I’m a Junior right now in the IB program. My unweighted isn’t the best, it’s a 3.83 (this isn’t all from IB, I got a few B’s before and it started 8th grade. My school doesn’t do a good job informing us about the system and about colleges, etc.)
I’m in mu alpha theta and FBLA, and I also do science national honors society… I’m in beta club also.
My problem is that there aren’t many bright kids I can prep with or study with, so I have a severe lack of motivation that caused this whole “laziness” issue. There’s just no one that shares my passion for math or physics…
I got very serious now and I feel like it’s too late I never realized that any of this olympiad stuff existed until late 10th grade…
My interest is to make USAPHO and USAMO (and ultimately, IMO and IPhO)
I bought 3 AoPs books to start out with, volume 1, 2 and calculus. I plan to get more.
I’ve been in contact with a couple people that made ivy league (one is a current senior, made MIT, another is a sophomore in college who made Harvard MIT and Yale)
They told me that mu alpha theta isn’t all that usefull, and neither is FBLA or SNHS.
So now I’m focusing my time on prepping for olympiads.
What can I do at this point? Is it too late for me to make ivy or MIT undergrad?
I realize the amount of effort it takes and I"m totally prepared to commit and prep.
So what can I do?
In case I do make USAMO or USAPHO or something, do I wait a year before applying ? Would it improve my chances of getting in?
Do u have ANY outside interests besides academic ones? Do u play a sport, sing/dance/act on stage, feed orphans, play in a marching band, etc?
The elite American colleges you mention aren’t interested in one-dimensional students, unless that one-dimensional student has parents who are willing to fund a $60 million new academic building.
I’m focusing on creating a “spike” in a certain field, instead of trying to be well rounded. After lots of internet searching I saw that ivies and MIT prefer a spike over well roundedness, so I’m trying for that.
I don’t really play sports or sing/dance/act, but as an IB requirement I do volunteer. I used to play violin (played for over 5 years).
“Spike” generally doesn’t include academic achievement. Those schools get PLENTY of smart students. They’re looking for students who can walk and chew gum at the same time.
The best thing you can do to “prepare” is to assume that, unless you have a strong “hook” (recruited athlete, famous parents, famous in your own right, billionaire parents, URM) , admission into those schools is pretty much a lottery. Math & physics olympiads are not a hook.
@shumpu123 I don’t think you’re approaching this correctly. Interests and passions come naturally to you; don’t try to be all one-sided for the purpose of increasing admissions chances; it won’t work. As an MIT student, I know many dozens of other MIT students, and they have a very wide range of interests and abilities.
Also, you mentioned international olympiads - IMO is extremely difficult to qualify from the US (since you pretty much need to make black MOP), and many IMO participants from the US and Canada that I know have studied higher math for a long time. I don’t know about USAPhO or IPhO, but I’d imagine it takes a similar amount of dedication.
Involve yourself in things that are meaningful and important to you. Then when when you apply to schools, you will be competitive for schools that view your credentials as a good match to the school. (as per http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways)
I truly am interested in math and physics and thats all I seem to be very interested in. I do like to play sports but Im not the kind who would be winning anything.
But my friends are telling me its too late to make undergrad, and not to transfer or take a gap year. They said just apply for grad school for ivy if i really want to go there.
@shumpu123 So what would you do if you didn’t make USAMO or USAPhO this year?
Have you taken the SAT/ACT or subject tests? If so, what were your scores?
Transferring into an Ivy or MIT is extremely tough since there are few open spots available, and taking a gap year just to (re)apply to MIT is probably not the best use of your time. If you have other pursuits or work, then maybe.
If you want to apply, then go ahead, but you might want to expand your college search.
Probably not a bad idea because pinning all your hopes on doing well in the Olympiads is not a high probability endeavor especially since you are late to the game as someone has mentioned. There are tons of great schools out there that if you do well at, you’ll have a shot top grad schools. Finish up strong this year and do well on your standardized tests. Try to be involved in some things you genuinely enjoy doing and aim to have a productive summer studying, doing research, working or anything that you find meaningful. Do all this and you’ll have a shot at some very good schools next fall. Best of luck!
@shumpu123 The big question is, why the Ivy League or MIT? Is it just for the prestige? Or something else? There are hundreds of excellent colleges and universities in the US alone. You do not need to go to an Ivy or MIT to be successful in life.
Similarly, you do not need to have qualified for a major national olympiad to be admitted to said colleges.
Academic spikes do make a difference but they do have to be significant. For example if math is your thing and you were advanced enough to take a university level differential topology math class or a class on Lie groups it would make a difference. If physics were your thing and you took a university level class on statistical thermodynamics it would be impressive. A few kids are at that level but not alot
I want to do MIT specifically because of the quality of education there. The students are all bright students and share a similar passion. MIT does so many great things and leads many advances in science, math, etc. I would love to be a part of that. It’s not about the prestige, it’s about what MIT does and about the students there who have similar passions to mine.
Meanwhile I’m here alone, no one else shares my passion at my school. It annoys me that no one else has a passion for math and physics and that I’m alone in this. There is a kid in my grade who is very good at everything, but he is going medical and while he is very good at math, I don’t feel as if he has the intense passion for it.
Where I’m from there is this thing called Dual Enrollment, where you take a college level course at a community college and you get credit for that class as well. I don’t want to take them for the added weighted gpa points or for college credit, I want to take them because I’m interested in taking those courses.
Sure you may have some good credentials, but your ability to take you from where you are now to being admitted to a decent university needs help. You’re not going to get that help here, nor does it seem you are getting it a home.
You are wasting your time. Move on - for your sake.
Falcon1 and MITer94 gave you the best advice.
yea I’m still going to prep for the olympiads because I want to and it’s my passion, and I’m still going to apply to MIT and ivies. After talking to several seniors who have been accepted to MIT, I find that I have an ok chance.
I never realized that any of this olympiad stuff existed until late 10th grade…