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findis · 03-31-2009, 06:22 PM

Decision: Rejected
(after being deferred)

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 800CR-790M-780W (2370)
ACT:
SAT II: 800's on physics, math II-C, US history, 780's on bio, chem
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): about 3.97
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1 (tie), two in EA round
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5's on US History, Computer Science A, Microeconomics (self-study), Macroeconomics (self-study)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Euro (A), AP English Lit (A), AP Spanish (A-), AP US Gov (A), AP Stats (A+), AP Physics C (A+). BC Calc through CTY over summer (A).
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nothing major, but NJ Science League: 1st in area every year. Bergen County Math League: 1st in group. Academic Decathlon: First and second in region, awards in almost everything. National Merit winner, AP Scholar with Honor.

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Cross-country (with award given to one senior a year), winter track, spring track, GSA (treasurer), SADD (president), NHS, Earth club, politics club, quiz bowl. Bible quizzing team - significant time commitment. Some extracurricular involvement in music.
Job/Work Experience: Tutoring.
Volunteer/Community service: Local library, picking up recyclables, community service club.
Summer Activities: Summer school tennis, cross-country camp, calculus BC through CTY.
Essays: Good?
Teacher Recommendation: Don't know about one. Other very positive, "best student ever taught," etc.
Counselor Rec: Don't know.
Additional Rec: Sent after deferral -- awesome.
Interview: On-campus over summer. I think this did me in. My sister had been diagnosed with cancer, I had barely slept the entire summer, and I was a complete mess, and I didn't bother explaining any of this.

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes.
Intended Major: EA: Undecided. RD: Physics.
State (if domestic applicant): NJ
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Good public.
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: ~100k, but significant costs due to sister's illness.
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection

Strengths: Standardized testing.
Weaknesses: Interview. Plus they want to see personality, and I don't think my essays or "unfocused" EC's convey that.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Deferred then rejected. See strengths and weaknesses.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted: MIT, UVa, Brandeis.
Waitlisted: Princeton, Stanford.

General Comments: I probably should've applied RD, because I would've been able to write quality essays and do a good interview.

I'm glad I got deferred, though, because MIT became my first choice while I was researching schools, and now I'm going there!

03-31-2009, 06:22 PM	#25
findis Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: NJ -> MIT '13 Posts: 169	Decision: Rejected (after being deferred) Objective: SAT I (breakdown): 800CR-790M-780W (2370) ACT: SAT II: 800's on physics, math II-C, US history, 780's on bio, chem Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): about 3.97 Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1 (tie), two in EA round AP (place score in parenthesis): 5's on US History, Computer Science A, Microeconomics (self-study), Macroeconomics (self-study) IB (place score in parenthesis): Senior Year Course Load: AP Euro (A), AP English Lit (A), AP Spanish (A-), AP US Gov (A), AP Stats (A+), AP Physics C (A+). BC Calc through CTY over summer (A). Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nothing major, but NJ Science League: 1st in area every year. Bergen County Math League: 1st in group. Academic Decathlon: First and second in region, awards in almost everything. National Merit winner, AP Scholar with Honor. Subjective: Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Cross-country (with award given to one senior a year), winter track, spring track, GSA (treasurer), SADD (president), NHS, Earth club, politics club, quiz bowl. Bible quizzing team - significant time commitment. Some extracurricular involvement in music. Job/Work Experience: Tutoring. Volunteer/Community service: Local library, picking up recyclables, community service club. Summer Activities: Summer school tennis, cross-country camp, calculus BC through CTY. Essays: Good? Teacher Recommendation: Don't know about one. Other very positive, "best student ever taught," etc. Counselor Rec: Don't know. Additional Rec: Sent after deferral -- awesome. Interview: On-campus over summer. I think this did me in. My sister had been diagnosed with cancer, I had barely slept the entire summer, and I was a complete mess, and I didn't bother explaining any of this. Other Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes. Intended Major: EA: Undecided. RD: Physics. State (if domestic applicant): NJ Country (if international applicant): School Type: Good public. Ethnicity: White Gender: Female Income Bracket: ~100k, but significant costs due to sister's illness. Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Reflection Strengths: Standardized testing. Weaknesses: Interview. Plus they want to see personality, and I don't think my essays or "unfocused" EC's convey that. Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Deferred then rejected. See strengths and weaknesses. Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted: MIT, UVa, Brandeis. Waitlisted: Princeton, Stanford. General Comments: I probably should've applied RD, because I would've been able to write quality essays and do a good interview. I'm glad I got deferred, though, because MIT became my first choice while I was researching schools, and now I'm going there!
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