MIT Undergraduate - A Dream ?

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>Hey Everyone,</p>

<p>I'm from India, just finishing off my 12th from ISC Delhi.</p>

<p>I wanted to get into MIT, but I'm worried about how the MIT selects its candidates.</p>

<p>I mean, see I have 98.7 % in 10th & will score atleast 94-95% in 12th also.
I appeared for TOEFL & scored 112/120.
For SAT, I got 1581/1600.</p>

<p>Now am worried after I have seen many CC threads that clearly shows how MIT requires not only stellar academics but stellar extra curriculars too.</p>

<p>I mean, come on, in India what REAL extra curriculars do we really have ?
I play soccer & table-tennis, not at any pro-level though, just normal stuff.
I'm involved in bit of Charity events that our school organizes.
But I don't have job/work/research experience or any sort of club presidency etc.</p>

<p>I mean I feel, I really don't stand a chance in front of the US applicants who have the bunch of extra curriculars, etc.</p>

<p>Please tell me what should I do ?
Thanks!</p>

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<p>You intended major is ?</p>

<p>And SAT 1581 ?</p>

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<p>Electrical Engineering BS</p>

<p>1580 out of 1600 (780 CR + 800 Math)</p>

<p>Do I stand a chance in front of the US Applicants ?</p>

<p>EDIT :
Made a few fumbles in the first post (Non-Editable :().
I want to know that do I need to appear for any other exams ?
Or perhaps go for some counseling ?</p>

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<p>Replies please :D</p>

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<p>What about olympiads, passion/devotion to a particular subject, leadership stuff ? DO NOT compare yourself with US applicants. See which international candidate got accepted.</p>

<p>If you still can’t find any profile, PM me.</p>

6

<p>From the PM,</p>

<p>I mean do I really have to win International Awards to get into MIT ?
I mean I have about 6 months, what things can I do to get my profile up ?</p>

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<p>i have the same worry too. i’m a cbse student and our school doesn’t really have much extracurriculars. i’m entering grade 11 this year which means a further drop in the no. of such activities. i’m a 90+ student and i intend to write SAT next year. i’ve taken part in quite a lot of competitions but i haven’t won any international awards. since we have entrance examinations for practically every course, grades 11 and 12 mean studies only.
i’ve always wanted to go to MIT or any other good place loke stanford, univ. of toronto, princeton, etc.</p>

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<p>Yeah, every Indian-Subcontinent candidate is worried about that only.</p>

<p>Any helpful tips, anyone ?</p>

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<p>Here are some tips</p>

<p>-If your school has MUN,Student Council, School Magazine, organizing events during Carnivals etc. try to get involved actively…now</p>

<p>-During the summer definitely try to intern with a Company related with what you want to pursue in college</p>

<p>-During the weekends, if your school is not into it already, take initiative and get involved with Each One Teach One, Habitat for Humanity, Blind School, Physically Challenged children’s School. Give 2-4 hours per week of your time to them and it would help your resume be more ‘dazzling’</p>

<p>-Being part of Student Exchange Program will help you grow immensely and life experience and skills that come with it no Classroom can ever give you</p>

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<p>@Anialways</p>

<p>Thanks for your reply.</p>

<ol>
<li>Our school doesn’t have anything as such & I’m already done with school.</li>
<li>Just a 12th class passout isn’t getting any interns anywhere in India.</li>
<li>It’s possible.</li>
<li>You’re talking about J-1, but the visa will be F-1. You can’t get two visas.</li>
</ol>

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<p>Dear you can summer internship with many private firms, you do need to do networking for that, through your family or friend’s parents. Lot of companies young interns and give them a small project relating to marketing or research. They want people who can do this work for them. You, however, do not get paid for these, but do get a certificate by the firm.</p>

<p>Since you have already passed out of school there are summer workshops going on in various places around the world form Oxford to Harvard. Some schools in India also conduct those. For eg. People2People . There are various organizations that conduct international exchange programs.</p>

<p>EDIT: This is anialways’ daughter here, I’m just graduating from grade 12 and going to NYU. I wanted to kinda shed more light on Habitat for Humanity(H4H). See the thing is, if you’re looking to dress up your resume more then H4H is probably the best way to do it. It’s an organization that builds houses in remote locations in India and abroad for displaced people. The cool part is you actually go to the sites and take part in the construction. I’ve done it twice now, in Karjat and Pondicherry and the experience is out of the world. Plus the organization is known around the world (especially in the States for rehabilitation efforts after Hurricane Katrina) and association with them looks really impressive. It’s a life and personality changing experience, humbles you and makes you appreciate the little things so much more, and that’ll reflect in the way you write your essays. It’s a win-win overall actually and if you can help H4H on multiple builds it shows consistency too. Anyhow, hope that helped. Best of luck :slight_smile: Direct questions at me if you wanna know more :stuck_out_tongue: lol</p>

<p>Back to mom: </p>

<p>What visas are you talking about sorry didn’t get that.</p>

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<p>Anialways’ daughter: </p>

<p>Oh and I don’t need to tell you but your scores are stellar. And no matter what anyone says about ECs, the scores obviously really matter. Like a whole lot. Especially for the Ivys. Plus colleges keep in mind the facilities and opportunities your school gave you when assessing your activities and achievements. You show them that you ‘stand out’ by going the extra way during the summer, that means interning at companies (I interned at an ad agency during my 11th grade summer), picking up an activity and staying consistent with it (I MUNed for 5 years) etc. </p>

