Question for a guy who's going to be applying to MIT next year?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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<p>I was wondering if having virtually no math/science awards (outside of the school level) will really hurt me in admissions come next year. I'll probably take the amc 12 next year (I don't know why it wasn't offered this year) which I suspect I'll do decently on. I'm going to try to take math and science courses at community college next year in the dual enrollment program, and I'm doing a research paper on string theory. Unfortunately besides that I won't really have any well known awards. Will this lack of awards hurt me? </p>

<p>PS. Please don't just answer if your angry you got rejected. I just want an honest answer (preferably from someone who's been through the process).</p>

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<p>I was accepted and had no math/science awards outside of the school level :)</p>

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<p>i had one dumb award about a 10th grade research project in a local fair. i was also a recruited athlete but big science awards are definetly not required.</p>

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<p>I also had no major math/science awards.</p>

<p>Granted, I did participate in SSP…</p>

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<p>^ yay SSP! ('06!)</p>

<p>don’t worry. there’s a ton of people here that don’t have math and science awards. you’re in good company.</p>

<p>(IMO, i think they look for aptitude and capability of handling science/math, rather than just straight-up awards, because you can’t really compare people like that. is it your fault that your school didn’t offer the amc 12 while the school next to yours did?)</p>

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<p>True, thanks, It’s just intimidating to see all these people throwing out IMO and Siemens and stuff. By the way, what’s SSP?</p>

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<p>Summer Science Program, I believe. Check it: [SSP</a> - Summer Science Program](<a href=“http://www.summerscience.org/home/index.php]SSP”>The Summer Science Program "The educational experience of a lifetime"...since 1959 An experience of a lifetime since 1959).</p>

<p>I was accepted with no major math/science awards. I get 75s on the AMC and B’s in math. B/c I suck :D.</p>

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<p>hmm. agree with oasis. but beware of Affirmative Action! are you Asian or white?</p>

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<p>Isn’t SSP also the name of Harvard’s summer program?</p>

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<p>^ yes, but i think SSP at least on these forums are taken for granted to mean summer science rather than harvard’s summer school. harvard ssp is just a scheme for the college to make money and for the students to feel good about themselves.</p>

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<p>This thread makes me feel better=D All I’ve gotten is a school science fair medalXD.</p>

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<p>His question is “for a guy”; the standard for a guy is different from for a girl. I noticed most of people who are accepted without major awards are girls.</p>

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<p>I’m white (never thought I’d bne happy about this come college admissions, but it is easier on us I believe). Thanks for the answers, Unfortunately I won’t have SSP (or anything like it either) because my parents don’t have much money to help me out here (neither do I). Also they don’t want me to go anywhere really.</p>

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<p>Don’t count on having your AMC result in time for admisions. You take the test mid-February.</p>

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<p>I was thinking about that. Too bad.</p>

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<p>-sigh-</p>

<p>I’m really getting tired of the whole “Girls don’t have to do as much as guys to get in” school of thought.</p>

<p>There are plenty of guys that I know that didn’t have major awards relating to math/science that were accepted.</p>

<p>Also, in another thread MITChris says

</p>

<p>Considering the class is much more than 31% male, as you can see, even if all the award-winning people were male, there are plenty of male students accepted without these awards.</p>

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<p>hey, to OP - I would guess it depends on the course of study you claim to be interested in. if your claimed major is math and your math record is unexceptional, it gives your application no impetus. personally, I have zero math and science awards (literally all I did was accelerate a few years in each subject), but I’ve taken college courses in linguistics, which is my intended major.</p>

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<p>Ok, I have no awards outside of the school level there, and I hope to double major in math and physics. One more thing, how much does MIT look at class rank? I just found out that (so far) I am 76 out of 368. The reason why this is so ridiculously bad is that I transfered schools (private to public) before 11th grade. Unfortunately my old school did not label any class honors (though they were all honors). So I suffered some seriouse grade deflation. Would this really hurt me?</p>