<p>well, i'm an int'nat'l student from an underdeveloped country. my gpa's arent that gr8 , abt 3.5, but tht might be attributed to some extent to the educational system here. i've got 800 in SAT 2s in physics, maths, chemistry.
but my math grades arent so good, again, the education system. i've got some EC, not much, but pretty good for my country. i'm not sure if i'll make it past even the 1st process at MIT.
i'd reallly like to study there. should i even apply?</p>
<p>Well, you never will know until you apply. With high test scores, you would hope they would be smart enough to take another nation's system into account.</p>
<p>crazy mom's advice sounds good to me. I am sure the admissions staff are used to all sorts of educational systems. Of course I'm another crazy mom (just ask my kids), but if you don't even apply, you'll have no chance, so I'd say, "Go for it!"</p>
<p>What country are you from? If you are from a country where going to study in the US is not a common thing and there are very few or no student at MIT from there, you have more chances since generally colleges look for diversity in the international pool. I am also an international student coming from a country with a very different school system and I plan to ask my principal (instead of counselor because we don't have any) to send together with my school report a detailed description of our school system. If in your country there is not a common thing getting involved in extracurriculars as it is in US, that description should also mention it.</p>
<p>The answer to all "should I apply" questions is: YES.</p>
<p>Unless you are 100% sure you don't want to go there, then you should not take someone else's spot on the admit list.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
The answer to all "should I apply" questions is: YES.</p>
<p>Unless you are 100% sure you don't want to go there, then you should not take someone else's spot on the admit list.
[/QUOTE]
That's nice. I like your post.</p>
<p>Mercury, in some countries the cost of applying is a large proportion of salary.</p>
<p>When my mom was applying she couldn't afford application fees, so instead settled for UCincinnatti, which doesn't require application fees even for international students.</p>
<p>Not sure if this is the same for MIT.</p>
<p>80 bucks from an underdeveloped country is a very large amount. Unless of course the OP is a member of one of the elites in his country.</p>
<p>So to revise that, if the money isn't that big of a deal (like the equivalent of a week's salary or something) then do apply. </p>
<p>However, we can't help you judge your application without more information.</p>
<p>Also, please capitalize your posts.</p>
<p>Wrong. If the $80 or whatnot presents a large difficulty for your family, you apply for a fee waiver.</p>
<p>From this</a> website...
[quote]
Fee waiver
If the application fee presents a hardship for you and your family, you may qualify for a fee waiver. To request a fee waiver, ask your high school guidance counselor, principal, or other school official to fill out the SAT Request for Waiver of College Application Fee form or to submit an official letter on your behalf. The form, or official letter, should be mailed to: MIT Office of Admissions, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Rm. 3-108, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 by the application deadline.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Do not let money keep you from applying. If you qualify for the fee waiver, you need that $80 a lot more than MIT does, and MIT understands that.</p>
<p>Sorry about the capitals. Applying to US colleges is a big challenge here. Even if we obtain a fee waiver, which is easy to obtain, the application fee is still huge. Sending TOEFL, SAT and SAT subject test scores to about 15 colleges still costs a lot of money. The students HAVE to apply to about 15 colleges because so few colleges give fin aid to international students and this small pool is extremely competitive.</p>
<p>skunk, im just curious, what country exactly are you from?</p>
<p>If your dream is to attend MIT, then you should apply, of course! Don't let anything stand in your way. </p>
<p>But you should know WHY you want to apply to MIT, and that should come out in your application. Look over MIT's website carefully, figure out what really rings your personal bells, and make sure you say that in some way on your app.</p>
<p>Your grades may be your weak spot, but make sure every other piece of your app is rock-solid. Get amazing recs, talk passionately about your activities outside school, and just generally sound like a person who would fit in and be happy as a clam at MIT.</p>
<p>Your SAT IIs are great, how is your SAT 1? Your GPA is not THAT bad, but piece of advice -- don't waste your app tearing down the educational system in your country. You would be surprised at how savvy and knowledgeable the MIT admissions team is about educational standards in various countries/schools. Do not underestimate the MIT admissions office!</p>