Consolidated EA/RD 2012 results thread

[silentsailor]

Waitlisted

Stats:

• SAT: 2380 (800 CR 800 W 780 M)
• SAT II: 800 bio, 790 chem, 750 physics (ouch!)
• ACT: N/A
• GPA: 113 or something, I don't even know.
• Rank: 1/786 at time of application, 2 now.
• Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): Seven 5's on APs (bio chem apush english stat psych calc ab), 96.5 on AMC (AIME cutoff was 97), semifinal on bio olympiad but that was this year and they didn't know about it.

Subjective

• Essays: I just went back over them...my short responses are the best I've got, they're personal and informative and well-written. My long essay isn't as good but still well-written...I definitely don't think they're what kept me from being accepted.
• Teacher Recs: They're from pretty much my two favorite people ever (physics teacher and 11th grade english teacher). The one I had a chance to read was absolutely hysterical =) The other one said it's one of the best he's ever written and I trust him completely on that count...I KNOW these aren't what kept me out.
• Counselor Rec: That lady's a skank. It probably didn't hurt me, I just don't know her, she can't use spellcheck, she lied about how long she's known me, and I got her in trouble with the administration once for not doing her job.
• Supplementary Material: I listed more clubs I'm really involved in (left off NHS, for example) and my "create a thing" essay was about this time I wrote out a curriculum for an imaginary school...it was cool, but done last-minute.
• Interview: Went really, really well...I'm actually seeing the woman who interviewed me again for a river clean-up next week, which is cool because she was pretty cool.
• Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): Published in a historical journal? Female? State competitor? Worked 25 hrs/week? Financially irresponsible parents? Whatever it was, it didn't work.

Personal

• Location: San Antonio, TX
• High School Type: Huge (4000?) and crappy. All the talent comes from maybe 15 kids and this is the first year we've (those kids) had the power to start programs (olympiads, etc).
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: Chick
• Applied for Financial Aid: At $50,000 a year? Hell yes.
• Extracurriculars: UIL Science (state level, team won state once, 4th in state, helped build the program, whatever), UIL current events (again, state), Model UN (sec. general, awards, taught newbies), JETS TEAMS (11th nationally large school), Government Club (senator, founding member, do school newspaper articles and video announcements and stuff), environmental club (local cleanups, awareness), worked a hell of a lot, French Club, French Honor Society, UIL math stuff, lots of tutoring, and I run (just not for school, talked about it in my short essay).
• Awards: AP Scholar w/ distinction, national merit, published, chem olympiad qualifier (didn't take test because they limit it to two per school), highest AMC in school.
• Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?:

I'm kind of annoyed that I can't make affirmative action jokes anymore, and I think that the waitlist is an easy out on behalf of the admissions office. I'm taking it as a rejection but I'm not too bitter...liklies at Columbia and Rice, and hell, at least my boyfriend got waitlisted, too. I can't figure out why I didn't get in (not enough math?) but I'm still happy with what I've accomplished over the past two years and a rejection from my first choice isn't about to change that. Congratulations to all of you who got accepted, and I mean that =)

[goens]

Rejected
International

Stats:

• Toefl iBT: 116/120; R:30/30 W:30/30 L:30/30 S:26/30
• SAT II: Mathematics l.II: 750 Chemistry: 750
• GPA: ~3.6 u.w.
• Rank: top 10%
• Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): IB Full Diploma Candidate. HL Chemistry, Spanish A1, Biology(in German). SL Mathematics, German A2, History(in German). Taking two other High School diploma programmes alongside, with extra subjects for both of them.

Subjective

• Essays: Amazing!
• Teacher Recs: Average (very good actually, but probably average for MIT applicants)
• Counselor Rec: Nothing Spectacular
• Supplementary Material: Mathematics research paper on Galois Fields and Cryptography, very good and quite comprehensive actually.
• Interview: Amazing, talked for two hours and got into deeper subjects (you know the drill)
• Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): None.

Personal

• Location: San Salvador, El Salvador
• High School Type: Private, Urban School (German School) Quite elitist.
• Ethnicity: Latin American
• Gender: Male
  

Other

• Extracurriculars: Linux User Group, Programming, Basketball Varisty team, Community Service (Built ~7 houses for the poor), Managed the Solar Plant in my School, Redesigned the Library's Database.
• Awards: Cambridge First Certificate in English: A(?), Deutsches Sprachdiplom I(?)
• Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?: Hmm, I am still full of bitterness, but here are some pieces of advice: Concentrate on your GPA (do not change to a bad school which can make you get a 4.0, even if it'll probably help you, you will lose the learning opportunity), forget about MIT for a while until you get your decision! It's not worth it "falling in love" before, it makes a rejection quite painful. Some internationals help their teachers fill out the forms, however, it is better if you just let them fill those and give them a paid envelope so they send them, that way they will feel free to write great things about you without inflating your ego.
  
