Why do *YOU* deserve MIT???

<p>So I think it'd be interesting to post some facts about us MIT applicants just so we can see what the pool is like this year.</p>

<p>So... Participate if you want but don't criticize if you think Im being too competitive!</p>

<p>Here's what to do: say why you think you'd get in and why you think you won't get in... (limit each to 5 general or specific reasons please)</p>

<p>I'll start:</p>

<p>Get in:
"Personal qualities"
ECs
Interview
Teacher Recs
2/349 class rank (weighted ranking)</p>

<p>Won't get in:
GPA (3.8 UW [7 Bs!!!!!], 4.6 W)
SAT scores: M 760 CR 710 W 710 French 590
No huge national awards
No academic ECs like Olympiad etc.
White male :(</p>

<p>Get in:
Interview
Leadership
SAT II/AP scores
Good Guidance/English Rec
Male Beauty Pageant Winner (optional essay)</p>

<p>Won't Get In
No decent Awards
Relatively low SAT scores
Weak essays
Someone from my non-competitive public high school went last year, first in school history
Generic Math Rec</p>

<p>Something about creating a list in response to this question humors me greatly. :)</p>

<p>Get in:
Perfect scores in Abitur
Did German Abitur + International Baccalaureate
Perfect SAT IIs
A LOT of research at prestigious institutions
1st prize at national math competition
programmed own operating system
attended stanford math camp
etc.</p>

<p>Wont't get in:
I'm international</p>

<p>Conclusion: I won't get in for sure ...</p>

<p>For my son:</p>

<p>Get in:
SAT1: 800,760, 690 SAT2: 3 800s
perfect AP record
Class rank: 7/ca.700
state level awards in Science Olympiad
Programming experience - paid and volunteer
Lots to say about his passion
and if MIT is serious about not being overstretched, he's a prime example - 2 school based ECs</p>

<p>Won't get in:
That writing score on the SAT. (I've been told not to worry and who knows it may improve this Sat.)
adequate but not stellar essays
mostly Bs in English
no real research experience in a high school that has a science research program. (May be mitigated by having done some programming for a bioligist who cited his program in a paper.)
He's a bit (more than a bit!) one sided - his only non academic activity is reading sci-fi and fantasy</p>

<p>a 3.8 and no national awards isn't a "won't get in" reason...</p>

<p>edit-
Some of you are being a little unreasonable. 1st in your national math competition? And you think you won't get in "for sure?" </p>

<p>... you realize international kids who aren't(gasp!!!) gold medalists in five different olympiads get in, as well?</p>

<p>Get in:
Good SATs, APs, GPA
Recs should be great
ECs I think are good</p>

<p>Get out:
No really impressive national awards
No research</p>

<p>Ok
Get in
GPA (no b's.)
rank 2/360. tied with one guy
Great essays
My formula i made up in the optional essay (the biggest thing.)
Great EC's for MY school in context (which isn't saying much... so this may be iffy).</p>

<p>Ok bad points
No really impressive national either. One state... which is kinda iffy. I got it in between 8th and 9th grade so i included it!!!!
bad SAT scores (2180, 780 math, 710 CR, 690 W (11 E and i forget MC)). But on old SAT about a 1500 which I guess is average for MIT but still bad
Teacer recs. They will be way to generic. i go to a bad school where some teachers I asked have never filled out a rec. letter...
Interview. Me and my interviewer didn't get in a real rapport. We just talked..</p>

<p>Math + Physics = Life. :)</p>

<p>
[quote]
Math + Physics = Life. :)

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This is indeed the correct answer.</p>

<p>Hm.....let's see...
Get in:
i got a passion :)
came to the US 2.5 years ago from Moldova (No English)
Research, The Summer Science Program (<a href="http://www.ssp.org%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.ssp.org&lt;/a&gt;)
some EC's, mostly self-study
built a working telescope from trash found on the streets of NYC
can entertain people sometimes :)</p>

<p>Not get in:
No Intel/Seimens/IMO/IPhO etc
No awards (save for a "class clown" award, hehe)
SAT M:750 CR: 580 W: 730
3 on AIME
3 in AP Chem
wrote more than it was necessary
essays are probably bad and boring</p>

<p>Overall, I don't have any hopes or even expectations</p>

<p>I'm already at MIT! And, I don't know why I got in?! The weirdest thing was that I got in early action with such (see below) a bad status!</p>

<p>Get in:
Admission officers really love me!
nice interview
MIT needs people like me, so the professors are able to fail some students like me in each class</p>

<p>Won't get in:
low SAT's (just barely passed 2000)
low SAT II's (except 720 on Math IC which was my highest)
no leadership
no national/state award
took only two AP's
asian female
bad essays with many grammatic mistakes
rank 22 out of 700
gpa = 3.6</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure they sent the wrong letter to me...I really don't deserve to be here.</p>

<p>I cant tell if im being paranoid. People keep saying I should get in but MIT is really competitive. My interviewer said I had a good shot but wasn't a "sure thing." What do you guys think?</p>

<p>GPA: 3.78
Rank: 51/536 (top 10%, just barely)
SAT: M: 760, CR: 670, W: 670 (hoping to improve those on Saturday)
SAT II: Math II: 800, Chemistry: 700, Literature: 670
ACT: Cumulative: 33, Math: 36, Science: 31 (I ran out of time in the science section)
Rigorous course work since junior year. low GPA main due to freshman apathy. since Junior year i've consistently had 3.9 or so.
At least one amazing recommendation and the other is probably pretty good too
Good interview bordering on great
Essays...well i never know. probably not as strong as I would like but not bad
Some regional/state math awards, I also qualified for the AIME with a 103 AMC score last year but I kind of bombed (only got a 2)
Very active Math Club member with a few other EC's thrown in and some work experience
Taking 6 AP classes but I havent taken any of the tests yet so no real help there</p>

<p>So, what do you think? Do I have a snowball's chance in hell or what? Please be brutally honest</p>

<p>to XXXZXXX:
they must have let you in for a real reason. they wouldnt have if you didnt belong</p>

<p>Well for EA its 50% acceptance rate for women and about 12% for men... and this is not defer included.</p>

<p>What's the source on that?</p>

<p>It was on one of the blogs IIRC. Like someone (i think it was mootmom or mathmom..) sent me a site that broke down the number between female and male. Check around. It was recent.</p>

<p>I saw that Matt mentioned that 47% of EA admits were female, but I don't recall having seen the number of female EA applicants.</p>

<p>Yes thats what I meant. THere were no specific numbers.</p>

<p>YES! xxxzxxx -- your post made my day. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now I just hope you're not fooling with us all (say it ain't so).</p>