<p>Decision: Accepted</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>]Fee Waiver Used?: No
[</em>]SAT I (by section): 760M, 750V, 740W,
[<em>]SAT IIs: 790 Physics, 740 Bio M, 730 Chem, 760 MIIC
[</em>]ACT: N/A
[<em>]APs: Hum. Geo, Computer Science A, AB, Latin III and IV, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Physics C, Biology, English Lang, English Lit, US History...
[</em>]IBs: N/A
[<em>]GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: No clue, 3.9ish
[</em>]Rank: 168/954 (~18%)
[<em>]Senior Yr Courseload: AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science AB, AP English Language, AP Biology, AP Physics C, AP Latin
[</em>]Number of Apps from Your School: 10ish? Maybe a bit more. 4 that I know of made it.
[li]Other stats: NM Finalist, nominations for various competitions and research programs.[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Subjective:[ul]
[<em>]ECs listed on app: Robotics competitions (US BEST, FIRST), research internship, self-education, science competitions...
[</em>]Job/Work Experience: Worked 3-3.5 years concurrently with high school in an accounting office. Started a small graphic design business. Worked in my mother's office...
[<em>]Essays (subject and responses): I spent six months writing them... one was about chance, seizing what you want, and natural curiosity... I told them my favorite activity to engage in was shenannigans. Wrote an optional essay about the work in my research internship.
[</em>]Teacher Recs: My Latin teacher is a Harvard/Brown alum, and told me she spent four hours writing my letter of recommendation... she's a very dedicated woman, and I know she loves me because I'm her only student ever to skip a year of Latin... My biology teacher didn't tell me much, but I know she loves me too... her only words were "if you don't get in, they didn't read my letter."
[<em>]Counselor Rec: Couldn't have been too good. I'm in graduating class of 954, but I do have a very friendly relationship with my counselor. I'd venture to say it's more personal than most, which may not be as good as letters from other kids at smaller schools, but likely stood out a bit coming from my ginormous high school.
[</em>]Interview (feel and general location): I was his first interview of the year, and I came in researched. We talked about his experiences at MIT and what I liked to do. He asked me for my grades/ranks/SAT scores, but it didn't phase him. I think he liked that I was very entrepreneurial and obviously did my homework. It was at his house.
[li]Hook (if any): I don't know that I have much of a hook beyond anything that's been mentioned above. I did have a research internship, which no doubt helped.[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>]State or Country: TX
[</em>]School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): I go to a public senior high school which has 2000 11th and 12th grade students. 954 in the senior class. We send a lot of students to good schools, but I don't know whether that's because we're really good or there's so many of us some are bound to get into good places.
[<em>]Ethnicity: Middle-Eastern (Turkish)
[</em>]Income Bracket: Was upper-middle class when I applied, but my father has lost his job since then (the company he was working for filed for bankruptcy, damn telecom).
[<em>]Gender: Male
[</em>]Hooks: Same as above...
[<em>]Strengths/Weaknesses: Personal character. I'm just so darned lovable. :). I've worked a lot for my own education... advancing years in classes and getting cool stuff done. My weak points are obviously my GPA/rank, which is obviously low. I guess I just had enough stuff to overpower it. That and nice mid-year grades...
[</em>]Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: I poured my soul out into my main essay. I worked on it for so long... And I have very good relationships with all my teachers. I think the subjective part just really outweighed the objective part of my application... MIT really isn't based on a formula, and if anyone says otherwise I will kindly come over and give you a boot to the head. :).
[<em>]Other Factors: I had a lot of emotional support. This didn't directly affect me getting in, but it really helps to have people believing in you while you're writing your essays and filling out your application.
[</em>]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: Congrats to everyone who made it. Condolences for everyone who didn't... I hope everything works out for everyone.[/ul]</p>