  And remember, they have quotas on "internationals", which is undertsandable, but dissapointing nevertheless, so chances are, you will not be accepted unless you *really stand out*. Trust me, apply to other schools, and think outside the U.S.
  

[MartyL]

Accepted

Low test scores?!!!

Stats:

• SAT: 1990 (710 M, 640 W, 640 R)
• SAT II: 770 Math 2, 600 Physics
• ACT:
• GPA: 4 UW, 5.59 W
• Rank: 3/385
• Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): AP - 4s on Eng 3, US Hist, and Chem; 2 on US Gov; 7 AP tests to be taken this year

Subjective

• Essays: Pretty good
• Teacher Recs: Fantastic
• Counselor Rec: Fantastic
• Supplementary Material: None
• Interview: Fairly decent
• Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): I applied for the Cross Country Team

Personal

• Location: Austin, Tx
• High School Type: public
• Ethnicity: Mexican
• Gender: M

Other

• Extracurriculars:
  Amateur Filmmaker
  Band (marching and concert)
  Community Service
  German Club
  Herd of Nerds (school pride)
  Physics Club
  Science Olympiad
  Speech and Debate
  Student Council
  UIL Academics
  Cross Country
  Latin Dance Troupe
  Track and Field
  AP Ambassador (Director of Foreign Languages)
  Class Secretary
  Student Leadership Team
• Awards:
  Several school awards
  NMS Commended
  National Hispanic Scholar Finalist
  AP Scholar
  Several band honors (made all region band 2 yrs, a region and a district solo)
  Several awards from German competitions
  Several Science Olympiad awards
  Film placed 5th in nationwide contest
• Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?:

My test scores make me look like an idiot compared to the rest of you! Good thing I'm Mexican! Since I was very young, lowered academic expectations was the only benefit of being Mexican that I could ever see, no joke.
I'M CRAZY EXCITED!! I can't wait to get my nerd on!!

[rainynightstarz]

Accepted


Stats:

• SAT: Math 780 CR 650 WR 670 (2100... I was soo mad when I got my score... since I spent the whole day before to pick up messes after my robotics officers, and since scores are pretty much same as the previous test... no superscoring)
• SAT II: Math Chem Chinese 800
• ACT: 33
• GPA: 3.96 UW , 4.3 ish W
• Rank: Does unweighted.. so i wasn't in the first decile
• Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): AMC10 :128.5, AMC12:117, AIME 4 since 9th grade, 5's (Calc BC (10th grade), Chem , Stats)

Subjective

• Essays: It was very simply written since I really can't write well. However, I felt that I told them all that I wanted to tell them.
• Teacher Recs: Lit one probably normal... since I can't write well and don't talk much in the class.
  math one from stats teacher, he is 81 years old now... one of those super old professors that knows like everything
  extra from robotics coach: knows me well, liked how I am responsible compare to all the guys on my team... hehe and he is a MIT Alum
• Counselor Rec: Normal? since she writes like 100+ of them and don't actually know us
• Supplementary Material: OMG I sent them soo much stufff... art portfolio, a essay on what I did to catch up on math when I moved to this year competitive school to show resilience, also this LED sign i made. like those clock things that swings back and forth, I programmed it to who my name, "MIT" logo and the dome.
• Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): female robotics president

Personal

• Location: Bay Area
• High School Type: Very competitive, even though only ranked 70s on country cuz of lack of APs, but students score better on statewide test then like all of the California schools ranked before it.. except like one school
• Ethnicity: Chinese (moved here in 6th grade)
• Gender: XX
• Applied for Financial Aid: I said I would, but not going to because I figured out that I am not gonna get any

Other

• Extracurriculars: Robotics Co-prez, math secretary, JETS, science club and aikido club in 9th and 10th
• Volunteer/Work: I taught middle school kids about robotics over the summer instead of going to those expensive camps...
• Awards: x4 AIME quals, JETS team first in the state in our division, Stanford math contest stuff.. nothing big
• Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?:
  I found out about it during robotics competition where 50 robots competed in. The just of it is that, most of the girls got in, and I didn't know of any guy who got in. I was quite upset since neither my co prez nor my friend's co-prez got in, and I thought they are totally qualified.
  As a girl with low stats who got in, I ask myself, did I really deserve it? Did I take other's spot just cuz I am a girl? I talked with some of my guy friends who didn't get in, they assured me that I've done a lot and I did deserve it and that I should be just happy. It was very nice of them, but I do feel bad for a lot of people who didn't get in and deserved it more than me. I know a lot of you are very mad, and who am I to say anything since i did get in, just so you know that some of us does feel a bit guilty.
  
