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yeeeeeaaaaaaaaa, I got in.
MIT's my top choice school. I've been like...orgasmic...all day.


Stats/quick summary of my app...

SATI: 1460 (800 Math / 660 Verbal)
SATII's:
Math IIC: 800
Writing: 740
Chemistry: 730
AP's:
BC Calculus, Chemistry, Biology: 4
US History, Language/Comp: 3
Euro History, Statistics, Comp Sci, Physics C: will take this year
GPA: 3.45 Unweighted, 4.16 Weighted - all A's and B's in the toughest courses my school has to offer
School: Very competitive public school (last year there were 10+ Harvard admissions and 15+ MIT admissions)
Courses taken: Practically all AP/Honors (8 AP courses), everything else honors level. Took BC Calculus as a junior
Location: Suburban Massachusetts, like 20 minutes from the MIT campus
Interview: My alumni interivew wound up being 2.5 hours long and the guy really liked me, said he'd be a strong advocate
Recommendations: Um, they were not bad but I thought they were just the same old cliche recs, like "Frank is hard working and loves to learn, has been a pleasure to have in my class, blah blah blah bu11shit"
Awards: hmm....not a whole lot aside from AP Scholar with Distinction, just a few insigificant awards here and there
Extracurriculars: I don't feel like listing them all, but I'd say that my EC's are extremely strong and somewhat unique, showing leadership and a intense interest in entrepreneurship, taking the initiative. For example when I was 15 I founded my own business and have been running it very successfully for 3 years. Extensive summer research 2 years straight. Followed through with an interest in journalism by heading up my own news website for 4 years. Founded and devote my time to heading up number of afterschool clubs. Very very active in a plethora of school activities. That sorta stuff.
Essays: Very strong, I'd say...
Race/Sex: Asian Male


So I'm just curious to know...what about everyone else? Accept/waitlist/reject? Stats?

By Randy80016 (Randy80016) on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 07:32 am: Edit

You give me hope. Thank you.

I'm 1570 SAT with 800math 770verbal
MathIIC-740
Writing-730
Chem-770

With a 3.5something (4.1something) from a public school in Colorado with NO previous MIT (or harvard etc.) admits (new school- 4th class)

I was worried my GPA would be just too low, but yours was about the same-your ECs are about the same as mine, except I wrestled for 4 years.

Essays:Also good.
And im pasty white.

I'll post here on monday hopefully either way.Wish me luck

By Funky (Funky) on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 12:14 pm: Edit

I havent got any results yet

By Frank (Frank) on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 12:59 pm: Edit

Randy I think you stand a good chance. It's no guarantee though. MIT is weird, they are extremely subjective in their admissions. Several people in my school have high 1500's and much better GPA's, but got rejected while I got in.


FYI, in case anybody doesn't know, this is how MIT rates people for admission. During my MIT interview my interviewer explained this all to me:

All applicants are rated on a scale of 1-10.

- You are scored 1-5 on your academic index - That's SAT, grades, courseload, and basically everything school-related.

- You are scored 1-5 on your personal index - that's EC's, recs, essays, intervew, and your overall personality/characteristics. Basically all the subjective stuff.

Add the academic and personal scores to get a total score out of 10:
- All 10's get in.
- Many 9's get in.
- Some 8's get in, but not many.
- 7 or below, you're basically shafted.

My own academics (1460/800/740/730/UW-3.45/W-4.16) weren't extraordinarily strong. So for my academic index I'd say I have a 4.
My personal index I'm almost certain was a 5. I know what my applications looks like and I'm sure that I presented myself very very boldly.
4+5=9

I can see how some people who are extremely strong academically can still get the shaft, because half of the admissions process lies in the subjective stuff. Like, a 1600/800/800/800/4.0 student would get an academic index of 5, but if their personal index is a 3, odds are not in their favor that they'll get an admission.


That's how I was told it works. Rate yourself, I guess.

