138649

How to get high score to 750 for SAT critical reading?

dmd77

An SAT score of 750 is not required to get into MIT. It would certainly be a nice part of a WHOLE application, but by itself, that would be meaningless.

Successful applicants to MIT (I went there, my son went there, so I know a small amount about how to get in) have a lot to bring to the party. They have independent and interesting things they do outside of school--not just school-based activities--they have competitive grades and SAT scores--but keep in mind that 90% of MIT applicants have those grades and SAT scores and DON'T get in--and they have good essays and interviews.

Do you REALLY REALLY want to be an engineer? What do you spend your spare time doing?

(Is that your school's college board number? Not the best id, if so.)

mathmom

Mathson got deferred and ultimately rejected - he had 800 CR, 750 M and three 800s on the SAT2s and 5's on a bunch of APs including Comp Sci which he'd taken as a freshman. He was in the top 2% of his class. MIT does holistic admissions which means they don't just look at grades and test scores.

How did he get that high CR score? He read (or re-read) over 100 sci fi and fantasy fiction novels a year.

QuantMech

138649, I'm guessing that you are not a native English speaker, from the title of the thread and your question. Here's what I would suggest, to improve your CR score: Start by reading magazines such as Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, and National Geographic Adventure. Try reading The New York Times. Depending on your current CR score, you might actually benefit from reading a magazine such as Reader's Digest or one of the Scholastic magazines. Then you can move on to novels, as suggested by mathmom.

It is important to understand that admissions to MIT are "holistic," as mentioned by dmd77 and mathmom. This means that they are not score-driven. The admissions committee is trying to gain a sense of the applicant and the applicant's likely trajectory. Therefore, if you truly want the type of education that MIT offers, you should apply (and not be discouraged by your test scores).

As a cautionary note, though, if you are an international student, your odds of admission are much, much lower than for a student in the US.

I know a native-born American citizen who had 800 CR, 800 M, 800 W, 800 Math II, 800 Chemistry, 800 US History, scores of 5 on 7 AP exams at the time of application, 4.0 unweighted GPA at a fairly good high school, two years of university mathematics after Calculus BC, 3 languages (including one via university classes), varsity athletics (swimming and water polo), and a state-level award in a science competition. He was wait-listed at MIT, then finally admitted. There was absolutely nothing whatever wrong with this young man--in fact, he is terrific--and no relation to me, so I can be reasonably objective. I am still trying to figure out why he was not admitted at first. Also, look at this year's MIT admissions threads. There are at least two other cases of superbly qualified students whose rejections are real head-scratchers (can't personally vouch for their characters, though).

gradatgrad

No it's very easy. All you need is a pulse.

LongPrime

Yes, it is difficult, as are all of the top 50 schools.

arcadefire1027

Nah dude, getting into MIT's easy as hell.

iambored10

Not even perfectly made robots could get into MIT... they look for other things besides high caliber stats.

DunninLA

OP -- here is some input from an MIT adcom:

MIT Admissions | Blog Entry: "What's the big deal about 40^2?"

clockwork

I think at least half of CC needs to read this...

voodoo_santa

psssh mit? thats hella easy to get in...aim for higher dude like community colleges