  When I was accepted to Caltech I thought it was a mistake, or well I just got lucky that they don't care about CR and WR scores.... but now that I am in at MIT too, I guess I have more confidence in what I've done.
  
  For me, a lot of things I do , or apply for, I don't except to get. My parents always convinced me to try, just in case. For as long as I know , I was going to Zhejiang University in China up till when I was 11.
  
  PM me if you want to know about what I wrote for my essays.

[.:Indian:.]

Decision: Rejected

* Major Applied To: Bioengineering, whatever # that is...
* Fee Waiver Used?: No
* SAT I (by section): 800 CR, 780 M, 730 W = 2310 total, taken once. 1580 M+CR
* SAT IIs: 770 Math 2, 740 US History, 730 BioM
* GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: 3.67 UW, 4.3 W
* Rank: N/A
* ACT: 34 (35 Math, 34 everything else)
* APs (including this year's): 11 Taken total, 4- AP Euro, 5 - AP US, Bio, Calc AB
* Senior Yr Courseload: Hardest of anyone in the school =/
* Number of Apps from Your School: 100+ probably
* Other stats (Awards, etc.): Check my chances thread if you're really interested...

Subjective:

* ECs listed on app: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/...es-thread.html
* Job/Work Experience: see ^
* Essays (subject and responses): Great! best I've written, IMO; about toothpaste
* Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): Research?

Location/Person:

* State or Country:
* School Type, Average Stats of School (if available):
* Ethnicity: East Indian
* Gender: M
* Income Bracket: Too much, yet not high enough to play completely out-of-pocket.
* Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nothing?
* Strengths: EC's, SAT's, Essays?
* Weaknesses: GPA. Definitely.
* Why you think you were accepted/wait listed/denied: I'm just not MIT material

[k4r3n2]

Accepted

Stats:

• SAT: didn't take it
• SAT II: 760 Bio M, 780 Math II
• ACT: 35 composite (35 math, english, reading, 36 science)
• GPA: 5.33 / 5.0 weighted, 3.66 / 4.0 unweighted
• Rank: high school doesn't rank, top 10%
• Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): AP US History 4, AP Psych and AP Bio, 5. Took the AMC 12 last year and reported the score, but I don't remember what it was - somewhere around 84.
  

Subjective

• Essays: I absolutely love one of my essays, and the other one makes me cringe a little bit. I thought that my required essay was gimicky and my optional essay was perfect.
• Teacher Recs: By two teachers that know me well in several different contexts. I haven't read either one, but both told me that they were very, very favorable.
• Counselor Rec: Excellent, my counselor and I are good friends
• Supplementary Material: Sent in a letter after EA deferral with pictures of my FIRST robot. Also sent word of nomination as a Presidential Scholars candidate.
• Interview: I liked my interviewer a lot, but I couldn't get a read on whether or not she really liked me until she called me last night to tell me that she was really, really excited that I got in and that she was worrying about me
• Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): None that I'm aware of
  

Personal

• Location: Illinois - north suburbs
• High School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: Caucasian
• Gender: Female
  

Other

• Extracurriculars:
  FIRST Robotics, 2 years - director of PR and co-head of electronics
  Congressional debate, 4 years - assistant captain, 2007 All-State team
  Mathletes, 4 years - team captain
  Quiz Bowl, 3 years - science girl
  Horseback riding, 7 years - quit junior year
  Model UN, 2 years - honorable mention sophomore year, quit junior year
  WYSE, 2 years - team MVP, qualified for state competition in chem and bio
  Mentor FIRST Lego League teams through Robotics
• Awards: All were mentioned above
• Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?:

I still have no clue how I got in I suspect the high interest that I showed in MIT helped me along - I applied EA and was deferred, but I sent a letter expressing my continuted interest, posted on the admissions blogs, and generally kept in touch. I'm hoping that they don't wise up and kick me out before CPW!

