sciencegirl9

So hey. Im in 8th grade currently. Ive applied for Johns Hopkins CTY, and am taking SAT in Dec. Thats what Ive started doing to prepare for MIT. If I'm accepted in to the CTY, I can take a bunch of summer courses at JHU.

I reallllyyy want to major in Physics at MIT. (Richard Feynman and Albert Einstein, among others are my inspirations). I'm fairly new to this game, so I was wondering if i could get some great tips on how to BEST prepare for MIT.

btw: Im in adv everything, fairly good grades but am going to bring them up to high A's soon.(promise!)

Basically,,,want to receive INCREDIBLE advice, along with the do's and don'ts when it comes to working up towards MIT.
--Thanks all!!

bw0jo

you're in 8th grade. focus on having fun in your last year of not having to worry about anything related to your future.

sciencegirl9

u sound like my mom. hhaaha. however, if there's anything i know about the college admissions process, it's that you have to enter the ring early.

So maybe i fibbed a little tiny bit. Im not THAT new to the game, ive acquired some info over time.

but seriously. Im seriously serious about going to MIT. Please, i know im very young, but i also have a bad habit of planning everything. (It makes me feel in control, if u know what i mean)

k4r3n2

You are in 8th grade. Go outside and have fun. If you're honestly consciously starting to prepare for college now, you're doing it wrong.

MIT also isn't for everyone. If you're genuinely doing average in your classes and you have to struggle to make As, it is very possibly not for you. Physics at MIT isn't a joke - you have to not only be good at math and science, but you need to have the sort of inherent creativity and passion for discovery that no one can teach you.

So, honestly, if you think that we can tell you a step-by-step formula to get into MIT, you really know less about college admissions than you think you do.

8th grade is also by no means the last year that you get to enjoy yourself. Come back when you're a senior in high school and filling out your applications. Until then, get good grades, do things you love, and ask yourself if you really and truly think that MIT is the right place for you.

mom22girls

You SO need to read What High Schools Don't Tell You by Elizabeth Wisner Gross. It's full of ways to stand out from the pack when looking at top notch schools. Math is a great way to get regional and national recognition. If your school doesn't already offer it, talk to them about offering the AMC exam. Also Mandelbrot. Summer programs exist for science, but there are some well known summer math programs too. These are outlined in the book, but usa/canada mathcamp and Ross are the 2 programs my daughter did. MIT has its own summer programs, Women in Technology, RSI (which is a bear to get into).

Art of Problem Solving has prep for AMC and AIME.

Basically you should focus on ways to gain knowledge and recognition outside of your school.

My daughter's applied EA to MIT this year... hopefully we'll have good news in December.

sciencegirl9

how am i doing it wrong?? If that's what you think, you need to read the book What High Schools don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You To Know), buddy. It has everything in there!!!

k4r3n2

er, with all due respect, only one of us is currently at MIT.

sciencegirl9

mom22girls: I KNOW! That book is so informative. I love it!

by the way, good luck with your daughter. If she's followed what that book said, she has a one way ticket to MIT.

sciencegirl9

k4r3n2: Wow. u should've said u were at MIT b4. What are u planning to major in?

mom22girls

I heard Ms. Gross speak twice - her books are really helpful. You pretty much have all the info you need there - her kids are fine examples of what steps you can take -- and enjoy on the way -- towards your MIT dream. My daughter declared the 8 weeks at Ross to be the best of her life. Thanks for the good wishes.

sciencegirl9

mom22girls: ur welcome. sometimes i wonder though, a lot of people are probably following her advice. By the time i get to college (2014) it may be so overused that it will be even harder to get accepted to MIT. hmmm...

k4r3n2

I'm a sophomore majoring in EECS. And my opinion is that books like that prey on the fears of students that they won't be able to get into college, and if you need a book to tell you how to be creative and interesting, you're a terrible fit for MIT.

So seriously, go outside.

mom22girls

Maybe not... I've heard it said that this year is the last of a population bubble and that numbers of kids applying to colleges will start to go down slightly after this one. Add to that the post earlier today that MIT is considering adding 300 more to their student population next year, and you'll probably have a better shot at it!

sciencegirl9

k4r3n2: ur like one of the only ones who does get it. my family has never gotten it at all. i have such a strong feeling inside when thinking about all the endless possibilities and opportunities in the field of physics.

I realize there is no ONE formula to get in. But there are some general things that help. I see why u thought i was doing it all wrong.

Thanks, and i hope that passion for discovery u have takes u to a level of a definite discovery in the field of science.

mom22girls

k4r3n2, the book I'm talking about helped us because my d's school has no experience with someone who really enjoys math/science and wants more outside of the regular classroom experience. Her school barely can find enough kids to field a math team. No one told us about the AMC or math camps, so the book was a great resource for us. Through it my daughter found others who shared her passion for math, cs, and science in general.