<p>Hello, I'm new here, and I am going to be a freshman in high school in August. I really want to get into MIT and I am good at both science and math. What math courses do I have to take in high school? From what I have read, many people who got into MIT took AP Calculus as juniors. My school only offers AP Calculus to seniors. How would this affect the chances of me getting into MIT?</p>
<p>the hardest you can possibly take lol. and get As. go out of your way to take the hardest most challenging classes possible. and if you can arrange it, take classes at the local college as well</p>
<p>haha jk..kinda. but seriously u need As in the hardest classes</p>
<p>You need to balance out the hardest classes with maximizing grades. If your school provide rank then rank will be the most important part of your application. Maximize your class rank with the hardest possible course load.
This is what I'll suggest you take.
9th grade: Hons. Physics, Hons. PreCalc, Pick other classes where you can maximize grade.
10th grade: Hons. Chem (AP Chem), AP Calc AB (AP Calc BC), AP Comp Science, Pick other classes to maximize grade
11th grade: AP Physics C, AP Chem (If not taken in 10th), AP calc BC( if not taken in 10th) otherwise take AP Statistics, Other classes to maximize grade.
Get a PSAT above 220, SAT1 above 2200 and SAT Math2C, SAT Chem/SAT Physics above 750.
Prepare for AMC 10/12 and make sure you qualify for AMIE.
Try for Chem/Physics/Math/Comp Science Olympiad.
Do some research in your Sophomore/Junior year and try for ISEF, Intel, Siemens.
Maximize your class rank with the above subjects and test scores and you will have an excellent shot at MIT.</p>
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Maximize your class rank with the above subjects and test scores and you will have an excellent shot at MIT.
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<p>Nobody has an excellent shot at MIT unless you are an IMO gold medalist. At best you have a shot. Most applicants have top scores and grades. Those who get admitted generally have something extra. MIT does not want smart robots but students who can actively contribute while in college. There is no set of required classes although they wille expect you to have taken the most challenging math and science classes available to you. even more, they value creativity in science or technology demonstrated through some projects or accomplishments. On the application, MIT asks you if you have ever created something. Even if you haven't filed for a patent, put something in there that shows your ability. Don't leave it blank!</p>
<p>cellardweller: You are wrong, there are lots of students with an excellent shot at MIT. You have to be prepared well.
If a school offers AP Calc and AP Physics C to be taken prior to junior year then the school is competitive and if you can rank high with these courses at a competitive high school then your chances at MIT are excellent.
Not every one is IMO gold medalist but they still can hace an excellent chance.</p>
<p>I don't know what you mean by excellent chance. Nobody has a greater than 20-25% chance to be admitted even with top grades. That does not qualify as excellent in my book. I am an EC (educational counselor) for MIT and I see plenty of top candidates turned down every year, many with near perfect scores and top GPA. Actually at some point, grades and scores become meaningless (over 2250 SATs). Other factors play a much bigger role. Once MIT is convinced that you can handle the very rigorous core curriculum, they will look beyond the transcript for tangible evidence of passion for the sciences.</p>
<p>You should take the most challenging math/science classes that you reasonably can. If your school only offers AP Calculus to seniors, then that is the most challenging math schedule you can take. You would be far from the only MIT freshman in this position.</p>
<p>cellardweller sums it up fairly well in post #4.</p>
<p>bennington: before you march further -- why MIT? Since practical odds are against almost anyone, what are others you'd consider?</p>
<p>Have you cited MIT because you're familiar with its prestige and name recognition? There are many, many top sci/math colleges in the USA, you know.</p>
<p>I know a kid who aced AP Calc BC as a freshman and was rejected, if that makes you feel any better, oops. </p>
<p>I go to the top public school in Illinois and no one has been admitted at MIT for the last decade. Perfect SAT's, Perfect GPA's, outrageously difficult courseloads be darned.</p>
<p>I agree that I would not be counting on admission as a given.</p>
<p>There are no set classes you must take. Take the hardest courseload you're allowed to as long as you can handle it, and do well in it. You can also apply to selective math/science programs like RSI, contact a professor to help them with research that interests you, start a science-related club, or do something else that interests you to boost your chances. But you're really too young to be on this site. Just enjoy your freshman year and start worrying about college the year after.</p>
<p>Don't worry about not being able to take calc until senior year... two kids from my school who were in AP calc BC as seniors got into MIT. Take as many honors math and science classes as you can handle and try to squeeze in some honors in other subjects too.