By Frank (Frank) on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 01:17 pm: Edit

Oh yea, I forgot to add that if you're a girl, you're chances are significantly higher. MIT admits 17% of all applicants, but that number is very deceptive because 28% of girls are admitted while only 13% of guys are admitted. Now THAT is just friggin insane.

Well I guess they have to do that if they want anything close to a balanced student body. But yea...if you're a guy you've got a lot of reason to be pissed at gender affirmative action or whatever the hell you wanna call it.

Source: Princeton review

By Jay75 (Jay75) on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 01:45 pm: Edit

hey i got in too!!! Im an example of MIT not taking all genius' I only had a 1410 sat (710M 700V) and am 4th in my class.

By Randy80016 (Randy80016) on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 03:45 pm: Edit

Oh- I forgot to add, my dad went to MIT, but I'm not sure how much that helps.

He received a standard form letter saying basically "admissions are very tough, but after the regular admission process, legacies get an extra look at their apps." Argh! I'm all nerves. hehe

By Subjecttochange (Subjecttochange) on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 04:18 pm: Edit

Congrats, man.

getting accepted to MIT as an asian male is an accomplishment.

i haven't heard back yet, but i will be rejected for SURE, because my essays were probably offensive to the admission officers, since i criticized their admission biases, like the whole male/female ••••.

By Wanksta33 (Wanksta33) on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 04:20 pm: Edit

I know it's a really inane question, but for those who were accepted: big letter or thin letter?

By Stevethegodly (Stevethegodly) on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 06:14 pm: Edit

I desire to know this as well.

By Frank (Frank) on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 07:56 pm: Edit

Big fat bulky one.
I've heard from others that waitlists and rejects are in small envelopes.

By Timepass (Timepass) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 04:51 am: Edit

Hey Jay,that's really amazing.Even I've got a 1410 and my class rank varies between 3rd and 4th.I'd like to know what else was it in your application that you think got you in?

By Gaaw (Gaaw) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 10:37 am: Edit

What about graduate admissions ? Does anyone has heard any news about grad admissions ?

By Stupid_Guy (Stupid_Guy) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 03:00 pm: Edit

MIT is my dream school...
but had terrible grades for my freshman year
for my freshman year I had
88 CP
88 CP
88 CP
88 CP
88 CP
88 Honors
96 Honors
96 CP

I transfered from another high school and they were lazy in translating the grades so they just put 88 for most of my subjects. Do I stand a chance at MIT for such horrendous freshmen grades?

By Happiegoluckie (Happiegoluckie) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 06:00 pm: Edit

GRRRRRRRRR!!!! Why do you guys always put down grades that you know damn well are good? Is it just to get attention? I mean jeeze, last time I checked, a B+ was pretty damn good. You can't possibly think a B+ is horrendous. A horrendous grade is a D or an F. A C is average. B is good, and A's are great. Stop putting down any grade this isn't an 100, for god's sake! Do you honestly think that if you don't get A+'s in EVERYTHING you have horrible grades?

You people are crazy!

By Wahbaby (Wahbaby) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 06:02 pm: Edit

Rejected from MIT


Stats/quick summary of my app...

SATI: 1590 (800 Math / 790 Verbal)
SATII's:
Math IIC: 800
Writing: 800
Physics: 790
AP's:
AB Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, US History: 5
Euro History: 4
6 APs to be taken this year
GPA: 3.98 Unweighted - one B in English

ECs: President of 3 clubs; placed at many local math tournaments; I wrestle and am top 16 in state of california.
Essays/Letters: above average, not that special.
Interview: thought it went really well...

Oh well.

By Incognito (Incognito) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 06:11 pm: Edit

WOW! Wahbaby, first off, I'm sorry to hear that you got rejected. Good luck w/your other schools. But I have a question. Your SAT I verbal score is fantastic. How did you prepare for it, if you dont mind me asking?

By Failure (Failure) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 07:40 pm: Edit

Thin envelope from MIT, for the second time. First deferred, then flat out rejected.

