<p>Edit: Just found the latest common data set and apparently it's 5% now! yay.</p>
<p>Is there a point to applying as someone who hasn't won national competitions or published high-impact papers or is it just a total waste of $75?</p>
<p>Admissions website also says "You must take the new SAT I with the writing component and two SAT II subject tests." We can't substitute ACT?</p>
<p>Depends…
How much does it mean to you to go to MIT?
What other schools (if any) are you applying to transfer too?
Also what year are you (applying after freshman or sophmore year)?</p>
<p>Also if you want us to tell you whether you should apply, you should post all of your relevant information for a chance thread, all of your high school/ college information
HS:
How good was your school?
What type of classes did you take (honors/APs)?
Class Rank?
How many APs/ IBs did you take and what were your scores on each of these?
What was your weighted and unweighted GPA for high school?
What were your SATI and SAT subject test scores ( and which ones did you take) for each section/ your ACT score?
What ECS do you have from high school?
Any awards or honors that you got from you school?
etc. the more you provide the better chance we have of telling you </p>
<p>Also include all this information such as GPA and ECs/ awards for college too, In addition to:
What college are you at?
What classes are you taking?
etc.</p>
<p>Applying after Freshman year
High school GPA was 3.9+, top 5%, decent public high school (10-20 kids to top schools every year?)
Took mostly honors and APs. 8 AP exams, 5s on Calc BC, Physics C (Mechanics), Stats, Chem, Bio, AP Euro, APUSH. 4 English…
ACT: 36 / SAT: 2330 highest
Took Math II and Chem for SATII, 800s on both, probably not too exceptional.
No real significant awards in high school, I guess National Merit finalist if that counts.</p>
<p>I’m attending UMich-Engineering right now, rising sophomore, 3.9 GPA and am attending on full ride merit scholarships.</p>
<p>I’ve been doing a smattering of extracurriculars here in college: build teams, local volunteering, volunteering abroad, and research (2 posters, no publications, got a paid fellowship this summer) No real leadership roles yet, I’m afraid.</p>
<p>My high school ECs were crappy and not worth mentioning. I like Michigan, but feel that MIT’s atmosphere would fit me better. I’m pretty good at taking tests, but I’m not a superstar in terms of achievements/extracurriculars, so might not stand out in the transfer app pool :/</p>
<p>Well if you really want to go to MIT, then there is no use not applying. Just try to make the most of the time you have now to do as many/ as indepth/ the best ECs you can do. I am sure with such a small percentage no one is guarenteed a spot as a transfer student at MIT. Just make sure to do the best job you can with ecs between then and now, try to get some research/ publications/ leadership roles if you can. Also try to make the most of your essay, as this is one of the most important things for any transfer applicant, and if you really shine, I am sure it will really help your chances.
Are you applying to anywhere else as a transfer besides MIT, or is it a case that if you can’t go to MIT you are happy to stay where you are?
Remember, this is not your last shot to apply, If you do not make it in now, you still have a year to take full advantage on in terms of ECs and leadership, and research (besides the fact that when you apply for junior year, there is much less emphasis on what you do or didn’t do in high school, it plays a smaller part)</p>
I know a transfer student (coincidentally enough, she transferred from UMich!), and she did neither of these things. Superstar-ship can’t hurt, but I doubt it’s required to be admitted. A low admission rate doesn’t necessarily mean the successful applicants were blindingly amazing.</p>
<p>I’ll be applying to Stanford and MIT. If I get into neither, I’ll still be satisfied staying at UMich - I do like the school, just feel that MIT/Stanford would be better fits. Thanks for the comments, everyone, guess I’ll just try for it and see what happens. :)</p>