What kind of students does MIT look for?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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<p>I found an interesting post on the Caltech forum</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/california-institute-technology/481489-what-kind-students-does-caltech-look.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/california-institute-technology/481489-what-kind-students-does-caltech-look.html&lt;/a> </p>

<p>and wondered what answer I would get if I applied the same question on MIT.</p>

<p>This year's admissions has sure been a rough one. </p>

<p>There were ones who were turned down with stellar stats and yet there were also ppl who got admitted without those stats</p>

<p>Although some might see it as an 'irregularity', I think showing in your app that you fit into the school's culture and their taste is equally important as the statistics we see on the outside.</p>

<p>So, the question has been shot.</p>

<p>What quality in students MIT ask for?
What kind of students do they want?</p>

<p>I think this can be a very productive debate.</p>

<p>It would be even more helpful with specific examples in previous admissions held up.</p>

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<p>In addition to stellar grades and ECs, I'd assume they'd look for passion, rigor of classes, amazing essays, and how well you fit in with other students / the school in general.</p>

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<p><a href="http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/pulse/the_match_between_you_and_mit/index.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/pulse/the_match_between_you_and_mit/index.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>This has been asked before, word for word, several times.</p>

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<p>It's not that I am unaware of the abstract cliches</p>

<p>'Fitting into MIT, curiosity, challenge'. In fact I hear them everywhere I go.</p>

<p>But I'd like to hear some examples who have actually shown this to MIT. </p>

<p>For instance, this might be a interestin story. (A kid who got in without any state,national level science competitions or AP classes)
MIT</a> Admissions | Blog Entry: "Hello, I'm Anthony."</p>

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<p>IMO MIT isn't looking for kids who will be (or want to be) defined by MIT. RatherMIT is looking for kids who do what they want, blazing their own trail in the process, and go on to define the MIT of the future.</p>

<p>Comparing yourself to others doesn't help unless it's done in a careful, constructive fashion (which is generally not what we do on CC [what we do is called "wanking"]). So stop worrying about what others on this board say and think . Most of them are just speculating. I think a total of 2 people, 1 of whom rarely posts, are qualified to say anything really legitimate about admissions. You could better spend your time reading something interesting, or building something fun, etc.</p>

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<p>I think you can deduce from this web</a> page that MIT does in fact "build a class" of varying talents and abilities.</p>

<p>
[quote]
*MIT Admissions: * When we admit a class of students to MIT, it's as if we're choosing a 1,000-person team... we want each to add something useful or intriguing to the team... to a wide range of individual gifts, talents, interests and achievements. We are emphatically not looking for a batch of identical perfect [students]; we are looking for a richly varied team of capable people who will support, surprise and inspire each other.

[/quote]
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