What are some things I can do as a freshman in highschool to strengthen my chances of getting into MIT and other t20 universities with strong STEM programs? As summer approaches, I’m starting to try to plan out next year and also things I can do to prepare over the summer. I know it’s still really early but I’m curious what some advice would be.
What are some things I can do as a freshman in highschool to strengthen my chances of getting into M
Top grades, rigorous courses, meaningful extracurricular activities with leadership roles, strong standardized test scores.
MIT specifically has a great set of admissions blogs that discuss their admissions processes, what they are looking for, etc. - one of the more transparent schools out there. It would be worth spending some time reading them.
“What we look for” is a good place to start.
https://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/what-we-look-for/
And follow the provided links.
Thank you! Any particular extra curricular activities that these kind of schools like to see?
If you want to be an Engineer, any ABET accredited program is going to give you a very good education. So don’t worry so much about Top20.
Look at your student handbook and see the Math track at your HS. Make sure you can get to AP Calc AB (at the minimum)…so if you are taking Algebra now, then double up on Math next year so you can take Pre-calc and then Calc.
If you are advanced in Math, talk to your GC about what is available in Dual Enrollment if you have exhausted your math options at your HS.
Check out “How to be a High School Superstar” by Cal Newport.
“The basic message of the book is this: Don’t wear yourself out taking as many classes as you can and being involved in every club and sport. Instead, leave yourself enough free time to explore your interests. Cultivate one interest and make it into something special that will make you stand out among the other applicants and get you into the toughest schools, even if your grades and scores aren’t stellar. Newport calls this the “relaxed superstar approach,” and he shows you how to really do this, breaking the process down into three principles, explained and illustrated with real life examples of students who got into top schools: (1) underscheduling—making sure you have copious amounts of free time to pursue interesting things, (2) focusing on one or two pursuits instead of trying to be a “jack of all trades,” and (3) innovation—developing an interesting and important activity or project in your area of interest. This fruit yielded by this strategy, an interesting life and real, meaningful achievements, is sure to help not only with college admissions, but getting a job, starting a business, or whatever your goals.”
http://www.examiner.com/review/be-a-relaxed-high-school-superstar