<p>i am applying to MIT as a transfer student
i was wondering what the transfer process was like, should I still do an interview, ect. What can improve my chances??
I know MIT admits very few transfer students.. heres my info
-Im a female from an Arizona community college
-I meet all the transfer admissions requirements
-I plan to take the SAT's this fall (not expecting an amazing score, unfortunately)
-I have a 3.5 GPA, enrolled in College Honors Program
-Im majoring in Nuclear Engineering, currently I work in the chemistry lab at my college and am in an undergrad research program, I plan to apply to as many summer internships at national laboratories as i can over the summer.
-Im VERY passionate about my major and im sure that my essay will reveal that:), I have written several papers and had one of them printed in the local newspaper (about promoting nuclear fusion research)
Do I have a chance? Just how selective is MIT for transfer students??</p>
<p>MIT's transfer acceptance rate over the past few years has been roughly 2%, far more selective than regular freshman admissions. I would recommend studying VERY HARD for the SATs to get "an amazing score", which would be a minimum for considering applying to transfer. (NOTE: you will ALSO need TWO SAT IIs to apply for transfer, one math and one science so be sure to schedule those also.)</p>
<p>Common Data Sets where you can see the applicant/admittance information for the previous couple years:
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/ir/cds/2004/d.html%5B/url%5D">http://web.mit.edu/ir/cds/2004/d.html</a> (5 / 319 admitted)
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/ir/cds/2005/d.html%5B/url%5D">http://web.mit.edu/ir/cds/2005/d.html</a> (6 / 302 admitted)</p>
<p>Other threads about transfer applications which you may find useful:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=135761%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=135761</a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=135861%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=135861</a></p>
<p>One quote from texas137 in that last thread that I think is apt:
[quote]
MIT is only going to accept a transfer who has something unique to offer in the context of the students who are already there. They don't need to fill seats; they have been overenrolled for the past 3 years at least and there are very few people who leave. You are not just competing against the other 300+ transfer applicants. In a sense, you are competing against the students who are already there. MIT does not need to accept any transfer students. They are only going to do it if the student has something exceptional to offer within the context of the students who they already have.
[/quote]
It is difficult for anyone to be accepted as a transfer student; how can you distinguish yourself as someone MIT would want to add to their current students?</p>
<p>That said, it is also completely correct that if you DON'T apply, your chances of getting accepted are ZERO! :) So study up (search CC for the Xiggi method of studying for SATs, which many have said helps) and ace those SATs, then get some stellar recs from profs at your current school and write fantastic essays. Good luck.</p>
<p>Just curious, for transfer applicants who are freshmen, how much do first semester grades matter? As much as SAT scores or school grades? Less/more? Because I did improve my SATs "dramatically" (640->800) and performed way better in Math courses (a notable weakness of my previous app) than other courses, getting more than 100% in some courses/exams. But the overall first semester grades are only average by my university's standards. I am in the hardest major at a 3-year college, but then again, I don't really have a concrete excuse other than that it was a period of adjustment. I hope the SAT IIs and school grades still matter more than first semester college grades. :-</p>