<p>Also remember, Ivys aren’t everything. Please, they were a league of schools with a sport’s conference. They’re restricted to the Northeastern American states. That does not mean non-Ivys are substandard. Research about the student life and course load at MIT and reassess if that’s what you want. I say this because your scores are so amazing you can very easily get admission into a REALLY good Uni. Also, you should know if you’ve been researching and browsing through other threads on CC that while Ivys are selective, some of them intentionally admit fewer people in RD and waitlist more so as to lower their acceptance rates. Also, since EVERYONE applies to these Ivys and the seats are limited, the ratio of the number admitted to the total applicant pool is naturally super low. </p>

<p>Blabbering now. Anyway. Ask questions if you need to. Hope I helped. :)</p>

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<p>This thread might be useful for u guys: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/princeton-university/1124566-international-student-applying-next-year-advice.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/princeton-university/1124566-international-student-applying-next-year-advice.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>@Anialways,</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply.</p>

<p>I never worried about my grades, but I need to look far beyond that now.
Hmm…it seems I need to do some networking & get some summer internships, may be that could help :)</p>

<p>Is there any olympiads or some competition coming up, which the IVY’s may consider :D</p>

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<p>???</p>

<p>By looking at the profiles of candidates of who got in, I feel that I must have done some research work or some internship or got some international awards or do something out-of-the-world to get in.
But I mean we don’t have any such opportunities here in India so what should I focus on now ?</p>

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<p>Will any1 ever bother replying ?</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>^ This is the best advice you can get. You will need to distinguish yourself nationally and internationally in some way (preferably in academics) to stand a chance at MIT.</p>

<p>Also, Royal Challengers > Kings XI</p>

<p>Sorry, I really don’t have much else to add. :P</p>

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<p>Another internationally recognized science-related extracurricular is the ISEF. Also Google Fair. You said you want to get into MIT, Princeton, UToronto et al. Please remember MIT is a different ball game altogether from even HYP and other comparable institutions. They’re perhaps the only adcom who’ll ignore a couple of D’s on your transcript, but also the only one that will not think twice before rejecting a valedictorian with MUN, student council, blah blah blah. MIT’s about passion, and they’ve one eccentric way of deciding who is passionate and who’s not. An effective way as far as I know, but really difficult to summarize.</p>

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<p>Seems like everyone here has figured out a sure shot way to going about the admission process and getting into the Ivies and are convinced about which activity will help and which are blah blah, just wondering what is the source of such convincing advice. The blah activities are the one that will help you in terms of self confidence, make you aware, develop public speaking skills and a whole lot of other things which add to your strong SAT and GPA. Please read the following:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.ivyleagueadmission.com%5B/url%5D”>www.ivyleagueadmission.com</a></p>

<p>A Profile of Successful Applicants</p>

<p>Our interview questions are designed to identify your stengths and weaknesses for all of these criteria. We particularly probe the following five areas:</p>

<p>a) Academic Excellence. We seek students who have accepted the challenge of AP classes and the most demanding programs available to them. We want to make sure they are aware of the exhaustive commitment that is required to succeed at an Ivy League school.</p>

<p>b) Demonstrated Excellence in Activities outside the Classroom. Be prepared to discuss the talents you’ve developed outside school, including athletics, debate, muscial or artistic endeavors. We are also highly impressed by applicants who have worked during their high school years and during the summer. All of these experiences demonstrate motivation and achievement.</p>

<p>c) Personality. Our best students must have the ability to communicate clearly, handle complex issues, manage stress and successfully interact with people from all walks of life. Be prepared to demonstrate that you are a happy, healthy, well-adjusted person with a strong commitment to leadership.</p>

<p>d) Motivation. For too many years, applicants flooded Ivy League schools because they wanted to make the “big bucks”. Others were pushed into applying by well-meaning parents who were also successful alumni. Neither motivation is adequate during difficult times if your heart is not truly committed to the school. Ivy League schools carefully screen out applicants who are unable to clearly articulate why they want to attend our school and what contribution they hope to make during their tenure. Be prepared to discuss your specific interest in our school and to demonstrate your suitability for our culture.</p>

<p>e) Balance. We seek applicants who are well-rounded and well-adjusted. There’s nothing more disheartening than an applicant who looks great on paper who can only talk about their grades. There’s much more to life and the Ivy League than memorizing and regurgitating facts. Successful applicants are animated, full of life, with enthusiasm for their family, friends and the world around them. This is reflected through knowledge of current events, sustained interest in hobbies and outside interests and a strong interactive role in their communities.</p>

<p>Here is another link:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/before/recommended_high_school_preparation[/url]”>www.mitadmissions.org/topics/before/recommended_high_school_preparation</a></p>

<p>The ECs are the ones which you enjoy and not the ones you are forced to do. By the way you will not know which are your cup of tea till you explore a few…</p>

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<p>@Anialways</p>

<p>Thanks for post.</p>

<p>Yes, its very true that passion is the driving force in the admission process, but very often I have seen that students with spectacular activities which clearly shows tremendous passion are often booted from admission, just becoz admission officers think they didn’t reveal any clear-cut passion :(</p>

<p>Ahh…lets see what happens :/</p>