<p>I'm curious about the ever-present admissions method. How much stock is placed in EC's, community service, essays? I've got a good GPA and good-looking courses, but I'm lacking in the EC and community service department. The only EC i have is debate, which as any Forensics debater will know sucks up quite alot of time, and I also have my church group, NYI. Anyone get accepted with low EC's, or know about the stock placed in these two groups? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>//EDIT: Also, will it look bad or put me in a less advantageous light that neither are science oriented?</p>
<p>Well, it's not a question of "how many ECs can you pile on your plate" -- and rightfully so -- but MIT does want to see that you have an activity/a few activities that you're excited about. (Anyway, there are only 5 spaces on the application for ECs, forcing you to pick what's most important to you, so the person with 5 zillion meaningless ECs isn't really in a better position than someone with a few meaningful ones.)</p>
<p>I'm not sure whether having science-related ECs has a strong effect in admissions. Certainly there are many of us here (me included!) who didn't do anything particularly science-related in high school.</p>
<p>Mollie. I was going through the BCS site on MIT, looking for someone who can perhaps give me some advice for this project I have been working on? I took the liberty to email this postdoc(stupid I know, but his work seemed the most related to what I am doing), and well... yeah. Maybe in a few years he'll respond ;). Anyway, if I want to get advice on AI related stuff, the BCS ppl seem to be the right people to contact. I am also contacting local universities(a professor at Duke). </p>
<p>How should I go about contacting people? What kinds of positions(undergrad, grad, faculty, postdoc, etc) should I try and talk with?</p>
<p>BCS people would definitely be the right people to contact.</p>
<p>Faculty are generally the best people to talk to about things like this (ie you email faculty when you want a position in their lab as a UROP or something), because they're in the best position to get something done. Then they delegate a postdoc from on high to speak with you. :) </p>
<p>I think the best way to go about contacting faculty is to email the faculty member and his administrative assistant -- that way the administrative assistant reminds the PI that you emailed until he gets back to you!</p>
<p>But personally I don't see anything wrong with contacting postdocs if you want advice. I should imagine they'd be far more likely to respond, as they're far less busy (and get far less email) than PIs do.</p>