How i got recruited for MIT class 2026 (F18/swimmer)

Colleges & Universities Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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I’m making this post because I wish other I know were this informed on what it takes to get recruited because you have to be aware of the process and steps YEARS in advance to get recruited for MIT. So, if you know any sophomores or freshmen interested in getting into MIT, listen to this.

to start off, here are my general stats/ecs:

stats:

35 in all subjects for ACT

4/5s on AP Calc AB/BC, AP Physics 1/2/MECH/E&M, AP Chem, AP Euro, AP Lang

Senior year: taking calc3/diffeq

3.96 UW/4.8 W (1 B in HS class, 1 B in college class)

ECs: (Not a lot but) co-founder of swim foundation with outreach in the 100s and newspaper publications, comp swim club, Global ties

  1. meet athletic standards - all teams are gonna have different standards. It was only at the end of my junior year that I finally met MIT’s swim athletic standards and they would start talking to me.
  2. meet MIT’s testing standard - This is where it gets hard. MIT only accepts 35s/36s on ACT across all subjects, but I know in reading and english they are a bit more lenient. I am from the midwest where the SAT isn’t as common so I’ve never taken it, therefore won’t share my opinion, but I have seen a thread on this website about SAT for MIT recruits specifically, so go check that out for more specifics.
  3. Maxing out stem at your school - Okay, I’ve heard different things from different people on here about the math level MIT coaches expect from recruits, but the way I look at it is:

calc bc sophomore year: way ahead

calc bc junior year: slightly ahead

calc bc senior year: average

you can still get recruited while doing bc senior year (which is still amazing), it’s just that you are competing with people with some crazy math stats, remember, its MIT. Beware!

Having basically all the highest science course OFFERED AT YOU SCHOOL (physics 1/2,chem,bio,etc.) is a superrrrrr big thing. I will be done with all of these course, and I also took the time to self study for physics c mech/e&m since my school didn’t offer it. Admissions really liked my self-study on my pre read btw.

  1. AP Scores - MIT still considers a 4 on extremely hard stem courses good! A 5 is obviously always good, but having a 4 will not hurt you as a recruit as much as you think it might. Most of my ap scores are 4’s, and I thought this would hurt me. But MIT admissions never raised this as a red flag, even when I specifically asked the coach about this “issue” multiple times, she said it was just fine. For what reason, I’m not sure. But, either way, in most college admissions officers’ eyes, my 4’s are nearly equivalent to a 5.
  2. Your chances

I’ve heard some people on hear say that the coach can’t do much for your application, and while I can agree, I have a 75-80% shot of getting in, and am willing to take that risk. Just the mere fact of being an MIT recruit is a HUGE deal and means that you ARE a good fit for the school. MIT only recruits admit-able athletes which is why that rate is so high, but even if the rate is high not because of the coach’s backing, but because of the sample pool’s academic readiness, the likelihood of acceptance is not a joke, don’t waste you ticket to a school like this. As for me, I am grateful to get such a high chance of getting into a school where I won’t only be athletically valued, but also academically.

  1. Trust the process

I personally, as a lot of other MIT recruits I met on the trip, got offers from some other pretty crazy schools (think top 10) and turned them down for MIT. Call me a dreamer, but MIT is a dream for me, and I feel very comfortable taking the risk to follow my dream.

Comment any other questions. Thanks and good luck to everyone during this crazy time called the US college admissions game!

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I am very familiar with the MIT process for athletes and you got a lot of it right. This stat, however, is incorrect based upon everything I have heard from coaches and learned on own. That does not mean I am doubting you and I hope you make it.

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Thanks for that information.

Hope it all works out for you!

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Please let us know when you get in! Good luck.

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How long have you been seriously training/practicing swimming?

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Curious if you’re applying EA and if the coaches are requiring it for support with admissions. Good luck to you!

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Coaches typically require EA applications for their top recruits but they do support athletes in RD. My D was recruited by MIT so I have some experience. The coach was very transparent that he had three kids at the top of his list and that he would support 2 in EA and then the third in RD if one of the first 2 was not accepted. I think that this is common at MIT given the recruiting process. My D ended up turning down the offer for a guaranteed spot at another top school but the overall process played out pretty much as the OP described.

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did she turn down the offer to be recruited and have an admissions advantage, or did she turn down the offer after accepted?

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She was recruited and did get an offer of support in EA which she turned down. She liked MIT but not significantly more than two other schools and decided that the certainty at somewhere she really liked was the best path for her given the acceptance rates at schools mostly discussed here on CC. In her case the coach said 2 out of 3 chance based on his experience and in the end she preferred certainty.

The key point that I was trying to make is that MIT does have RD supported athletes because many first choices don’t get accepted in EA but the positions still need filling.

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to clarify, an “offer of support” means you can go through the admissions process with an edge, but not a guarantee? Where did she officially commit?

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I liked the Ops post. Very thoughtful and helpful for others applying. Good luck in this crazy process.

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Nothing is “guaranteed” but it is as close as you can get. There was zero doubt about her admission. She committed to a tippy top SLAC in the end because it was a better fit.

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I expect there are many exceptions to this only accepts 35-36 ACT rule. For the class of 2029 admits, 25th percentile ACT was 33-34 in all subjects as listed at Admissions statistics | MIT Admissions . The MIT cross country/track recruiting page at MIT Cross Country and Track and Field mentions expecting a 33+ ACT, with 34+ in math/science.

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There is lots of debate about MIT athletic recruiting with differing opinions as to how it all works. Would have been great for you to been able to see it through, just to get an additional datapoint. So many people think they are pretty certain, and then it does not happen. Obviously, some athletes get in, but the majority of the recruits seem to not.

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It may be different now, as that page is old. Mentions Halston Taylor as a contact and he’s been retired for a bit now.

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Hi! My apologies. That stats I put is only accurate in my case. Even though that stat is exactly what the swim coach told me, that stat isn’t constant based on gender and sport. It is statistically easier for girls to get in than boys, so if you are a male athlete, it’s about a 50/50 shot, which I’m assuming you are. Sorry for the confusion, best of luck.

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this is very interesting! That rule applies to my situation. I only said this because I have been told this by the coaches and I know of others being told about this rule by the swim coaches at MIT, that their 34 act needed to be upped to a 35 to be recruitable, but I could see how there are some exceptions to this rule, since the college app is a wholistic process. Thank you for the insight!

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Thank you for keeping the perspective. While the coach and admissions has made me very confident in standing a chance against the notoriously scary block box of MIT admissions, I am trying to keep a perspective that there is a chance I am not granted admission. But honestly, no other school was worth giving up to the chance for MIT for. If I don’t go to MIT I will be very upset but likely try to apply RD with coach backing to some other top d3 engineering swim schools. Thank you again for so much info!

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My son feels similarly - that no other school was worth it to give up the chance.

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I’m applying EA. Once EA decisions come out I will either be accepted or deferred, as far as I know since that is typically what is done with athletes. If you are deferred, RD would provide you with another chance to apply and be looked at by admissions. That is mainly why we are told to apply EA. I would not be shocked if I was deferred in EA, I know of a lot of athletes being deferred and than accepted or rejected, but also, who knows.