I wasn’t planning on applying to MIT until I was walking around Cambridge for lunch with my family and stopped by MIT to take pictures. Luckily there was a public tour just starting so I joined it, and after touring, I really loved everything about the school.
The only problem is that when I went to take my Bio-E subject test to satisfy the science requirement, I had a stomach virus/ gastroenteritis. I started the test but at around the half way mark, I was very near throwing up all over my scantron. At this point, I thought it would be best to cut my losses and guess one letter on the rest of the test. On practice tests, I was getting in the high 600s- low 700s range, but I got a 530 on Bio on the actual test. The last time I took a bio course was in 9th grade (5 years ago since I’m on a gap year), so I was proud of being able to get in the 700s. I am really worried that this score is going to absolutely kill my application. Is it worth explaining in the extra info section? Will an AO understand that this isn’t a reflection of my scientific academic potential? Or, will they assume I am lying and just really bad at Bio? Also, should I add that I am planing to retake in March to demonstrate that I can score high on the test? For reference, at a pretty difficult school, I never got below an A in science, so this score really doesn’t reflect me.
I’m also pretty worried about my ACT math score. I got a 32. No matter how much studying I do, I always seem to do horribly on ACT math. On the admissions Statistics page on MIT website, I did see people get accepted in this range (I think it was 67 last year, so there is still a slight chance). How big of a problem is this in the context of the entire application given my Math 2 scores?Luckily I was able to get an 800 on Math 2, in November. I am applying as a course 15-3 (finance major), so I’m hoping my science score isn’t a huge problem. In my ECs and essays, I have demostrated a clear interest in finance/ econ.
530 is going to hurt. Even upper 600’s for your science SAT would hurt you quite a bit at MIT. Did you try to have the test result invalidated on the basis that you were sick?
I would either mention it, or have your guidance counselor mention it. You might also want to just call and ask admissions at MIT.
@DadTwoGirls I don’t have any other science score. MIT has their requirement of a science score so I have to submit it. I couldn’t have it invalidated because than I wouldn’t have a science subject test. Luckily I have an 800 on Math 2 and only A+ in all my science courses in HS, so will that show that a 530 isn’t my true academic potential. Would an AO really not understand the circumstances of the test? I am no longer in high school (gap year) so my GC can’t mention it.
@AlwaysMoving But I’m applying as a Finance Major. For course 15-3 finance, all science requirements can be satisfied by mathematics classes. i took APES since we only could take one AP Science callas due to having to take Honors Physics and Honors Chemistry before taking the AP. I got a 4 on that exam.
There is no doubt that the 530 bio score weakens your app…but no one here knows to what degree.
You can make a one or two sentence statement on your app that you were ill the day of the test…but if I were the AO I would be struggling to understand why you chose to take the bio subject test (your 9th grade science class), rather than your 11th grade science class which was either chem or physics.
I don’t know if MIT accepts March subject tests, but if they do, you might take it again.
I also don’t think it helps that you don’t have an AP science class in bio, chem, or physics. APES is not as rigorous as those.
I’m sure you know that MIT is a reach for everyone and hope that you have applied to a number of match schools as well as one affordable safety. Do you have any acceptances yet?
@Mwfan1921 The reason I took Bio is because when sed studying it would much easier to grasp the material. Since I’m on a gap year there has been 2-3 years since I took Chem and Physics so either way my grasp on the material would be minimal for any class I took. Due to the fact that chem and physics require a pretty good knowledge of formulas and procedures, Bio would me much easier to self study. The reason I took APES is because it’s something I was actually interested in. I didn’t find physics or chemistry appealing and my schools APES course touches upon sustainability which is something I’m interested in.
MIT has relatively strong requirements for all students to take math, physics, chemistry, and a lab course. If you are a music major at MIT, you still have to take math, physics, chemistry, and a lab course (or at least had to when I was there). If you are not enthusiastic about science, it is not clear that it is the best choice.
There are a lot of other very good universities with very good finance and economics programs. I am thinking that you should be applying to some that do not require a science SAT subject test.
@DadTwoGirls i don’t want to
Sound disrespectful but the main reason I’m applying interested in MIT over Wharton or Stern is because MIT finance program has a bigger focus in data analysis and an overall more quantitative view on finance than other undergraduate business programs. I also never said I don’t like science just that I found sustainable development more interesting than physics. Why should I be taking classes that would force me to sacrifice knowledge in an area of interest. Also my Bio score should not reflect my interest in science. Why is that an uncontrollable factor like a stomach flu should determine my science aptitude? Will an AO really think that this reflects my academic potential when I have clearly demonstrated in every other area (other than one test- Bio-E) that I am fit.
I am not sure what you want posters to tell you OP.
You have only given us a small bit of information with regard to your entire application. We know that the 530 bio is low, and 800 math 2 is good. The ACT math of 32 is well below the 25%ile of 34 (class of 2023 http://ir.mit.edu/cds-2019/#C)…those students who have below a 34 are typically hooked in some way…URM, first gen, low SES, etc…maybe you are hooked in some way.