[rappasani]

Decision: Wait-Listed

* Major Applied To: Cognitive Sciences (Course9)
* Fee Waiver Used?: No
* SAT I (by section): 550 CR, 650 M, 600 W = 1800 total
* SAT IIs: 580 Math 2, 600 Math 1, 680 US History, 630 BioM
* GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: 3.7 UW, 4.7 W
* Rank: 20/390
* ACT: 30super
* APs (including this year's): 6 Taken total, 4-AP Bio, 4-AP US, 4-AP Microecon, BC Calc, Chem, Physics
* Senior Yr Courseload: Hard
* Number of Apps from Your School: 3 to MIT
* Other stats (Awards, etc.): Intel STS semifinalist, Bausch & Lomb Science Award

Subjective:

* ECs listed on app: Debate, Research, Tennis
* Job/Work Experience: Head of IT/Marketing, Lab work
* Essays (subject and responses): ew...arite i presume
* Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): Intel STS, nobel laureate rec, research for 4 years

Location/Person:

* State or Country: MA
* School Type, Average Stats of School (if available):
* Ethnicity: Indian (Asia)
* Gender: M
* Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Intel STS?
* Strengths: Research experience, interview
* Weaknesses: Test scores
* Why you think you were accepted/wait listed/denied: I am very surprised I was not rejected as my scores are soooo low. But perhaps I was wait listed due to an awesome interview and research experience.

[diginetgod]

Rejected

Stats:

• SAT: CR: 740 M: 780 W: 800
• SAT II: 800 Chem, 800 Math II, 760 US History
• ACT: 35 (all 35s, except Science which was 36)
• GPA: 96.247
• Rank: 9/345
• Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): AMC12 (100.5), AIME Qualifier (Unknown), 6APs taken all 5s
  

Subjective

• Essays: Alright, wrote about making up school work and recovering from an ulcer that resulted in internal bleeding, dehydration, anemia, and sudden weight loss
• Teacher Recs: Excellent
• Counselor Rec: Good
• Supplementary Material: Uh...
• Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): Not sure??

Personal

• Location: Upstate NY
• High School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: Very White
• Gender: Male
• Applied for Financial Aid: Yes

Other

• Extracurriculars: Gay-Straight Alliance Founder/President, Model UN (several awards), Math league, Science Olympiad, Speech and Debate (League Champion, have gone to states and nationals)
• Awards: S+D awards, Model UN awards, school awards, National Merit Finalist, Presidential Scholars Candidate, Kodak Young Leaders Award, Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award, AP Scholar w/ Distinction
• Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?: This was extremely disappointing and I regret not getting involved in Science Olympiad until senior year, because I've done very well but the competitions were too late for the admissions officers to know. I also wish I had more research opportunities because the only one I found near by and applied to made me a finalist but did not accept me. Also, I should have talked more about my efforts in electronic music composition, photography, and sculpture but I never entered these for awards or anything and considered them just hobbies and didn't get involved significantly until recently. Whatever. Such is life, right?
  Congratulations to those who made it!!

[I<3School]

Accepted

Stats:

• SAT:2400
• SAT II:2400
• GPA:not stellar
• Rank:4 out of a few hundred.
• Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): 5

Subjective

• Essays: used same for other schools.
• Teacher Recs: phenomenal, i'd presume.
• Interview: it was cold, but fun.
• Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): see above?

Personal

• High School Type:Public
• Ethnicity:Azn
• Gender:m

Other

• Awards:Siemens/Intel/etc... no finalist.
• Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?: Don't drink the kool-aid just yet, waitlisters.

[lingotjuice]

Accepted stats for friend

Stats:
SAT: 2000(650M, 640 W, 710R)
SAT II: 710 Math 2, 700 Biology-E:
GPA: 3.9UW, 4.5W
Rank: 10/847
Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): AP Scholar w/ distinction

Essays: Most likely amazing..he's a good writer
Teacher Recs: really good... had same teacher write my rec.
Counselor Rec: probably good
Supplementary Material: journal essay
Interview: N/A
Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): low- income under $35,000
Personal
Location: Houston, Tx
High School Type: public
Ethnicity: White/Asian
Gender: M
Other
Extracurriculars:
Speech and Debate- state finalist , national out round participant in LD debate
Student Council
Student body president
Honor Society President
YMCA volunteer
Church volunteer
Habitat for Hummanity
Awards:

AP Scholar w/ Distinction
School Awards
UIL District and region awards for Computer Science and Calculator

Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?: He works like crazy ..He holds down a 25 an hour a week job because mom is on disability. He takes care of his family by himself.. His father is in jail... and he speaks like 4 languages.....

Congrats to everyone... I thought I would share my friends accomplishments...