Stats-
Location: Delaware
Race: Asian
Sex: Male
School: Very competitive, independently operated public school (many aiming for Harvard, MIT, Princeton, etc.)
Courses: All honors or AP in major subject areas in 10th-12th grade. Big screw up in schedule freshmen year put me in courses a level lower than honors (at the time had no idea how crazy college admissions were, but I think I more than made up for it over the years)
SAT I:
Math 770, Verbal 750
SAT II:
Math IIc 770
Writing 710
Chemistry 800
Korean 750
AP:
Calculus AB 5
Calculus BC 5
Chemistry 5
U.S. History 4
Currently taking Physics and Stats (also Calc 3, a post-AP course offered at school)
GPA:
4.0 unweighted (never had below a 93)
4.19 weighted
Rank: Top 10%
EC's/Awards:
Church- currently youth and praise leader (acoustic guitar), previously treasurer, secretary, and bass player in praise team
Vacation Bible School- volunteer as teacher's aid and activities coordinator for last 6 years
Math League- 9th grade: 3rd place team in state. 10th-12th: first place school in nation
AIME qualifier in 11th grade through AMC
TEAMS Engineering Competition- 9th grade 1st place JV team in state, 10th-12th grade first place Varsity team in state, 11th grade 6th place national
Scholarships for superior performance on state testing for Math and Reading (10th grade)
Key Club (11th-12th grade)
National Honor Society
Spanish Honor Society
Wrestling- JV in 10th-11th grade
Chess Club- 12th grade
Bible Club- 9th grade
Billiards- (hobby for past 6 years)
Essays: unique and personal- at least my english teacher thought it was excellent
Recs: Since many people at this school are so distinguished, can't say the recs stood out
Interview: Thought it went great, being my first interview ever. (Time: 1:45)

I have no idea where I went wrong. Kinda feels like I worked my butt off for nothing all these years in high school. Maybe not enough distinguished awards, like first place in national science fair?

By Stupid_Guy (Stupid_Guy) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 08:07 pm: Edit

hippiegolucky:
I'd love to believe in what you say but I can't. Face it, my freshman grade what horrendous, the thing is MIT is still my dream school.....how the heck do I get in with such a sinful grade in my freshman year?
Please SOMEONE give me SOME advice, one of the 88 CPs I got in my freshman year was ART!!!!! Thats SUX BIG TIME, because art is an EASY 100. Another one is Keyboarding- another easy 100, and yet both of them I made 88 in and both were not honors courses.
Can some angel descend from the sky and save me?
another thing is will colleges notice my freshman grade and say: oh....this is no coincidence that this kid made 6 eightyeights in a roll, maybe we should just omit these grades

By Frick (Frick) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 09:05 pm: Edit

SATI 1500
SATII 800m2c/800w/790ph
3.9 GPA, 7 AP Courses, 3 College Courses (Cac2, Multivar and DiffEq), 4.0 GPA
Winner of State Science Fair (Arizona) and Intel Award in Computer Science

Rejected

By Stupid_Guy (Stupid_Guy) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 09:21 pm: Edit

holy cow...3 darn college courses.
What did u get for these courses?

By Frick (Frick) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 09:49 pm: Edit

*Edit... Calc2, not Cac2

And by the way, I didn't interview.

I got 3 credits for calc2, 4 for multivar and am in the process of getting 3 for diffeq.

By Frick (Frick) on Monday, March 17, 2003 - 09:50 pm: Edit

*Edit... Calc2, not Cac2

And by the way, I didn't interview.

I got 3 credits for calc2, 4 for multivar and am in the process of getting 3 for diffeq.

By Stupid_Guy (Stupid_Guy) on Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 03:05 pm: Edit

I'm intriged, how do you get to do these courses? Did you take calculus as a junior?

By Frick (Frick) on Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 04:50 pm: Edit

Took calc as a sophomore

By Notegirl15 (Notegirl15) on Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 06:11 pm: Edit

Congratulations Frank!

It's reassuring to know that MIT is still on the lookout for innovators, not just the "movers" of industry.

I guess I should stop checking these boards...they make me nervous...everyone complaining about how they got a dreaded "B"

Also, thanks for the info on the scoring system; I had no idea.

