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Stats:
SAT I
Verbal: 790
Math: 780

SAT II
Math Ic: 790
Math IIc: 790
Bio: 770
Writing: 730

GPA:
Unweighted 3.3/Weighted 3.8 (very competitive school)
Excluding freshman year my GPA is more like 3.5 unweighted and over 4 weighted, b/c didnt take any AP's freshman year and had a 3.2... on the same note I'd also like to go to Berkeley; I live in California and the UC's don't count freshman year GPA-- is UCB still a reach then?

Rank: top 10%ish... school does not rank class

Curriculum: 9 AP's + Honors courses

AP Scores for tests taken:
Bio: 5
US Hist: 5
Eng Lan: 4
Span Lang: 4

EC's
-Co-Secretary General MUN
-Amnesity International
-Students Helping others
-National Merit Semifinalist, handed in essay for Finalist app today
-Exhange student to Japan 6 weeks on scholarship, can speak Japanese now; went back summer after, and have hosted 2 students for a week each
-Co-Captain Cross country, varsity this year
-Soccer 2 years
-100+ hours volunteering at hospital, 72 hours as teaching assistant
-Played violin two years in school orchestra

By Quakerboy2 (Quakerboy2) on Saturday, October 04, 2003 - 11:58 am: Edit

If your school is actually very competative, then you are in nearly the same place as I was last year. This is a good thing, because I got in regular (didn't apply early) to MIT. Anyway, the only thing I don't see is an awesome EC, so you may or may not get in early. It will probably depend one your essays and your interview. For both of these, try to show how interesting and unique of a personality you have (if you're boring....um...lie). You have the scores, now just show them that they show accept you on the basis of your personal merits.

By Spikex35 (Spikex35) on Saturday, October 04, 2003 - 09:14 pm: Edit

Thanks! I forgot to include a few things like my work experience. Anyway, a few extra things that I can't add to the original post anymore:

-I worked 30 hrs a week last summer at a law firm, will be working there again next year. Have also made part of my school's website back in 9th grade.
-did a project where I got Houghton Mifflin to donate 200 textbooks to a needy school in Ghana.
-Work on the Community Service Advisory Board at my school, which organizes commuity service programs for students.

Any tips on how to fit all of this/what is most relevant do you think for the app would be appreciated.

By Clickspring (Clickspring) on Monday, October 06, 2003 - 04:25 pm: Edit

You probably won't get in to MIT because your grades are so low. Really, it's almost impossible for people even more qualified for you to get in, so try not to get your heart set on it. UCB is a possiblity, but make sure you apply to more UC's like UCLA and UCSC. Where else are you looking?

By Antigone (Antigone) on Monday, October 06, 2003 - 04:29 pm: Edit

his grades are too low? May I throw up all over your post? I hope you realize that while gpa is important, many, many people have high gpas and they don't get in. There are other factors. With his gpa (which is not low), he still has a good chance.

By Drfunk (Drfunk) on Monday, October 06, 2003 - 04:41 pm: Edit

hmm nice scores.. although i dont think your IC scores will matter because you have a higher IIC.. unless im wrong so that will lower your SAT II average if MIT uses a numerical rating system

By Anduin (Anduin) on Monday, October 06, 2003 - 11:32 pm: Edit

Don't see me as a Creon if I disagree with Antigone. The fact that it's hard for people with high GPA's to get into MIT strongly suggests that it is even harder for people with somewhat lower GPA's to get in.

Quakerboy is right: you have some pretty good EC's, but none really stand out. You're a lottery ticket at MIT, so pick your rec's well and do a good job on your essays.

By Daonesteven (Daonesteven) on Monday, October 06, 2003 - 11:58 pm: Edit

If your school is really competetive, colleges would know, because they pretty much know all the competitive schools. Then you're GPA is pretty negligble, considering that your from a VERY competitive school. However, GPA is seriously one of the most important factor of admission and the fact that you have less than 4.0 weighted slightly bothers me. I just adore your SAT scores and AP scores, however. You just might have a chance.

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 01:48 am: Edit

To add to the fire: five years ago, I got deferred and rejected (applied ED) to MIT with my stats being top 3% of my competitive class, 800 math/750 verbal first try; mid 700s on SAT IIs; 5s on APs... and female, which may or may not help. Also, ten varsity letters, edited lit magazine, co-founded club, blah blah blah. Then again, being from MA doesn't help much... and it really is a lottery ticket.

Incidentally, someone got in the year after me, different (less competitive) school, SATs about 100 pts lower, slightly lower class rank, fewer extracurriculars... but he was friends with an admissions officer. Go figure.

It's MIT. Your numbers will get you in the game. If you apply ED, play up how demanding your school is, how much your grades have improved, and write a stellar essay, then you have a decent chance of making it through the lottery. At the end of it, it's still MIT admissions.

