Yet Another Chances Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>Hey, I just happened to stumble across this site while I was adding to my College Entry Stress Fund, and was kinda hoping that I could unload a bit of my anxiety by getting some opinions on my chances for MIT. I'm hoping it's not bad ettiquette to do this sort of thing as a first post... In any case, here goes:</p>

<p>Ethnicity: White (ouch!)
Gender: Male (double ouch!)
School: public, on suburban/urban border between Baltimore County and Baltimore City </p>

<p>PSAT:
73 CR
72 Math
78 Writing
222 total</p>

<p>SAT - Took last January, don't plan on taking again.
720 CR
780 Math
670 Writing
2170 total</p>

<p>SAT II - Took in June, don't plan on retaking
720 Physics
760 Math II</p>

<p>AP's:
5 Calc AB
5 Psychology
4 English Composition
Calc BC (This Year)
Statistics (This Year)
English Literature (This Year)
Chemistry (This Year)</p>

<p>GPA 3.4 unweighted, 4.5 weighted
Class Rank: 32 of 278 or so.</p>

<p>Course Load This Year:
AP Calc BC
AP English Literature
AP Chem
AP Stats
EPI and Health - half year classes, both prereqs for graduation
Marketing</p>

<p>EC's:
Engineering Club (Junior and senior years)
Math League (Junior and senior years)</p>

<p>Miscellaneous:
President of a not-to-be-named chapter of a not-to-be-named high school fraternity
Quarterfinalist at FIRST Vex robotics challenge
National Merit Semifinalist</p>

<p>Work:
200+ hours of community service at the local JCC
Spent last summer as an intern at the Maryland Transportation Authority</p>

<p>Recommendations: Secured by teachers that I trust. Nothing I can really do about the content, so I won't comment any further.</p>

<p>The part where I try to justify my shortcomings:
My GPA is pretty low for a number of reasons. The first and most reasonable of these is that I got a C in gym because I was unable to participate for medical reasons.
During my freshman and sophomore years, I was pretty apathetic. I started to get my crap together toward the end of sophomore year, so at least I've got that upward trend going for me.</p>

<p>I'm not gonna try to fool myself; I know I'm not getting in on my numbers alone. If I do manage to get in, it'll be by virtue of my essay. Thankfully, writing is one of my strong suits. I've already had my interview, so the application itself is pretty much all that's left.</p>

<p>Good luck to everyone else applying.</p>

2

<p>Ouch, I'm glad I just fought off an effort by our school to put PE in the GPA. I'm not sure the GPA is that bad though, you're numbers and APs are certainly good. I'm just wondering if you have any non-academic ECs at school? You have lots of service which is good.</p>

<p>I really hate what happened to you with PE. My son always gets an A in it, but it then just becomes another required course that isn't weighted and can pull down GPA even with an A. Our school doesn't have much AP available. Maybe your essay can focus on your improcvement with your grades? Godd luck.</p>

3

<p>Your numbers outside of GPA are solid. Your unweighted GPA is rather low, as you realize, and really, weighted GPA is worthless, as everyone weights differently (the fact that you took hard classes will help you, the amount of GPA weight given to them is unlikely to do so).</p>

<p>Improved grades over time is much better than the reverse situation. It will be noticeable that your grades have improved over time when you have to list them, but if you can bring it into your essays, so much the better. A caveat: I know you want to explain away bad grades, but avoid whining or sounding entitled at all costs. It's too easy to cross that line without meaning to do so.</p>

<p>Honestly, MIT is unlikely to care that you got a C in PE, on its face, especially with a good reason. Really. However, there are ways that the C in PE could screw you, just not so much the one you're thinking of. If you're whiney about it, this will screw you. Yes, it's annoying that you're required to do PE for a grade, but you will have to do things that you don't like at MIT too, sometimes for a grade, and they will expect you to suck it up and deal. Second, it seems strange that you weren't given exemption or other consideration based on medical issues - I guess your school is unsympathetic. Don't allow it to look like you are fudging medical problems as an excuse for not working hard. Make it clear that your medical condition was debilitating (I'm assuming that it was). But don't dramatize.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the responses. A little late for that, I know, but the thread had slipped my mind for a few days, and I didn't want to bump it to the top unless I had something significant to add or ask.</p>

<p>Well, I ran into a problem that I believe qualifies for that level of concern. My essays are all written up and ready to send, but my parents are fighting me on the content of one of the short ones. I answered the "what you do for fun" essay with my hobby of collecting and playing old video games. Both of my parents are determined to convince me that the phrase "video games" is an ancient incantation which invokes the immediate printing and sending of a rejection letter upon being read. </p>

<p>Will I really come off as a deadbeat if I talk about video games?</p>

<p>Sidenote: I stayed away from the subject of academics in my essays. They already have my grades, so I figure that focusing on school will give the impression that I don't have much else to talk about.</p>

<p>I might've given the impression that I was seriously worried about that C in PE; I'm not. It truly was an unfair grade, but I know that trying to justify it will only serve to make me seem pretentious.</p>

<p>Thinking about the C I got in general chemistry, though, has put me into a cold sweat more than once... Well, I'm taking AP chem this year, and it looks like I'm headed for a B at the very worst. I'm hoping that the improvement will speak for itself on the app.</p>

5

<p>
[quote]
Will I really come off as a deadbeat if I talk about video games?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>No. Unlike many applicants, you have the right idea about how to answer the question. MIT wants to know that you know how to chill out. And there are tons of video gamers at MIT - geek culture is more accepting of gamers than your parents apparently are.</p>