What are my chances at MIT? H.S. Junior with a vested interest

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am a High School Junior and am really interested in MIT. I am an African-American male.</p>

<p>Here are my stats:</p>

<p>SAT: 1420 (710 / 710)
GPA: 3.8
I have yet to take SATII exams</p>

<p>AP Classes:</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
Chemistry (4)
English Language (4)
Computer Science (4)
Calculus AB (5)
World History (5)</p>

<p>This Year:
U.S. History
Physics B
English Literature
Calculus BC
Spanish Language</p>

<p>I have played the Viola (for 6 years), and the Piano (for 7 years).</p>

<p>Extra-curriculars include:
Robotics club (since freshman year)
-Treasurer (Sophomore year)
-Vice President (Junior year)
Math club (since freshman year)
Debate club
Track and Field (JV)
Youth Council Member (since the 9th grade)</p>

<p>Community Service: 887 hours</p>

<p>I have applied to MITE2S, I actually mailed my application less than 6 hours ago.</p>

<p>As for the Guidance Counselor, Math and Science teacher evaluations: they are all extremely well-done. My teachers and counselor know me as a very earnest, hard-working, dedicated, and motivated person. I tend to work well with other students, and am more than willing to help others in class,</p>

<p>I was wondering what you all think my chances are for MIT (next fall) or MITE2S, as the MITE2S program is something I would enjoy and benefit from. I would be so ecstatic if I were accepted at MITE2S, and would take the opportunity as more than a "fun" type of summer program, hopefully meeting people on campus and establish those ever-so-important "connections."</p>

<p>If I were to attend MIT, I would hopefully major in Computer Hardware Engineering, and possibly minor in Computer Software Engineering or Materials. I understand that it is a little dangerous to decide on a major so early (as my college application process has barely started!), but I find the hardware aspect of computing/robotics to be much more fascinating and rewarding than the software component. Nothing has ticked me more than wasting 2+ hours on a "software issue," when it turned out that some of our brilliant engineers used the wrong rating of a ball-bearing :-p</p>

<p>I think I will apply to MIT Early-Action next year, as my current mindset truly is "MIT or bust..." Tell me what you think!</p>

2

<p>wow stop worrying. 3.8 GPA. tons of APs. lots of leadership roles. plus you're african american. just show interest in you're essays, interview and you have a high chance. don't get discouraged if u dont get in early action. it's really selective there. broaden your college search to other good schools like stanford, caltech, etc. </p>

<p>try to bring up ur SAT I score a bit and do well on SAT II.</p>

3

<p>According to Dr. Thomas Sowell, blacks at MIT have top ten percent SAT scores nationwide, but bottom ten percent at MIT (Affirmative Action Around The World).</p>

<p>So, if you raise your scores noticeably, it will help TREMENDOUSLY.</p>

<p>Otherwise, amazing and solid stats. 887 hours...</p>

4

<p>Probably excellent. Your SATs are within the range of students getting accepted to MIT. Meanwhile, according to a 2004 issue of The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, your SAT scores also are in the top .7% (yes, you read that right) of African Americans, which makes you in a category of students much in demand by top colleges. </p>

<p>Only about 16% or so of black students take calculus, which is another plus for you. And, of course, of the black students with scores like yours, relatively few will be planning to apply to MIT, whiuch is another plus.</p>

<p>Applying EA is fine. Just don't apply anywhere binding ED. First, you don't need the tip. Unless you do something major to hurt your grades-- such as getting all Ds, Fs this spring, you will have a good chance of getting into virtually any college that you want to in the country.</p>

<p>Second, if you apply ED, you will be giving up all chances of getting merit aid. Now, if your parents are millionaires, merit aid won't matter to you, so go right ahead and apply ED.</p>

<p>If they are not millionaires, though, need-based aid that places like MIT and HPYS give might be nice, but your parents might greatly appreciate the extra money that they could save if you were to get a hefty merit aid package. </p>

<p>Among top schools with generous merit aid are Duke, Washington University, Rice, Carnegie Mellon, CalTech, UNC, Johns Hopkins (which has, I am fairly sure, great scholarships for URM or black engineering students), U Va. (check directly with financial aid because when I visited a few years ago, they had some scholarships earmarked for top black students). Vanderbilt and Emory.</p>

