Can I get into MIT as an Electronics Engineering Major?

Chance Me / Match Me
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<p>I’m just getting ready to finish my junior year at Kingwood High School, with a current GPA of 4.96 (i don’t know the 4.0 scale equivalent). I’m ranked 69th in a class of approximately 1000. So far I’ve taken all honors and extras, although this year I decided to take level history to make time for my other classes. Here’s my course list</p>

<p>Chem H
Alg II H
Precal H
Physics H
Chem II AP
English GT/AP (3 years)
World Hist H
Geometry H
Geog H
Spanish 1-3 H
Biology H
Music Theory AP</p>

<p>I’ve maintained A’s or A+'s in all classes except for steady B’s in english this year and B+'s in spanish 3 (those are my weak spots)</p>

<p>As a senior I’m planning to take:</p>

<p>English 4 GT/AP
Calculus BC
Physics II AP
Government H/ Economics AP</p>

<p>I’ve also taken choir every year so far, have been in the inschool varsity “Chorale” and the afterschool chamber choir “Madrigals” for sophomore and Junior years, and will be in those two as a senior. I was in the Houston Children’s Chorus for five years from 4th to 8th grade, in which i was a top singer- in this choir I travelled to England and Mexico, as well as travelling to Japan as part of a Japan-America peace summit. I’m a member of Mensa, and based on my my PSAT scores (I can’t remember the exact score, but i only missed 2 math problems and 3 crit. reading problems) I’m just about guarranteed to be a National Merit Scholar (I just got the letter saying I was one of the top scorers in the nation, and the little score card places me in the 99th percentile). I also have going for me the fact that I am hispanic. I am a member of my school’s student council and National Honor Society, have gone to state for UIL Computer Applications, and am a choir officer. I received the Presidential Service award for logging over 200 service hours my freshman year. </p>

<p>As far as computer skills go, I’m not exactly a l337 h4x0r, but I literally learned my Alphabet on the keyboard, and have been tinkering with computers since I was two and DOS still occupied a major market share. I’m planning on taking some programming classes either at my school or at the local community college, but my real joy is fooling around with the machine’s hardware. I saved up for and built my own computer when I was in 6th grade, upgraded it twice, then used most of the components to build my sister a pc, and started afresh. I’m currently making a little bit of income doing tech support for my teachers, friends, and neighbors, and plan to get a job on Best Buy’s Geek Squad.</p>

<p>So do I have a chance getting into MIT, and also important, do I have a chance at getting my scholarships? I heard they’re giving free rides to anyone who is admitted and whose family income is less than 80k a year. My dad just got a job that places us above that mark, but up until the past couple of months, we fit below that bracket. What are the odds I can get in and get financial assistance?</p>

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<p>Oh also I suppose I am considered a Baptist, tho I’m Nondenom attending a Baptist Church, and I’m a Texas resident, in a very competitive high school.</p>

<p>And how would I do at these other colleges as well:</p>

<p>Rensselaer
CalTech
Georgia Tech
University of Michigan</p>

<p>I can’t think of any others at this hour…</p>

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<p>Geez I’m forgetful:</p>

<p>I also am a member of the school’s new Science Olympiad Team, and we’re going to state for the second time in the two years we’ve been around. I think we have a good shot of placing, but I won’t find out until I compete this weekend.</p>

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<p><em>bump…</em></p>

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<p>

This is not true, so far as I know. You’d likely be eligible for some financial aid, but probably not full financial aid.</p>

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<p>doubt it buddy. the hispanic background will help, but your scores aren’t competitive for mit. and your math ability and comp ability is pretty average too. any fool can assemble a computer nowadays although it required some expertise back in teh 80s.</p>

<p>and since you are rich hispanic (80k is quite wealthy for anyone), I doubt you will get too much financial aid. Try considering some lower engineering schools. You may be able to scrape into UC Berkeley’s Engineering program if you are very very lucky.</p>

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<p>What’s wrong with UT-Austin?</p>

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<p>What about Rice UniversitY? It is really good and in Texas so you have being a resident going for you. It also is in the top 20.</p>

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<p>well there’s nothing wrong with those locations per se, but I’m aiming for the absolute best school for the electronics engineering major. I’m guarranteed to get into UT and A&M, and I don’t really care to go to Rice- beisdes, Rice doesn’t like to take residents as often as most schools. And I’m pretty sure about the MIT scholarship thing- Harvard is doing the same thing, and I’ve heard about it from several people.</p>

<p>And no offense aruubato, but I think I’ll take your comment with a grain of salt, because you’ve said doubt it to every post I’ve read so far.</p>

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<p>Harvard is offering a full ride to any student whose family makes less than [$60,000</a> per year](<a href=“http://www-tech.mit.edu/V126/N15/15harvardwire.html]$60,000”>http://www-tech.mit.edu/V126/N15/15harvardwire.html).</p>

<p>MIT’s only current initiative, so far as I know, is to [match</a> federal Pell grants](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/pell.html]match”>MIT will match Federal Pell Grants | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology). They are also considering whether to change the [self-help</a> amount](<a href=“http://www-tech.mit.edu/V126/N6/06finaid.html]self-help”>http://www-tech.mit.edu/V126/N6/06finaid.html) required of students.</p>