[iwotic]

Actually she is a friend of mine, how she got in is very interesting. I bet her SAT score is among the lowest of people admitted.
Something to note: SHE GOT REJECTED BY UIUC

Accepted

Stats:

• SAT: Math: 800 CR: 440 Wr: 480
• SAT II: MathII: 800 Phy:800 Chem:790
• ACT: None
• GPA: Not sure
• Rank: One of the best of her school
• Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): 5 in all AP, IOI SILVER MEDALIST

Subjective

• Essays: Very good
• Teacher Recs: Very good (A female IOI silver medalist)
• Counselor Rec: Very good
• Supplementary Material:
• Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): IOI Silver Medalist with 1 point below gold medalist
• Location: South East Asia, International Student
• High School Type: Best high school in her country
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: Female
• Extracurriculars: IOI
• Awards: IOI Silver Medalist
• Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?: It is very interesting that she got into MIT but not UIUC. Seems like MIT care alot about major academic acheivement for international students where 3 people who got accepted this year from my country are 1) IBO Gold Medalist Ranked 1st in the world (male) 2) IBO Silver Medalist (Female) 3) IOI Silver Medalist(Female, this girl I am talking about) where 2 other people who got waitlisted are IOI Gold Medalist (male) and IMO Bronze Medalist (male)

[StevenJPenny]

ACCCEPTED!!

Stats:

• SAT: CR720 M710 W670
• SAT II: M2: 770, Chem: 770
• ACT:
• GPA: 3.95
• Rank: 3/70
• Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): 5s in APUSH, AP Chem, and AP Comp Sci A

Subjective

• Essays: One was about how my father passing away from cancer made me want to do medical research
• Teacher Recs: One was great, one was generic.
• Counselor Rec: Should have been amazing, I am the first person from my school since the 80s to even apply to top 10 schools.
• Supplementary Material: MITES recommendations
• Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): I taught myself all three AP tests above and got 5s on them (since my school sucks and only has 2 AP classes), I also went to MITES and did well

Personal

• Location: Middle of Nowhere, OH
• High School Type: Small, Poor, and crappy!
• Ethnicity: White!
• Gender Male!
• Applied for Financial Aid:YUS!

Other

• Extracurriculars: I have been in drama since 8th grade, had the lead senior year. NHS president and started a school wide recycling program. I play clarinet in band. I went to MITES last summer, and did an internship at a hospital the summer before.
• Awards: National Merit Commended Student and a bunch of small school awards and stuff.
• Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?:If I didn't feel like bragging, why would I be making this post?

[sf49rox]

Accepted

This is my friend's not myself!


Stats:

• SAT:1560/1600
• GPA: 3.99/4.00, 4.8 W
• Rank: 4/494
• Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): In AMC he always gets above 100. 5 on all AP

Subjective

• Teacher Recs: probably godlike, he's the man!
• Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): Super nice kid

Personal

• Location: VA
• High School Type: Public with Magnet
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: Male
• Applied for Financial Aid: Y

Other

• Extracurriculars: not a lot, but the one he is in he is the president.
• Awards: Every single science award possible, going to ISEF this May!
• Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?:

I play soccer with him, he is so cool. He got deferred, I am glad MIT saw through their mistake and finally accepted this great kid.

[lhslexingtonorg]

Decision: Waitlisted
Stats:

* SAT: M800, R760, W750 (2310)
* SAT IIs: Math 2C 800, Bio E 750, US History 740, Math 1C 740
* ACT: n/a
* GPA: 3.87 UW, 4.6 W
* Rank: n/a
* Other stats:

Subjective:

* Essays: One about music, one about sports
* Teacher Recs: Calculus and English
* Counselor Rec: Yes
* Hook (if any): No

Location/Person:

* State or Country: MA
* School Type: Public
* Ethnicity: Asian
* Gender: M

Other Factors:

• Extracurriculars: Envirothon, Science Olympiad, JSA, Math Team, Chinese Yo-yo
• Why I think I was accepted/rejected/waitlisted:
• Other thoughts: Congrats to those accepted

[gogela]

Rejected

Stats:

* SAT: 400M 400R 800W
* SAT II: Math2c - 500, Phys - 500
* ACT: 10
* GPA: 3.5- 3.6 (weighted)
* Rank: 67 / 100
* Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): AMC 10 - 78, AMC12 - 52.5

Subjective

* Essays: Best quality, I'm the writer :/
* Teacher Recs: Faked, best
* Counselor Rec: Faked, best
* Supplementary Material: Goge drawings
* Interview: Meh, killed the person
* Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): I won Nobel Prize in my home.

Personal

* Location: India
* High School Type: Mental Institute of Technology. I think top 2 in nation or something.
* Ethnicity: Asian >_<
* Gender: M

Other

* Extracurriculars: Math Club, ARML, Research, Religious Activities
* Awards: Nobel Prize
* Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?: I am the best, why did not they accept me?