<p>If your family income is $40 k a year or less, you would qualify for wonderful need-based financial aid from both Princeton and Harvard. Check their web sites for details. I believe that both offer 100% grants (i.e. no loans in the package) to students with such family incomes. The schools do meet 100% of demonstrated financial need of all applicants (which usually means getting a package with loans, grants and work study), and some students from families making $150 k a year get aid.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, according to fall, 2003 issue of The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (a wonderful information source about stats about black students and top universities), here are the admission rates for black students at some top universities. I will list the school, # of black applicants, black acceptance rate, black enrollees, black % in their first year class:</p>

<p>MIT, 356, 34%, 62, 6.1%
Emory: 1,393, 34.8%, 107, 8.2%
University of Virginia: 947, 64.2%, 290, 9.3%
UNC Chapel Hill: 2,041, 34.4%, 414, 11.8%
Carnegie Mellon: 793, 48.5%, 73, 5.4%
Washington University: 1,718, 17.5%, 91, 6.6%
U of Penn. (HPYS did not report all of their stats): 1,246, 28%, 177, 7.3%
Johns Hopkins: 810, 36.8%, 82, 7.8%
CalTech: 59, 15.3% (admissions is very stats-driven, and few black applicants have high enough stats), 0, 0 (because most black CalTech-accepted students get other offers from excellent schools with far more diversity)</p>

<p>And,according to the autumn, 2004 issue of the same journal:</p>

<p>"In 2004, 136,853 African Americans took the SAT....Only 945 scored 700 or above on the math SAT and only 1,035 scored at least 700 on the verbal SAT....in the top-scoring category of all SAT test takers, blacks make up only 1.0% of the students scoring 700 or higher on the math test and only 1.4 % of the students scoring 700 or higher on the verbal SAT."</p>

<p>It also said that while 25% of white test takers had taken calculus, only 13% of black sutdents had done so. Only 0.7 (correct!) of black students scored at least 700 on the SAT compared to 5.9% of all white test takers.</p>

<p>Please do not ask me to look up more schools, but those should give you an idea about your odds Remember, few black students have your kind of stats or curriculum.</p>

<p>Incidentally, my S also has stats similar to yours and also applied to MITE2S. Are you applying to any other summer programs? Last summer, he went to Wisconsin's program with a student whom I had encountered on CC.</p>

5

<p>
[quote]
According to Dr. Thomas Sowell, blacks at MIT have top ten percent SAT scores nationwide, but bottom ten percent at MIT (Affirmative Action Around The World).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This might be true, but I think the original poster is the type of URM that could do extremely well at MIT. Tremendously well. He has 5!! AP scores of 4 or 5, just from sophomore year!</p>

<p>I would get that SAT up just a bit. It's still an extremely competitive score, but I think you can get at least a 2250 on the new SAT. Then, you're obviously going to need an SAT II in Physics or Chemistry, and an SAT II Math. The SAT II Math should be a walk in the park for you after the 5 in AP Calculus. I would also personally advise the SAT II Physics (if you feel you can handle the material), because it is more generously curved than the Chemistry.</p>

<p>I think MIT would actually be an excellent match for you. Apply with confidence in the fact that your application will recieve a full and thorough review, and strong consideration. You can't be sure of any one particular school, but I'm almost positive you'll get admitted to some top programs that you will love.</p>

<p>Joey</p>

6

<p>Thank you so much for your input everyone.</p>

<p>I do plan on taking the new SAT, but I will probably wait until</p>

<p>To Northstarmom, I wish the best of luck to your son with MITE2S and hopefully I can meet him there :)</p>

<p>I would appreciate any additional info that any past/current students would have, specifically about the MIT experience (being the classes, professors, campus).</p>

7

<p>bump bump bump!</p>

8

<p>91.8534% chance of getting in =)</p>

<p>btw i have a secret formula which i use to calc these exact percentages...jk! sorry but um yea ur most likely in, maybe a raise in sat scores to further ur chances</p>

9

<p>Computer Hardware Engineering, and possibly minor in Computer Software Engineering or Materials.</p>

<p>Umm, its a bad idea to say you want to do a major that doesn't even exist</p>

10

<p>My mistake.</p>

<p>Major would be Electrical Engineering and Computer Science</p>

<p>Minor would be Mathematics with Computer science</p>

<p>Rather mixed up :-p</p>