What are my chances as an international student?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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<p>Hi there, </p>

<p>so I guess that you are already sick of all these threads, but hey, this is the best place to ask!</p>

<p>So I am from student from Slovakia, we don't have any GPA, but we of course have an "equivalent", which is called "maturita" (i.e. final exam). </p>

<p>So my first question is, how well do US universities recognize international high schools results? I guess they are pretty familiar with UK's A-levels, but I am not sure about the other countries. </p>

<p>This year, I was applying to the UK universities, I've got accepted to all of my choices - Imperial London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester (Imperial wants me to sit a STEP tho), but I have decided that I will take a gap year and apply to the US. Simply because it would be a lot more cheaper for me as our family income is terrible, and well, MIT is much better university for computer science than Imperial is. </p>

<p>What would that mean is, obviously, I would have to sit a SAT. From brief look, I didn't find it that much hard, maths is really a piece of cake, however what could be a problem is my current level of English (grade 7 out of 9 from IELTS), as there are many unusual words and expressions in critical reading. That could be just solved by finding a native tutor who would give me lessons to improve my English.</p>

<p>So my second question is, what score would "guarantee" me a place on MIT? Are we talking about 2200+ or more like 2300+?</p>

<p>SAT II. This will be the biggest problem as I didn't have either physics, chemistry or biology on high school. But as I consider myself really good at maths, I guess the best choice for me would be to study physics. I already find a textbook on Amazon for it and after little bit of research I found out that it isn't really hard, probably same difficulty as maths.</p>

<p>Again, what score should I get on SAT II?</p>

<p>An essay. So as I previously mentioned, I was applying to the UK universities for computer science this year and naturally, I had to write a "personal statement" about this subject. If you are really interested you can read it here - <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RQLPxdTMd4Zyw-J_zGudrsO9IvxBcix_rtSt7KXcASw/edit%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RQLPxdTMd4Zyw-J_zGudrsO9IvxBcix_rtSt7KXcASw/edit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>My question is - would be such an essay enough for MIT? Or do they prefer essays on different topics? </p>

<p>Extracurricular. To be honest, I don't do lot of them. I played on piano for 5 years, but I quit two years ago so I am not sure if that would count. Apart from that I often tutor maths to my friends and schoolmates (really often) who are in need of help and I find it really entertaining. </p>

<p>I also took external online course CS50x from Harvard (introduction to CompSci, taught by David J. Malan), from which I should get a certificate, but mainly, knowledge of basics of CompSci and programming languages. Today, my two other courses also begun - Calculus from Ohio and Calculus One from Pennsylvania. Do these courses count as extracurricular?</p>

<p>Lastly, on Common Application, I saw an option to upload an additional essay describing my circumstances or qualifications which couldn't be reflected in my main essay. So I guess I could write there that I come from really poor family (our income is something about 7000 usd / year), my mother has schizophrenia, my father is a drunk and I don't have the best conditions. Do they care about these things?</p>

<p>Thank you for your answers, much appreciated. </p>

<p>p.s. - killparis is an artist, no offense to Paris or something like that ^^</p>

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<p>Yes, MIT does understand and appreciate a wide variety of high school situations. Your application will be evaluated in the context of your situation. So take for example your lack of ECs. If ECs were rare or not offered at your high school (as is true in many countries), then your lack of formal ECs won’t hurt you. Basically in EC’s MIT (and other schools)) are asking "What choices does this student make about how to fill their time when they are not in class? "</p>

<p>There is no SAT score (not even 2400) which will guarantee you admission to MIT (or any competitive US institution).</p>

<p>If you are worried about your English, and its affect on your scores, remember that MIT allows you to substitute the TOEFL for the SAT and even says

[quote]
If you have been using English for less than 5 years or do not speak English at home and school, we strongly suggest that you take the TOEFL. <a href=“from%20%5Burl=http://mitadmissions.org/apply/freshman/tests]Tests%20&%20Scores%20|%20MIT%20Admissions[/url]”>/quote</a>. That being said you still need the two SAT II Tests.</p>

<p>If you need the fee waiver, take the fee waiver. Nobody at the admissions office will think any less of you if you need the waiver, nor will it affect your chances of admission in any way. Every year I meet students who need the waiver but choose not to take it. That’s just silly.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that a UCAS personal statement is next to useless on any US application. If you are applying to any top UK university, you are applying to a department, and your personal statement should be a paean to the glories of that field of study. “Why I love physics” makes for a great UCAS personal statement but generally a poor US application essay. At MIT, you are applying to the university, not the department. Future Architects, Engineers, Political Scientists and Philosophers all have the same application process reviewed by the single admissions office.</p>

<p>Pay real attention to the match between yourself and MIT. [The</a> Match Between You And MIT | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/match]The”>What we look for | MIT Admissions) That is the most important thing in admissions.</p>

<p>Hope this helps,
Mikalye</p>

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<p>Hi, I’m a student from Poland and I’ve tried both the UK and US universities just like you. Last year, I applied to MIT, but was rejected. This year I applied to the UK ones, and I was accepted to Cambridge, Imperial, Bristol and Sheff (haven’t heard from Edinburgh, though…). Admittedly, quite a bit has changed in my circumstances since I applied to MIT; however, it still seems to me it is MUCH harder to get into than the UK unis (for international students, anyway).</p>

<p>As for essays, you will find that MIT has it’s own application process, which isn’t CommonApp, and you’ll be required to write several essays, not just one.</p>

<p>However, one thing I wanted to tell you, which isn’t connected to MIT. I see your household income is similar to mine - please, plan ahead. I found that to make it possible for me to study in the UK I need to work here this year AND apply for deferred entry (thus having two years of working in the UK and saving up), to be able to afford going to a university here. And, it still will not be easy, from how things look right now. So, I wish you success with your application to US unis, because you’re right, it IS cheaper - but I would advise you, do think about your other options, and what they require of you.</p>

<p>Just wanted to throw it in, maybe it doesn’t apply to you, at all :slight_smile: If you have any questions, feel free to PM me :)</p>