<p>I heard that after a certain SAT/ACT score MIT dosen't look at your scores anymore for admission, and instead focuses on extracirriculars. Is this true?
I went to an open house once and was told that if your scores are 650+ on the three sections and 30+ on the ACT, that test scores don't determine whether you get in or not. You are considered competitive.
I think it might be true. I mean, I see applicants from CC forums who score 2300+ and 34+ on the SAT and ACT and get rejected. Unlike some of the Ivy schools, I don't think MIT puts much weight on standardized tests.
What do you think?</p>
<p>Sounds about right. It’s that way at most schools of this caliber coz SATs really don’t measure much. And I’ve always that MIT in particular really wants to see passion.</p>
<p>Thanks confused92.
Here’s a follow up question.
Does MIT look at your test scores with respect to the scores of others within your high school? What if your high schools sucks and the highest test score was a 2140/32 in the entire school? Wouldn’t MIT comprehend that yeah, he/she did well compared to his/her environment?
OF course the valedictorian from Stuy. high school will get a 2400, he was in that type of environment, but the valedictorian from an o.k. high school might only get a 2100.
Does this matter?</p>
<p>I think high school GPA would depend more on the ‘highschool environment’ than SAT scores would.</p>
<p>They are pretty clear about taking an applicant’s environment and background into account.</p>
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<p>Uh, I don’t think so. What they usually say is 700+ on each of the sections is the same and that they don’t care about writing. I don’t know who gave you that info. </p>
<p>However, I’m not sure that’s really the case. It’s more like 750+ is considered the same (obviously there is no hard cut-off but you get the idea.)</p>
<p>This was from a Yale adcom, but I think it applies to MIT as well: “How much attention do we pay to test scores? A little more than we admit, but a lot less than you think.”</p>
<p>OK, so can someone explain to me how my friend got waitlisted 2013 RD instead of being flat out rejected?
SAT 1: 1790 (610 R 680 M 500 W)
SAT 2: 710 Math 2 760 Chemistry
He was in the top 15% in a sort of competitive high school with a 91% gpa.
He was asian and from New York!! No hooks.
However, he was an Intel Semifinalist. Is that why he wasn’t rejected?</p>
<p>I think he exemplifies the fact that you can get in, or not get rejected just because you have mediocre test scores. He probably showed some passion and the adcoms really liked it.
In my perspective, MIT would rather see an extremely smart student with passion and love for something that he pursues rather than a 2300+, international award winning, super genius with just stats!!</p>
<p>Being an Asian, I feel that you don’t need 2350+ to get in. They will accept a 2100+ or a 32+ on the ACT, as long as you can show them that there is something different about you or your situation, from the other 14,999 applicants applying. You need to strongly portray “The Match between you and MIT” to get in.
Get the amazing recs, show passion for one specific thing, and stop worrying about being Asian.</p>
<p>I think there is a great risk of confusing correlation and causation in any discussion like this. One need only look at the test statistics for admitted students to see that the usual SAT/ACT scores at MIT, as at most highly selective schools, are quite high. That suggests that in order to gain admission to such schools you must have high scores. But it may also simply mean that those students who have the qualities that are most important for admission at such schools coincidentally tend to have high standardized test scores. </p>
<p>It is most likely a cross between these two possibilities.</p>
<p>In any case, good luck to all.</p>
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<p>Probably. Intel Semifinalist is a big deal. The whole point of MIT is that its graduates are willing to get their hands dirty and go out and make discoveries. And I don’t have any inside info, but it seems like a lot of the MIT admits that post on here with non-stellar scores (even in math) have had significant success in some kind of research competition.</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that MIT does not care about the writing SAT score. They do not think it is indicative of writing ability. Most adcoms share their opinion. So the 500 writing score was irrelevant.</p>
<p>After speaking to several MIT counselors (the ones who do the interviews), they realize that we freak out about this subject. The way they explained it to me is that MIT looks at your appilcation as a whole. For example, out of ten things MIT looks at, SAT scores is just one out of the ten. They do not accept/reject you based on just one of those parts. I know my scores on the subject tests are under 600, but I feel that i was able to portray myself in a unique way. Currently I am working on the consideration essay and will submit as soon as thats done.</p>
<p>Do they go easier on first generation college students? IF the person comes from a low income family, he/she will probably not have tutors and will have to work to support the family.
I’m assuming that they will go easier on your application, and your chances of admission do increase, considering that you waren’t raised in an enviornment where education was emphasized.</p>
<p>Collegealum314, it is not necessary to be in competitions to get into MIT. One could do a lot of research on a topic that the person is passionate about and still get into MIT. In some schools, students have research teams that send kids to Inel and Westinghouse, but at some schools, research and competitions are not emphasized as much.
I hope MIT realizes that!!</p>
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So are you saying ‘MIT does’, or ‘MIT should’? :P</snip></p>
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<p>I was asking a specific question on why someone with relatively low stats might have been admitted.</p>
<p>BTW, I’m not sure what you mean about schools with “research teams.” Generally, schools with research programs just set you up with a mentor. You can do this by yourself by just emailing a prof at a neighboring university. And anyone can submit to Intel or Siemens.</p>
<p>True, but if you’ve grown up in an environment and setting where you haven’t heard about things like Intel or Siemens, I really don’t think you would be disadvantaged when applying to MIT. Example, if a student was first generation, his parents wouldn’t have given him/her motivation to participate in competition, b/c they themselves have never heard of it.
Isin’t also true that most of the kids who win these competitions have parents who are well educated and in the science fields as well?</p>
<p>I think the students that enter/win competitions come from a variety of backgrounds. They may have educated parents, or they may go to a school with a savvy science department. Or they may have the foresight, knowledge, and motivation to enter entirely of their own accord.</p>
<p>This is why the application has ample room to describe your upbringing and environment. Every student is different.</p>