Do past admits get you admitted?

Tbxsh123
Tue, 25 Jul 2017 17:35:45 +0000

Hello everyone,
I’m a rising senior and looking to apply to MIT, however, so far no one from my high school has ever been admitted to MIT. I go to a decent high school, with past admits to places like Brown, Duke, Dartmouth, Berkley, UPenn, but not MIT. I’ve also been hearing a lot of buzz lately from people about how I shouldn’t be focusing so hard on MIT (although it’s my dream school) and it’s been unclear why, but my parents brought up a point, that no one from my school has ever been admitted, so MIT won’t really consider me.
My question is, how much weight, do past admits, or past non-admits, have on your application? Are you more likely to get in if students of the past have gotten in?
I completely understand that there is by no means one way or aspect to get into MIT, or any top school for that matter; I would just like to know how much influence past admits have on your application, or if it’s just something I’m overthinking and over worrying about.

Thank you, everyone, for your answers; I greatly and sincerely appreciate them.
Tbxsh123