Should I apply to MIT?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>I don't know if I have a strong enough background in math for MIT. I will not apply if my chances are very poor; I already have a long list of schools. It would be my top choice, though. Are my chances strong enough to hope for acceptance?</p>

<p>BACKGROUND</p>

<p>-Male caucasian junior
-Decent public HS in Utah.
-I have Corsican + Persian + American ethnicity.
-Family income ~ $14,000 / year. No assets over $1,000.</p>

<p>I am interested in anything from engineering, physics/nanotechnology, neuroscience, business, and economics.</p>

<p>ACADEMIC</p>

<p>GPA: 3.6 unweighted, 4.1 weighted.</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests:
800 French
750 Math I (95th percentile)
730 US History</p>

<p>SAT: 2200 projected (taking this June!)</p>

<p>AP courses: 9 including senior year</p>

<p>AWARDS</p>

<p>-Questbridge CollegePrep Recipient
-Cross Country MVP, Most Improved awards.
-Honor roll many/most semesters
-High School Academic Letter I
-Nominated by teachers for "Keys to Success"</p>

<p>Teacher Rec's will most likely be excellent.</p>

<p>EXTRA CURRICULAR</p>

<p>-Cross Country (3 years) varsity.
-Track (4 years) 1600m, 800m, long jump
-French club (2 years) (president)
-FBLA club (1 year) went to state
-Debate Team (1 year)
Service Club (1 year) (raised awareness for drunk driving, funds for leukemia, raffles, assemblies, invited guest speakers. acted as the "Respect Campaign Organizer")
-Jr. Scholar's Academy (3 months) (was selected among 50 students in the district for a course on the founding fathers)
-Interned at Zion's Bank. shadowed one of the big dogs. (1 month)</p>

<p>WORK</p>

<p>-Educated an autistic boy for a family (1 year)
-I single-handedly made a website (e-commerce!) for someone else's product.
-I worked for a small real-estate company in Los Angeles and did graphic design work.</p>

<p>MISC</p>

<p>-My father took his life while he was a senior at Stanford. My mom discovered her pregnancy with me only a few days later. Her father had abandoned her, and without US citizenship she raised me from almost nothing. She then divorced step dad when I was 2, which is why I have a little sister.</p>

<p>-I had a rough sophomore year because my family went through a financial crisis and we were basically undeclared homeless for months. We stayed at a family friend's home. Sometimes I did my homework in our car full of newspapers, where I would then sleep. this brings my GPA way down, otherwise I have always been a straight A student...</p>

<p>-I educated a 9 year old autistic child, Spencer during all of 10th grade on my own time twice a week. I taught him how to speak correctly, write, think and express himself. Over the year, his family saw improvement, and I am very proud of this. In my essay I want to compare his obsessions with an elaborate train-set he built, to my obsessions of constantly thinking of how I could better teach him during my daily life, and help him "build" himself. I will emphasize my essays on problem solving and it's constant presence in my life. I am also considering neuroscience.</p>

<p>-Also, my father cared for an autistic black kid, Archie, at his high school. He would bring him home and clothe him / feed him for years. Surprisingly enough, he later apparently showed up to my parent's wedding, finding his way on a bicycle. I didn't know about all this until after my experience with the autistic boy I educated. He ran the 800m, like me, something I only learned afterwards as well.</p>

<p>While I have a story to tell and a difficult background, I do not know if my stats realistically put me at MIT's level. These schools need the stats, stories don't always cut it. Or am I wrong?</p>

2

<p>Your stats are on par with mine. Are you projecting 700s in all three areas of the regular SAT? How do your APs look? Do you have just A’s and B’s?</p>

<p>Those are some pretty amazing stories.</p>

<p>Top-level schools do admissions a little differently from each other - MIT is not looking for the same thing as Harvard. Certainly, mostly-A’s 700-SATs are on par with what you want on the application.</p>

3

<p>I would say, apply to MIT anyway. :slight_smile: Amazing story!!!</p>

<p>keep working on your standardized scores and grades, and you’ll be fine. maybe u can write your essay based on your stories, and have your letter of recommendation writers to write as well about your stories in their letters. :slight_smile: :)</p>

<p>but what makes you interested in MIT? I don’t see too much math/science related stuff here.</p>

4

<p>Last year MIT was part of QuestBridge. I would think it would be again this year. Since you were a College Prep Scholar this year and MIT is your top choice, it seems obvious to me that you should apply to MIT through the QB program.</p>

5

<p>Thanks everyone!</p>

<p>PiperXP: Yea, I’m planning on 700+ for every section. My AP scores look good too, probably mostly 5’s and some 4’s based on what I’ve done this year and the practice tests we took. As for grades: this entire year I had straight A’s (and like 2 A-'s). my GPA is only low because of my sophomore year.</p>

<p>wildchartermage: As for my interest in MIT: I absolutely love the school itself and the enthusiasm the students have over there. I think that MIT does not have the old-money feeling of the Ivies or Stanford, which is lifesaving for me. Math and science have always been my biggest interests, but unfortunately I have not had many “prestigious” opportunities to “prove” myself. Hopefully the test scores will replace that. I still want to go to MIT for management but with a strong foundation in math, engineering, or even physics.</p>

<p>2blue: I will definitely apply to MIT through the Questbridge program; Questbridge is amazing!</p>

<p>I <3 MIT</p>

6

<p>If MIT is your first choice, then definitely apply. It really is that simple. Your story shows a great deal of the characteristics needed to succeed at MIT or for that matter in the sciences. For example, perseverance in the face of adversity. Go for it, and good luck.</p>

7

<p>Normally, I’d say a non-URM with a 3.6 unweighted has very little chance (but should still apply anyways if it’s his or her first choice).</p>

<p>But in your case, I think you have a good shot if you explain those circumstances as you did to us. Good luck.</p>