By Spikex35 (Spikex35) on Wednesday, October 08, 2003 - 11:04 pm: Edit

Clickspring: I've listed a number of my other scools in College Search, under the topic "Top Engineering Schools".

My school usually sends at least one person to MIT each year out of a class of ~70.

Drfunk-- please explain more. The 3 SAT II's I'm planning on sending to MIT are IIc, Bio, and Writing (790, 770, 730); I'm not sending the Ic. If you meant not sending the Ic in (because I can't) will lower my average, then that would make more sense. I'm going to try to find some way to throw in the Ic score too if possible, it can't hurt if done right.

Daonesteven: my weighted GPA could be higher, because I'm not sure if my college counselor weighted my honors courses (which they should considering their difficulty and because I took a lot) so that may make a difference. Also, as I mentioned earlier, my GPA is like 3 points higher unweighted and maybe 5 higher weighted w/out including freshman year, just to give an idea of the improvement.

Anduin: a Creon you're not. I see your GPA logic and hope it's wrong for my sake, although it makes sense. MIT admissions are known for their unpredictability though... speaking of which, Ariesathena, I'm sorry to hear about that, but I'm sure you got into a great college anyway.

One last thing about my extracurriculars-- if you still think they're not too good after reading my second post (and I'll admit they're not something truly spectacular), then what would be something really good? My school, as it is so small, does not offer much, so I've tried to do a lot outside of school. I have a bunch more extracurriclars that I've done, but I dont think I'll have room for them on the MIT app so I haven't included them here.

One last thing: any tips for the interview, besides Quakerboy2's advice?

Thanks you guys!

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 01:11 am: Edit

Spikex:
To address a comment and answer a question (all in one!), I'm going to be doing alumni interviews for Tufts. While I don't yet have some first-hand experience on the other side of the interview world, some advice:

*bring questions... which cannot be answered from the website, viewbook, or other readily available source. Show that you are interested, show that you did your homework. Don't be afraid to have them written down and refer to them if need be.
*Write a thank-you note afterwards
*Come to the interview prepared to talk about a few subjects which are really important to you... think across the basic areas. Talk about academic subjects you love, teachers you love... extracurricular activities that really motivate you... and maybe a few personal things that the admissions committee would not know otherwise. You will probably be asked questions in all areas.
*Think about the interview as the final piece of your application package. You have scores and grades, your essays, a cover letter, recommendations, and the interview. Each part should contribute towards making you a more attractive candidate and highlight something about your personality. Figure out what themes there are in your application, what you want to accentuate, and tailor some of your responses in the interview. For example, if your essay highlights your community service, which is certainly prominent in your resume, you could use the interview to talk about playing violen or running cross-country - the admissions committee could then get some idea of you as a community volunteer, musician, and athlete.
*MIT seems to be big on intellectual passion for math, physics, whatever - so play that up in the interview.
*The MIT experience has been likened to being thirsty and drinking from a fire hydrant. Try to convey to the interviewer that a) you want that environment b) you would thrive in it and c) you could add something to it.
*You have a story to tell - with grades getting better. Emphasize how that makes you a more attractive candidate, how you have matured intellectually, how you are prepared to handle the rigors of MIT. Remember that MIT is the school which had so many suicides that they stopped giving grades freshman year (it's all pass/fail). Part II of your story is how you are making the most out of few opportunities. Let them know that.
*Some things to discuss if you haven't heard about them already: UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme), the Wellesley connection (you are allowed to take classes at Wellesley College), Sloane School of Management (you can take courses there undergrad).
*Browse through the MIT (and Wellesley) course catalogs - which may be found online - and express enthusiasm about what you see. Also see if you can find major requirements (if you have chosen a potential major).

I think that's the extent of my interviewing wisdom. It is a bit of work to do before then, but hopefully it will pay off. Best of luck!

Have you visited the campus? Aesthetically pleasing, it is not. Walls covered with signs for clubs, organizations... students always tabling in the lobbys... yes. The libraries are phenomenal in terms of sheer amount of reference materials, but there are very few places to study. The middle of Barker (Engineering library underneath one of the domes) was recently renovated, with chairs and such in the rotunda, but that's about it.

By Spikex35 (Spikex35) on Sunday, October 12, 2003 - 01:26 am: Edit

Ariesathena you are awesome-- thanks for everything.

By Spikex35 (Spikex35) on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 10:19 pm: Edit

Just an update/bump:

The interview went really well, not perfect of course but we had a lot in common and seemed to connect well. The interview lasted for an hour, which seemed kind of long. However, my friend (who I don't completely trust) said his interview went on for 90 minutes. While this may be possible, is it typical? How long does the typical interview last?

Also, how much does it matter that I have not done any research programs..?