We don’t know your uwGPA, the rigor of your course curriculum, the content of your essays or LoRs, or what you have been doing during your GAP year. The only thing we know is that the 530 bio subject test and 32 math ACT are relatively low. The application is out of your control now, assuming it’s been submitted.
As I said above, I hope that you have applied to a handful of match schools and an affordable safety. There are many other business schools that have ‘a focus in data analysis and…quantitative view on finance’.
@Mwfan1921 I am a URM, hispanic. Also, I am a 4 year Tier 2 NROTC scholarship nominee. I’ve read from multiple people that MIT puts weight on ROTC nominees (MIT is the only school that explicitly asks if you have been awarded a scholarship. All other schools only ask if you are interested). The supplements I’ve written are the best out of all the 24 schools I’ve done. I can’t speak of numerical rating but what I can say is that I poured my heart into them. My LOR are truly top notch. The speak of me being “one of the best…” My ECs are good, not at the level where I’m making millions on my investment portfolio, but still good. I would say they are Ivy level worthy, including being 14 year athlete (no hockey at MIT though), international outreach business consulting in Panama, managerial volunteers roles, fashion reselling business, stats advisor for the entire school, sand some other small things. I just don’t understand why the most unlucky break being sick on test day would ruin my chances at my dream school.
Being URM is an important hook at MIT and it sounds like you have very good application components. No one said the 530 will ruin your chances, just that it probably weakens your app…and no one on CC knows how much that will come in to play in the overall, holistic evaluation of your app.
Because MIT is one of the most competitive schools in the country. Not only is your subject test low, your ACT math is also low for schools of that caliber and you chose not to take the most rigorous science courses in HS. Nothing you’ve shared shows you are a good academic match for MIT. Being URM is not going to overcome low scores at a school that is STEM focused.
I don’t mean this to sound harsh but to be a wake up call. As others noted hopefully you have real match and safeties you’ve applied to.
@momofasenior First of all you really did mean it too sound harsh. We where only allowed to take on AP science class all of high school and I chose to pursue a course that aligned with my interest in an AP setting. I’ve taken the highest level class possible every year, which includes 7 APs. If you look at admission statistics for MIT you would see that there where 67 admits in my math range, so don’t talks about it as if it is unheard of. Keep in mind that I won’t be submitting that science score anywhere else because no other schools require it. I already have 2 800s. While a 33 isn’t a perfect score, you probably do know that schools of this caliber, AKA Harvard consider it all the same after a 33. I don’t know if you’ve seen the court documents, but they clearly state that “2” in academics is a 33+, and a “1” is a 36 with major publications. 36s get grouped with 33s if that’s all they have. I don’t know why you say to wake up when I have a decent shot at many schools in this caliber. Your taking my score that I got while throwing my guts up and severely dehydrated and extrapolating that to represent sent my potential. I would like to someone to try and balance 45+ of hockey per week (all year round), and maintaining high grades in the most difficult course possible at school. Not very easy. I find it very disrespectful that you say that an Ivy caliber application and my effort over the past 5 years is useless, because you don’t think I being in upper echelon universities. You seem like one of those parents who truly believes that a 36 is the answer to the confusion of holistic admission. I’m sorry if I sound rude, but you really did attack me in that last post.
OP - One of my D’s best friends totally overshot his list of colleges two cycles ago. He’s at a safety school his GC forced him to apply to at the last minute. I joined CC to try to help students avoid ending up at a school they hate. Students need to understand how fierce the competition is, have realistic expectations, and most of all, have a balanced list of schools where there is at least one guaranteed acceptance where a student would be happy to attend.
I honestly didn’t mean to attack you.
MIT admits fewer than 8% of their applicants. A 33 composite ACT is below their 25th percentile for admitted students. Generally speaking, students below the 25th percentile have major hooks - like parents donated a building level hooks.
By all means apply to MIT but if you haven’t already applied to match and safeties, get those applications done with as much care as you are taking for the app to MIT.
UPDATE: So, on the test day for my science subject test, I was in pretty bad shape with the stomach flu, so I ended up getting an awful score on Bio E (530), since I had to guess on the remaining questions and go to the bathroom for over 30 minutes. I put all of this in the application. The problem is that I sent a Spanish subject test score from the same test date and I got an 800 on the test. Even though I could barley stop my myself from throwing up, Spanish is the language I speak at home and grew up with, so I ended up doing well on the exam. I’m worried this will cause a discrepancy to the AO’s as they’ll believe I’m lying about my situation. Imagine taking an elementary level english test, you would probably do great on the test, even if you where extremely sick, because its your natural language; that’s how the spanish subject test is for me.> Will AO’s realize this, or should I submit an additional for explaining this further. I never included that Biology was the second test I took. I never had the urge to go to vomit until half way through Bio, so I was able to get through the entire spanish test fine.
I’m not sure this info changes any of the feedback above, but taking the Spanish test, when you are a native speaker, was probably not the best choice in terms of rigor/challenging yourself/demonstrating subject mastery.
I really have no idea (nor will most CC posters) how MIT AOs will view the Spanish test as it’s not one of the required subject tests…to recap, you are submitting the math 2 800, bio 530 and Spanish 800 test scores?
At this point, there is nothing you can do/change with regard to your app and the decision making process is out of your control now. Good luck.