<p>I have a few last-minute questions about the lottery.</p>
<li><p>Do we have to submit 6 choices, or can enter fewer?</p></li>
<li><p>How does the essay response “3) Please tell us why you choose your first choice for HASS-D subject.” affect our placement? I thought the lottery was computer randomized; how do they factor in our essay response?</p></li>
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<p>Is there any sort of lottery for CI-H classes that aren’t also HASS-Ds? Is there a chance of getting closed out of them? What if we get our (for example) 3rd choice HASS-D but we’d rather take a CI-H instead - would we be forced to take the 3rd choice HASS-D instead since we lotteried for it? Thanks.</p>
<p>You can enter fewer than six choices if you choose to do so.</p>
<p>I have no idea why they have that question; it’s not part of the upperclassman lottery.</p>
<p>You don’t have to take a HASS-D if you don’t want to, even if it was assigned to you in the lottery – you just either a) tell your advisor that you’d prefer to take another class when you register, or b) (if you decide that you don’t want to take it after classes start) use an Add/Drop form, get it signed by your advisor, and turn it in.</p>
<p>There are not usually lotteries for non-HASS-Ds, although it’s possible that classes are oversubscribed and some people will not be able to take the class. Usually when a course is oversubscribed, people who are not yet registered for the class (ie they haven’t turned in an Add/Drop form yet) are simply told they can’t take the class.</p>
<p>I should note too that if you don’t get your first-choice class in the HASS-D lottery, it’s not the end of the world – you can usually just attend the first class meeting with an Add/Drop form and get signed up with no problems. (My boyfriend has actually never been lotteried into a HASS-D, even though he’s taken three.) Enough people change their minds between the HASS-D lottery and the start of class that there are usually openings.</p>
<p>Would it be fine to put down 3 choices, or would that be too few? By putting 6 choices down, are we guaranteed one of them?</p>
<p>Haha, I don’t think I’ve ever put more than two choices!</p>
<p>Technically speaking, you’re not guaranteed one of the six, but I can’t imagine you wouldn’t get one if you put down six.</p>
<p>The [HASS-D</a> lottery page](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/shass/undergraduate/hass-req/hass-d/lottery/algorithm.shtml]HASS-D”>http://web.mit.edu/shass/undergraduate/hass-req/hass-d/lottery/algorithm.shtml) says
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<p>Just put as many classes as you would really be interested in taking this semester. You also might consider where the classes will fit in your schedule – do you want to have a break in the middle of the day, or do you prefer to have all your classes in a block?</p>
<p>zking - the essay is just for the heck of it
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<p>three questions? this year it’s only one question…</p>
<p>That is from this year, and there were three questions - the short essay about why you picked your top choice, the ratings one about what influenced your choice to what degree, and the one about the degree to which you felt prepared to make the choice.</p>
<p>oh ok gotcha. wish i knew that info before i submitted mine: “cuz i like that course!” could’ve been quite more concise and effective.</p>
<p>Tee-hee, well “cuz i like that course!” is certainly concise… effective, maybe not so much. ;)</p>
<p>The lottery page won’t let me submit the form. I guess I’ll have to fax it in. Are you guys having the same problem?</p>
<p>I had problems submitting my preferences as well but it worked when I tried a couple of hours later. Maybe the system was down.</p>
<p>I did it a long time ago and no longer remember what classes I chose. :(</p>
<p>Oh well. A surprise when I get to MIT :D</p>