If you have a chance, can you check out my stats? I'd love to have your opinion...especially since they don't offer interviews to transfers (I feel as though I've missed out). It's under the "Chances" forum under "Transfer chances to MIT, CIT".

Again, congratulations and have fun at MIT!

By Dwaynehoover (Dwaynehoover) on Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 06:40 pm: Edit

lots of people take calc as sophomores...10 people in my school (including me) have done so.

By Frank (Frank) on Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 09:03 pm: Edit

Thanks Notegirl

Wouldn't worry too much about the grades. Getting a B isn't gonna kill ya. Hell, I got in, and if you look at my high school record, I have a single C, and the same number of B's that I have A's.

I'll gladly give you my input, check the topic.

By Notegirl15 (Notegirl15) on Tuesday, March 18, 2003 - 11:19 pm: Edit

Frank,

Thanks for your time...it's been inspiring watching your progress; It eases my anxiety, if nothing else =).

Turned in the last of my apps last week, but I'll let you know when I find out.

Enjoy yourself at MIT!

By Stupid_Guy (Stupid_Guy) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 02:56 pm: Edit

THANK YOU FRANK!! You gave me hope! I have about the same number of "B"s and well as "A"s too! I rank 26 out of around 300, Im dumb as hell, but I still wanna go to MIT!

What was special about you that MIT liked so much that they turned down all these "valedictorians" with all straight "A"s ?

By Wembleyfraggle7 (Wembleyfraggle7) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 05:45 pm: Edit

Hey stupid guy...(believe me everyone, I mean no offense when I say this, cuz my dad is an MIT alum...) but they have enough of the typical "nerdy guys" and now they're looking to fill space with people whose scores may be a little lower, but who are more well-rounded. But rest assured, they're not looking for superman, they're just looking for a few guys (and girls) that have pulled their noses out of their books a few times and who have gone out and done something fun and/or charitable once in a while.

By Stevethegodly (Stevethegodly) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 06:46 pm: Edit

I would ahve been the perfect person to fill that spot that you're speaking of. My GPA, class rank, EC's, essays all fit the scope of an MIT student, but I only got a 1310 on my SAT's. Oh well, I WILL GO THERE FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL.

By Wanksta33 (Wanksta33) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 06:55 pm: Edit

Anyone know about waitlist chances at MIT? How many people a year get waitlisted and, of those, how many end up in a spot in late May?

By Chronoshock (Chronoshock) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 07:32 pm: Edit

Last year it was around 500 waitlisted, 150 accepted. So the chances are pretty decent.
Oooo I'm so excited for CPW!!

By In1drland (In1drland) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 08:28 pm: Edit

mit mailed all the decision letters friday, right? i haven't gotten my letter yet, while all the students from my schools have already recieved thier letters (all rejections)... good or bad????

err...my stats:
f/Asian
I: 1500 (800m, 700v)
II: 750 m2, 740 chem, 700 w
APs: Govt 3, Chem 4, US Hist 4, Stats 5
currently taking macro econ, micro econ, bc calc, lit, lang, comp sci
school: fairly competitive public school
gpa: uw-3.56 w-4.28
rank: 14/517
interview: fair
essays: strong
awards: ap scholar, nat merit finalist, phi beta kappa nominee
ec: school stuff, church, volunteer activities, involvement in several orchs (3 yr member of one of top 5 youth orchestras in country)+ leadership and involvement in local ethnic organizations.

about interviews, my interviewer said a greater percentage of people who were interviewed got in. can't remember the stat off the top of my head but it was pretty significant.

By Koreaoh (Koreaoh) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 08:45 pm: Edit

can someone please tell me what my chances would be, im only going to be a freshman, 1140 SATs 7th grade, 1260 8th grade, all possible honors at my school, etc. sorry if this sounds like bragging, oh yeah, asian male

By Wembleyfraggle7 (Wembleyfraggle7) on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 - 09:15 pm: Edit

but hey...i forgot...
frank and jay75 ~ CONGRATS!
and to the "waiters" good luck! :-)

By Jopageri6370 (Jopageri6370) on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 05:31 pm: Edit

is it me, or does it seem like some people who posted in this tread with nearly perfect records and very respectable EC achievements got rejected from MIT, while two got in who had noticably lower criteria. Is there something about them that stood out more, or is it the cursed crapshoot of the elite ranks? Anybody make heads or tails of this??