And don't forget to think about other schools too! You've got plenty of time.</p>
<p>You should take a look at the MIT board. It's REALLY not all about courses and grades and scores. Basically, challenge yourself, do what you love and do it as hard as you possibly can, have fun, and take the initiative to do what you want to do no matter what your background. </p>
<p>For the record, ParentofIvyHope, I'm going to MIT and I did not qualify for AIME until this year, even though I took the AMC12 last year. I organized the test at my school last year and this year and got the highest score both years, and was the first/only so far student from my school to ever take the AIME. But I applied to MIT having only ever gotten an 84 on the AMC -and yes, I did put that on my application. It's all in context. </p>
<p>But if you want to do more math than what your school "offers," don't be afraid to break boundaries. My school only "offers" calculus AB to seniors too, (no calculus BC), but I took calculus BC as a sophomore anyway and got a 5. I think initiative is a huge key. And a sense of doing what you're interested in - I love math and didn't really let my high school get in the way of my learning as much math as I possibly could, even though the opportunities it offered in that realm were pretty weak.</p>
<p>This site is also very useful: MIT</a> Admissions: The Match Between You And MIT</p>
<p>Also : you're a freshman!! Get off CC :-) (yes, CC can be depressing), stop thinking about college for a few years, and GO ENJOY HIGH SCHOOL. Challenge yourself if you enjoy the challenge. Pursue whatever goals you can think of that you'd like to do during high school. If you do it because you want to get to MIT... you will be very disappointed if you don't, which is always a possibility given the sheer number of applicants. However, if you do it because you're doing what you love and doing it to the fullest, even if you don't get into MIT, you will have had a very fulfilling high school experience.</p>
<p>Go do what you love for a few years, and come back to CC around the end of your junior year, is my advice. CC can be great help in <em>packaging</em> the great things you have spent the last few years doing so taht you can present yourself in the best way possible to admissions officers.</p>
<p>it's preposterous that you're on here, dude. You're in 8th grade.</p>
<p>Look, kid. If you weren't listening to BabyFeynman CD's in the womb, it's already too late.</p>
<p>ParentOfIvyHope's list is intense but pretty good =)</p>
<p>Yes, you should try to consider other colleges. Don't get too set on MIT.</p>
<p>That said, you need to take the most advanced math and science courses possible, and you need to take as many of them as possible, and you need to get stellar grades. If you can, take some college-level classes at a local college in the field you're interested in (narrow it down - compsci, biochem, math, etc).</p>
<p>Also, participate in national math and science olympiads. If you're interested in science, do some lab research - starting early helps, and many local scientists at local colleges love the free labor. You can work on and develop your own project under them or assist them with their work. Look into summer programs that deal with your chosen subject areas - check out MIT's RSI program (Research Science Institute, I think?). It's incredibly prestigious, but if you're in the lucky 8% chosen, it can really give you a heads up, and it has high MIT acceptance rates.</p>
<p>Also, something that I think is really important - don't limit yourself to math/science classes. Keep taking advanced English, history, foreign languages classes. I always thought I'd be a chem major, and then I realized that I love studying foreign languages way more than I like chem. But it took me until the end of sophomore year (after two years of chem and three years of foreign languages) to realize this.</p>
<p>"cellardweller: You are wrong, there are lots of students with an excellent shot at MIT. You have to be prepared well.
If a school offers AP Calc and AP Physics C to be taken prior to junior year then the school is competitive and if you can rank high with these courses at a competitive high school then your chances at MIT are excellent.
Not every one is IMO gold medalist but they still can hace an excellent chance."</p>
<p>So you're saying that even if I cannot take AP Calculus prior to my senior year, I can still get into MIT, right?</p>
<p>Some students who get into MIT don't take calculus at all during high school. Yes, you can get into MIT if you take calculus your senior year. Most MIT admits probably follow this route -- I know I did.</p>
<p>ouioui, monsieur.</p>