who gets into MIT has stellar test scores/grades, so there is no way you can differentiate yourself in that regard.
However, what can make you stand out in the eyes of the admissions committee is your extracurriculars. What types of activities did you participate in? If you can present yourself as a unique individual with passions beyond just getting good grades/scores, then you have a chance.
I am not certain that Bs are a red flag to admissions, What is a red flag is the overall GPA, it doesn’t exacyly match your test scores. What is even a bigger red flag is that you are getting Bs in AP Calc BC and AP Statistics. That is just two math classes and stats is not exactly considered to be one of the harder APs. If those two classes seemed like a hurdle to you and difficult in conjunction with the rest of your schedule I am not sure the rigor at MIT is going to be a place where you would excel.
Its hard to say without knowing the rigor of your high school, maybe that GPA is outstanding. But if I were you I would be questioning if the two classes are too much to handle am I really ready for places like MIT.
Thank you to all that replied. If it is a question of rigor, I think I can handle it: my school is nationally recognized as a rigorous and STEM-concentrated public school. In addition, I’ve had to largely live alone since I was a freshman (explains the low grades). I’ve also interned at MIT before, as well, and know the rigor quite well.
This senior year, I was hired to be a software developer, which explains my low grades in the two maths.
I just feel like my grades have suffered too much due to too many external activities. Explaining all these circumstances just seems like I’m making excuses for slacking off (which I certainly haven’t).
Even with proper explanation in my essays, am I still a competitive candidate with my subpar grades?
I think you can be a strong candidate, but only if you present your application in the right way. Your strengths are that you interned at MIT and worked as a software developer. Very few other high school students will have been able to do these types of things. Make sure that you emphasize these two items and how they make you unique among all the other applicants. If you want to stand out, play to your strengths!
If you want to apply, apply. I wouldn’t “I might not get in” stop you. MIT won’t accept students who don’t want to be challenged, and here you are, challenging yourself. No one can tell you whether or not you get in, but we can all encourage you to do the best you can and show them what you got (just ignore the people who tell you to give up). Good luck
