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<p>^THIS.</p>
<p>This, to me, is the heart of the whole thread (okay, I stopped reading at page 4 and then picked it up again half way through page 6 … so maybe not the whole thread).</p>
<p>Point is: Yes, it seems best to me that we should all just let our students decide what they want to pursue, and where they want to apply (as long as we can afford the application fees), and then let colleges (including MIT) decide whether they want to accept our students, rather than compelling our students to do anything just to please admissions. The reality is, after all, that we don’t really know what admissions is looking for in an applicant, we’re all only guessing – in every case. Even MIT alum, don’t really know exactly who will make the grade year after year. They would likely have a pretty good idea if an applicant would be a good fit, upon meeting that applicant and spending time with him/her, but they still wouldn’t know for certain if MIT Admissions would select that applicant for admission. It’s just that selective. More qualified applicants than spots.</p>
<p>On a more personal level:
My son was accepted EA into MIT for this fall. He chose NOT to attend. He took the free-ride and stipend at Texas A&M instead. He got enormously generous grant money from MIT. We were shocked. And so very excited! But upon calling FA, we learned that the grant amounts would, understandably, likely decrease after older siblings graduated from college, and/or I took a promotion (which has been the plan all along, now that the kids are gone from my single-parent, financially-strained home). And so, money was the primary driving factor in my son’s decision to attend A&M. Unfortunately, I think the other driving factor, which he claimed did not weigh heavily, was that he had that sinking feeling, as was mentioned earlier in this thread, that MIT might have made a mistake when they chose him. It does make me a little sad when I think of the opportunity lost – I am pretty confident that MIT did not make a mistake with him – but I also know that this had to be his choice, not mine. He had to choose what he thought was best for him. It’s that kind of thinking that got him into MIT in the first place – him choosing his own way, and excelling at his choices. And so, maybe MIT will be in the cards for grad school. At least that’s what he’s hoping for so far. Meanwhile, he’s already had some extraordinary opportunities at Texas A&M, including a trip to Italy this summer, before his freshman year even began. I think he’s going to be fine. It’s just another path. A still-good path.</p>
<p>My son had zero research experience when he was accepted, btw. He is from an excellent, very competitive school district. We’re lucky that way. He was a repeat all-state musician in a very competitive state for music. He enjoyed his community service “job,” which he held for 5 years. And he is, like all MIT acceptees, extraordinarily bright – like clearly “above the rest,” in his relatively small world so far, in that area. His letters of recommendation were extraordinary. And he has a heart of gold, which he is known for, and which, I am pretty sure, came out in his applications. He is selfless and humble. But he had no research experience and not really any “passion” for research. He did not ever ask me if there was a way to do research, and I never thought to ask him if he wanted to. We came to find out later that children of doctors and scientists in our own community “do research.” Frankly (oh boy, I think I’m going to get it!), I think it’s kind of silly – middle schoolers with a “passion” for research?! My thought on that is, most kids do not long to do research in middle school. It’s not even on their radar. That doesn’t make them ineligible or unqualified for our nation’s best universities. I totally agree with molliebatmit’s assessment that those who seek it out are often children of scientists and researchers. And by that, I mean, it may be more of the parents’ passion than the kids’.</p>
<p>I think that MIT’s blogs, and the MIT website in general, do a better job explaining what they’re looking for in an applicant than any other school’s site. By far. Everyone thinking about MIT should check them out! :)</p>