I am applying EA to MIT. I’ve got 750 with 92nd percentile in Math I and 760 with 63rd percentile in Math II. They both appear in my score report but I need to include only one score in the application. Which one would you recommend?
Also, MIT requires to submit TOEFL OR SAT score for non-native English speakers. My TOEFL score is 106, SAT is 1450 (660ERW 790M). I will include TOEFL in the application. Should I add SAT as well? Will it help or hurt me as an applicant?
3% international acceptance rate is crazy, but I wanna try. Otherwise I will regret for all the rest of my life. I have a bunch of extracurricular activities and competitions so I hope for the best.
Sadly, neither is ideal for MIT, but the higher score in the more demanding subject is better, so the 760. Just be aware, although they have not reported recently, in the past a 780 on M2 was in their 25th percentile…
Add it because of the 790. The 660 won’t help, sadly, but not reporting at all will hurt more, IMO.
You should not worry. Nobody gets accepted to MIT based on test scores. These scores are high enough for MIT to move on and consider the rest of your application. If you get accepted to MIT it won’t be because of these test scores. If you don’t get accepted to MIT it won’t be because of these test scores. It doesn’t matter which you include in the application. They will see all the scores you send. And all are high enough.
It may not be what OP wants to hear, but I can’t agree with this. SAT Math is at the 25th percentile and Math Subject Test and SAT EBRW all both well below 25th percentile.
MIT’s published statistics make it clear that test scores are certainly correlated to acceptance rates.
With a 3% international acceptance rate, that’s a tough hurdle to overcome.
But certainly apply so you won’t regret not trying - who knows what might happen. FWIW, I applied to MIT and didn’t get in - everything turned out just fine.
MIT wants to make sure that the students they accept are capable of passing the GIR’s. The GIR’s consist of 2 math classes, 2 physics classes, and a chemistry class, (and one biology class). The SAT/ACT and subject test scores help the admission’s office determine if the student can handle this rigorous course load. The OP’s scores are high enough to prove this is so. The truth is that the type of student that applies to MIT is usually extremely strong in math and scores in the highest percentiles. This is because MIT is world famous for their engineering school, so it attracts people who are the greatest in the world at math. But being good enough at math to pass the requirements is the only reason MIT cares about these scores. Then they look at the rest of the student’s application to decide if they want to admit them. Of course they are looking for something exceptional about the student, but it does not have to be in math. Realize that high math scoring students often self select themselves for applying to MIT. Lower scoring math students often choose to apply to other schools. That’s the real reason the scores are so high.
#Uglymom, “That’s the real reason the scores are so high.”
Your logic seems upside down or maybe mine is… MIT offers a wide range of courses. But at its roots, its focus is science and technology. And it is because it places such value in STEthat they require GIRS so all students are exposed to the most fundamental sciences regardless of their major. That’s why the GIRs. They are not just milestones to get by but classes that lay foundation and sometimes interconnection to other areas in STEM; essential for MIT students to be competent in tech and science (method, theory, results). The school isn’t looking for scores that suggest students will get ok grades so they can pass required GIRs like some sort of low bar game. Everything in an application provides some information; together paints a picture. Students who do less well on activities/tasks associated with STEM does not bode well but not just because of scores but also the picture that is painted. But as you mentioned, perhaps (and I’d bet a lot on this) she/he has provided very incomplete information. As noted by #Uglymom, exceptional abilities in other areas can paint a prettier picture.
@lostaccount I don’t think a 700 on an SAT is a low bar while an 800 is a high bar. If MIT was looking for kids who could pass a high bar they would provide their own significantly harder math test. MIT does provide their own applications with their own 5 essay question because most important for MIT is to try to get to know the students as people and SAT scores tell very little in that regard.
You misunderstood what I was trying to say. I don’t disagree with you about the reasons MIT requires GIRs. I did not discuss the reasons for the GIRs; I discussed the reasons SAT scores were important.
What I’m trying to say is that MIT wants to be sure they accept students who can succeed at MIT. At most other top schools, students who demonstrate exceptional abilities that exclude math would likely still get accepted. An Olympic gold medalist will probably get accepted to most top schools if they choose to apply there. Olympic winners posses qualities that schools including MIT appreciate, such as determination, perseverance, and an incredible work ethic. However, unless that Olympian’s math skills were strong enough to pass the GIRs, MIT would worry that the student would not be able to handle the rigorous coarse load that every student, no matter what they choose to major in, will encounter. At most other top schools it’s possible to be a weak math student and still easily find a path to graduation. That’s not possible at MIT.
The thread is not asking about general admission criteria to MIT. If you want to discuss that, start a new thread. This thread relates to the OP’s chances for MIT.
@skieurope if a 700 is not a low bar, even more so, the OPs math scores of a 750 on Math I, 760 on Math 2, and a 790 on SAT Math are not low either.
It makes no difference which scores he provides on his application. They are all high enough for MIT to consider the rest of his application. MIT only wants to see above a 700. I did not make this up. MITChris has repeated this many times.
Thanks everyone for your answers. You proved that application process is unpredictable for everyone lol. Anyway I had things to think about, thanks.
I decided to send all the scores I have to provide as much information as possible. By doing this I will be sure that they accept/reject exactly me but not a person I try to be sending partial information.
790M). I will include TOEFL in the application. Should I add SAT as well? Will it help or hurt me as an applicant?