| I personally know two MIT students who attended the YSP at FSU, and my son (accepted EA for the Clas of 2012) spent last summer at UF-SSTP doing Computer Science research. Both programs are well-known to, and respected by, the MIT Admissions Office. These programs do make you stand out a little more.
I think the essays are very, very important. Your standardized test scores are very good, but so are the scores of most applicants. Somehow, try to show your resiliency, your "ability" to fail and recover. Focus on something simple and even mundane; you haven't cured cancer yet. A laundry list of awards and accomplishments will not help at all; that's why the MIT application limits you to only a few lines for awards, etc.
Good luck. |