DARPA Funding+Putnam T100 = MIT? [Aerospace Engineering; 4.0 GPA, 760RW/800M SAT, Canadian resident, international for US universities]

Chance Me / Match Me
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OK - you wrote a post. You didn’t include info. I mean you just wrote the post, and listed several LORs you wrote but you couldn’t be “bothered” to provide the other teacher’s subject you asked?

MIT will want people who follow through. I know they can’t tell from a CC message board - but perhaps that will show through in other areas of your app.

Again, the most brilliant and accomplished person will be told - MIT is a high reach for all. Apply and hope for the best.

No one can say - you’re a shoe in for MIT. If they can, they can probably also sell ice to an Eskimo.

You know you are applying to MIT. So that’s easy.

But now, you are low income - so what schools make up the the rest of your list. It’s that affordable, safety that is the most important on your list - because when you reach for an MIT, it’s likely you 'll end up in another place. Given your income constraints, you will need an expansive list - but of schools that can hit your budget #s.

Good luck

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To give further detail, MIT’s acceptance rate for internationals is 2.0%. They’re one of the few schools to provide that level of detail.

I’m unaware of any NPC, other than Harvard, where the university says it works for internationals

Be happy that users are taking the time to assist you given that you can’t be bothered.

There’s an old adage - garbage in, garbage out

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They also have to be good for aerospace so…

The number of elements in the intersection of those 2 sets is quite small it seems…

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So schools like Princeton, Columbia, and Cornell are not good enough for you to attend for free?!

I think you need to radically alter your thinking here.

And also be honest with those of us providing advice. Too many inconsistencies in your threads. Good luck to you, but I’m out.

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Top-ranked programs—such as MIT, Caltech, Georgia Tech, the University of Michigan, and Purdue University—have direct, heavy recruitment pipelines with major aerospace and defense companies (like NASA, SpaceX, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman). IMO, The school you choose to attend will matter.

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While true, opportunities for non-Americans for such companies are limited. Most US defense roles require a US government security clearance, which is almost exclusively restricted to US citizens.

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But some of the schools you list do not provide funding for even out of state students, let alone international students.

And as skieurope noted, it’s next to impossible for an international student to get a security clearance in the aerospace sector, especially if that company have government defense contracts. A non resident should expect to have to return to their home country after completing their degree.

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And even to get hired into the commercial business unit (where no security clearance is needed because they do zero government work) since it reduces their flexibility to promote, transfer, etc. based on the business needs.

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I did make this suggestion to TsiolkovskyLagrange in an earlier post.

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isn’t Putnam only for enrolled undergrads? How will you do that.

I would suggest in your app you be very clear about the exact DARPA funding mechanism, who is on it, and the wording here.

as others said, MIT is a long-shot for nearly everyone, and especially for international students.

What is your SAT breakdown? I assume Math must be like 800 given your other records, but if not at least 780 (their 25th) that is going to be no ideal…

Honestly it hinges on #1 EC and how impressive/cool they think it is something the need in their class this year, IMO…

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For the purpose of applying to MIT and other highly ranked university, You should not do anything at all other than fill in the application (and maybe take the SAT, but you apparently have already done this and done very well). There are two reasons that I say this.

One reason is that admissions to MIT is so unlikely that it is not worth putting in significant effort on an EC just in the hopes of getting into MIT.

The other reason is that at least IMHO the best way to get into a highly ranked university is to be genuine. Be yourself. Whatever you do, you should do it very well. If you do what is right for you, then you are more likely to do it very well.

Also, to me your ECs already look very good.

It you want to do the Putnam for yourself, then go for it. Otherwise, do not worry about it.

Do you have either Canadian permanent residence or Canadian citizenship? If yes to either, this will of course significant reduce the cost of attending university in Canada. There are many very, very good universities in Canada.

I agree with others about the difficulty or perhaps impossibility of getting security clearance to work in aerospace in the US without citizenship. However, in my experience it can be tough for a Canadian citizen (or permanent resident) to find work in Canada with a degree from an American university. It might be easier to get a job in Canada graduating from one of the very good universities in Canada (assuming that you have either Canadian citizenship or permanent residence). As such there may be very significant advantages to attending university in Canada. Of course one advantage of attending university in Canada is that with excellent stats admissions is way, way more predictable.

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I’ll be honest, You don’t fit Caltech.
Caltech’s admission process is brutal. They only admit about 200+ kids worldwide.
They have an admissions committee AND they have current students review essays. The school is a fit school. If you don’t fit, it won’t work.

They know that they get STEM kids, ad nauseum, so, they focus on all-around students who are very well-liked by everyone. They want to hear what the humanities teachers say in their LORs.

Since CalTech is a research institution, long hours, and independent work is the norm. The students spend a LOT of money on door dash and Uber Eats because they don’t have time to leave their rooms. California is expensive, so you need a large budget for daily incidentals. That’s not covered by scholarships.

You should also be able to work as a team member in an honor system. If you require extra time, because of your diagnosis, this part will be difficult. The workload is brutal. @DadTwoGirls can explain it well.

Your comments scream arrogance and entitlement. This is why you won’t fit this school.

They seek out students who will step out of their comfort zones via sportsmanship comments, long-term volunteerism in community events that are outside the scope of STEM (Boy Scouts, Green events, etc.) as reported by Principals, Teachers, Coaches and staff.

FWIW, our son was admitted to Caltech and various top tens.

You aren’t a citizen, so if you are admitted to any school in the US, you need to plan on returning to Canada in 4 years. Sponsorship is difficult and expensive, especially in the aerospace field. It’s a niche field.

If your attitude is still dismissive, no one will go out of their way to want to employ, nor sponsor you.

Apply to the phenomenal Canadian schools. They are your best bet.

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Based on the other thread, you are an international student for US universities, correct?

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  1. UK National Field Hockey Champion
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Yes?

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So you think my research was done solely by me?

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And?
I’ve known a lot of recruited athletes with phenomenal talent, but they lacked warmth.

When you’re talking about needing to be financially supported, these schools look for the most bang for their dollars.

They’d rather bypass a person with a laundry list of STEM activities and select a student who fits their idea of “warmth”. (A kid with a part-time job at a pizza place describing her humorous first failed dough attempt at her job.)

I don’t think you understand what I am telling you. Some of these schools prefer students who go out of their way to elevate others.

Nice kids, who repeatedly are comfortable not seeking recognition, but giving genuine support to others, is what sticks out.

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Perhaps so? But who would you rather want at your uni: Alex Chui or the pizza girl you just mentioned

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The latter - she has empathy, self deprecation, and is a good human being. She’ll also get along better with the profs and other students, and generally be well liked.

I don’t know if Alex Chui is self absorbed and selfish but pizza girl beats those traits every day of the week.

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Do you even know who Alex Chui is?