GPA, etc. -- Planning Ahead

mootmom
Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:15:00 +0000

Daniel, he isn’t suggesting you choose ECs to the detriment of classes: successfully achieving that balance is a sign that you can handle the sorts of pressures you’d see as an MIT student. If you’ve been mostly involved in debate, the job, and research, those are the things to list. There are only 5 slots on the application, but nothing says you are required to fill in all 5, especially if there aren’t 5 activities you are truly committed to. (And I do know students who were accepted without filling in all 5 slots.) MIT admissions is not a “who has the most” contest, it’s an evaluation of what you’ve done with the opportunities you’ve had, and how you’ve expressed what you’re most passionate about. Many matriculating students will have filled in those blanks with things like research or math competitions or debate; many others will have filled in athletics or theatre or committed community service. That’s what makes an MIT class whole.

If you are also interested in Caltech, you will need to post your query on the Caltech board here, too, since their admissions process and considerations differ from those of MIT.