Not sure what to do...

<p>I filled in my midyear report and the optional update the day it came out. But in the two weeks since then I've started working closely with a student(who recently got into a lot of trouble with drugs and is now trying to get his academic life back on track) on his geometry skills. So far we've spent six lunch periods, with me explaining to him the mathematical foundation behind what he's doing in the class; the guy is smart and picks up concepts quickly but his math infrastructure has holes, and that's what we're trying to eliminate. </p>

<p>I've always loved teaching, and I'm not expecting any external rewards from this, but my parents are pushing me to let the admissions committee know somehow (never know if that's what ultimately tips the decision in your favor!). Thing is, with the midyear report already submitted how can I get this information across?</p>

<p>I'd really appreciate any advice you guys have. Thanks!</p>

<p>I don’t know the answer. My humble opinion is that it is not going to make a difference. Tutoring fellow high schoolers in math is not an uncommon activity.</p>

<p>Like it said on the midyear report, although it’s best to put updates on it you can always e-mail the admissions committee as well as do other options to notify them.</p>

<p>This is a very recent activity, not a sustained interest. So I agree it probably won’t make much of a difference. But I recommend that you go ahead now and inform the MIT admissions committee, because you say your parents “are pushing” for you to do this. You have nothing to lose by providing the update and much to gain in terms of peace and happiness in your own home.</p>

<p>I tend to think that now is the time in your life to assert yourself to your parents. Not that you should disrespect them, but YOU are the one applying to MIT, not them. You should be the one making the decisions here, not doing things because your parents pressure you to. That’s a good way to make a mess of things. (Of course, this is a general comment that doesn’t take into account all the things I don’t know or understand about your relationship with your parents, etc.)</p>

<p>That said:</p>

<p>No, tutoring another student in math isn’t incredibly impressive, and not likely to be some major deciding factor in your decision.</p>

<p>HOWEVER, I think that if this experience has particular meaning to you, then it says something interesting about you as a person, which the admissions committee would love to know about. Tell them.</p>

<p>But if it’s just this kid you’re tutoring because you have nothing better to do or because some teacher just asked you to and you don’t really care if he gets it or not or you don’t feel excited or fulfilled or good about yourself for what you’re doing…then who cares? That’s like saying, “By the way, MIT, my mom asked me to weed the garden last week. So now I weed the garden every day. Maybe we will have juicier tomatoes this year, but eh, whatever, I don’t really like tomatoes anyway.”</p>

<p>Re: “time to assert yourself to your parents.” I agree that now is the time to assert yourself on really important and meaningful issues. For instance, if your parents are pushing you to apply to a top-tier school, and you think you’d be miserable there, assert yourself. If your parents are pushing you to take up extra-curricular activities you hate, just to look good on a college app, assert yourself. But hey, I really believe in picking your battles. If all parents are pushing for is a quick email update to MIT, it seems to me that asserting your self by saying no – simply for the sake of raising the flag of independentce – well, it’s just not the battle I’d pick. </p>

<p>Make the decision that you’re most comfortable with, because this is a really, really minor issue.</p>