MITES 2017

Pre-College Issues Summer Programs
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let’s talk about me

Diversity?
first-generation jamaican-american (i’m black according to the us census)

Academics
1490 PSAT (10th) 1510 (11th)
31 ACT
GPA: 3.94/4.925
790 math 1 subject test 800 on us history subject test
-i have an extensive background in community service and activism, with the backing of a highly-selective summer program as well)

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what do you all think of my chances?

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@wypiposuck Your scores are good, but without seeing your essays no one can accurately chance you.

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Hi everyone! MITES 2016 alumna here!

This is my first time posting on College Confidential, but I figured I might as well start with something I’m passionate about, and MITES definitely falls into that category! I’ll be here to answer any questions you guys may have (with the exception of chancing; there’s no real way for me to gauge that off of raw numbers alone). I’ll start with some FAQs I’ve seen from this forum:

  1. Do I qualify as a minority? Although MITES is typically meant for ethnic/racial minorities, MIT really strives to find students across an extremely broad socioeconomic spectrum as well. There were quite a few kids there who were 75% white, 25% Hispanic, and who came from financially stable homes at the program. Being from Egypt would NOT by any means disqualify you from attending MITES @java23. And, because @wypiposuck___ 's comment towards you actually made me a bit angry, let me just get this out of the way: there's no such thing as taking someone's "spot." It's not your spot; selection is not possessive. If you are what the selection committee is looking for, you will be admitted. Bottom line. The sooner we collectively move on from this whole "taking someone's place" concept, the better off we'll be.
  2. My parents make too much money for me to qualify as financially needy. Should I bother applying? My parents both have their bachelors degrees and we are very comfortable financially and I was still selected to attend MITES. There were many people who attended who were in my position.
  3. What part of the application is most important? I would definitely agree with other alumni in saying that essays play a big role in the application. Let your true self show! Be genuine; it's hard to like someone who only writes about how amazing they are or how many incredible things they've accomplished. Let this be an opportunity for you to showcase the quirks that make you you. Although no one else has mentioned this yet, I think recommendation letters ply a huge part in the application as well. The committee wants to see what others think of you (can you work well with others, are you enthusiastic about learning), not just what you think of yourself.
  4. How do I know what to write about? Think of it this way: if there was someone else applying with the EXACT same credentials, how would you set yourself apart? What makes you unique? My advice to everyone stuck where I was a few months ago with college apps: Just. Start. There's nothing worse than feeling the impending doom of a deadline and knowing you have absolutely nothing drafted! So, if you're a structured person, find a quiet place and set aside a few minutes a day or every other day to jot down ideas. If you're more spontaneous (I've found this works better for me), keep a small notebook with you throughout the day to capture any fleeting ideas or moments of inspiration. You'll be surprised at what you'll think of. Just make sure you give yourself some time instead of sitting down to write every single essay with an hour before the deadline.
  5. What was MITES like? Absolutely incredible. Although it was definitely a challenge, the thing I remember most is all of the fantastic people I was able to meet. Our group chat of 80 people is still vibrant and it's been so amazing to have a support system of such capable and inspiring people. What's more is, they're actually cool! You might have an image of everyone being super nerdy/geeky, but everyone was so relatable and interesting. We had Netflix parties in lounges, excursions in Boston, late night study sessions with tons of snacks, and dance parties in the elevators. My roommate @Ehowl1004 (hi!!! Miss you, roomie) and I had an extensive snack cabinet in our dorm and we had friends come through all the time. If you're worried about making friends or fitting in, don't. I don't know how they did it, but the admissions committee managed to put together the most amazing 80 people I've met in my life.

And to anyone questioning whether or not they’ll get in, I say to you: leave it up to the admission committee! You never know, and filling out this one application could potentially change your life. I look forward to interacting with you guys and hope my post helped!

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@preppyscholar thank you for your commentary, it was really helpful!
I think you misunderstood what I was saying entirely. I never mentioned someone “stealing another person’s spot” at MITES, because it’s not a given who will be accepted. What I will reiterate though is that MITES explicitly says on its website that it looks for students from underrepresented communities in STEM. Specifally, it looks for people of color and those from families with low educational backgrounds. If a person is not a POC and hails from a family with high educational attainment, why is it not appropriate to inform them about that? I’m not trying to discourage anyone from applying to MITES, because as you’ve stated as an alumni of the program, MITES has people from various backgrounds. All I’m saying is be aware of the aspects of your identity and life that may possibly hinder you in the application process, that’s all!

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Does MITES ever accept those who are entirely white? (Depending on other aspects of their background / including a strong application of course) For instance, i’m white but have a low socioeconomic background and my parents don’t have high degrees - only one has a bachelors. Just curious, thanks!

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@emmaka Yes! Diversity means a lot of different things to MIT.

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Oh guys, can you believe that this application is nearly closing?

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Yeah I can’t believe how fast time has passed by, and I still need to come up with an idea for the fifth essay :frowning:

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When you guys were filling out your extracurriculars/work experience/etc, how much of a description did you put? Just a brief sentence, or more?

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Mine was a brief sentence

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Ok so like the first essay is asking about my careers goals which I already have that down, but do I need to type about why one program specifically can help me or I have to type up about how any of the 3 programs can help me? I am confused aha.

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@ramengodzz I have the same question, I kinda want to emphasize MITES, but I don’t want to seem inflexible

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what did you discuss for the first essay question? Did you talk about college as a career goal, or a future job?

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@DancingwithStars I mainly talked about how I wanted get into tech or gaming companies because of video games has impacted me an individual. That’s just a the gist of it lol. How about you?

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I emailed them about the first essay confusion so I should get a reply soon but I end up fixing the first essay so it can applies to all 3 programs.

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Neither of my parents went to high school so what should I do about the parental education question? Because the lowest tier of education that is an option is “some high school” and that doesn’t apply to me.

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Heyo :slight_smile:

What kind of things does MITES look for? is it passion for a certain future, or passion for learning in general? it’s basically a top-tier summer enrichment course, but upon what conditions would you need in order to be good enough to learn?

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@ramengodzz I think it is up to you if you talk about all 3 programs or just 1 :slight_smile:

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so I submitted my application and all that for the MITES programs but reading through these post I’m a little scared to get accepted (that is if I even have a chance with my low scores)… are they any alumni here to tell how brutal it is for not super smart kids and how plausible it is to adapt to the rigors?