By Wembleyfraggle7 (Wembleyfraggle7) on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 05:35 pm: Edit

jopageri...read my post above...that should help explain things a lil bit.
btw... i talked to my dad and a few of his friends who are also mit alum, and they agreed with me...

By Rowan (Rowan) on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 05:36 pm: Edit

My cynical guess would be that those with the near-perfect records were lying.

But that's just being cynical. I'm probably way off. In any case, the defining factor always seems to be the extra spark of passion that some applicants convey in their ECs/essays/interviews. Academics are just the launching pad.

By Chronoshock (Chronoshock) on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 06:45 pm: Edit

Hate to break your theory but I got near perfect stats and I got in:
800m 780v, 800Chem, 800MathIIC, 760Writing, 4.0 GPA UW, 8.721 GPA W (maximum of 9) taking the hardest classes at my school. In addition, my ECs emphasize my dedication to math and science. As Rowan says, academics just get you started, but the Ad-com is looking for something that sets you apart and shows that you possess the drive required to succeed in MIT.

By Jopageri6370 (Jopageri6370) on Friday, March 21, 2003 - 08:03 pm: Edit

and what would you "something that sets you apart and shows that you possess the drive required to succeed in MIT" be Chronoshock?

By Jay75 (Jay75) on Sunday, March 23, 2003 - 02:15 pm: Edit

well im not really sure what was able to get me in to MIT but I think i come under the well-rounded category. My EC's range from captain of the varsity soccer team to school government to captain of the engineering team. I do have 3.91 GPA, am taking all APs as well, but only got a 1410 SAT. My interview lasted a bit over 2 hours and my essays highlighted my strengths. As you can see I'm not a weak student but I needed the whole picture for me to be accepted.

By Chronoshock (Chronoshock) on Sunday, March 23, 2003 - 02:39 pm: Edit

Jopageri:
MIT is looking for ECs that show you are willing to go beyond the opportunites present in school to explore your interests. In my case, I participated in math and science team for several years, did an internship at a prestigious lab over the summer, and took some college courses in comp sci/eng. Many students do not know what they want to major in and so their EC's are not focused. Very often I see people posting that they want to major in something (biology for example), yet they have only taken the biology courses in school.

By Dree (Dree) on Sunday, March 30, 2003 - 04:45 pm: Edit

I got into MIT too! (It was my top choice also) Anyone else going to Campus Preview Weekend?

By Calibeachboi (Calibeachboi) on Thursday, April 03, 2003 - 02:42 am: Edit

Harvard letter arrived

Congratulations!
Dear Applicant,

On behalf of the Admissions Committee, it is my pleasure to offer you admission to the Harvard College Class of 2007! You were identified as one of the most talented and promising students in one of Harvard's most competitive applicant pools ever. Your commitment to personal excellence and principled goals made you stand out as someone who would not only contribute to our diverse community, but would also thrive within our academic environment. We really like your initiative and style and believe that we are well matched for each other.

We hope that you will choose to attend Harvard this Fall, for we believe that, just as you have much to offer our community, we have much to offer you. Harvard University is a vital, vibrant community. The learning environment here is not only intense but also dynamic, challenging, and very much "hands-on". At Harvard you will be actively engaged in your own education, and you will find that the opportunities for learning and achievement are virtually limitless, both inside and outside of the classroom.

You will receive a comprehensive admissions package in the mail within the next few days. If we can answer any questions or assist you in any way, don't hesitate to contact us. We look forward to welcoming you to Harvard University. Once again, congratulations!

Sincerely,

William R. Fitzsimmons
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid

Byerly Hall
8 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617-495-1551
Fax: 617-495-8821
Email: college@fas.harvard.edu