<p>Vision, I’m sorry. Am I actually doing that?</p>
<p>Well, I would say that you’re just a little overanxious about “getting it right.” It’s my opinion that the adcoms don’t really care <em>how</em> you say things, just what you say, who you are, etc. So just do your very best to show off who you are, and everything should work out. If you don’t get in - well, you didn’t belong there. If you do - then hooray!</p>
<p>^^^ well said ^^^</p>
<p>i didnt mean to sound so offensive. im just saying that its probably better that you do what you enjoy doing, cause even if you try to build up a perfect application for mit, ~70% of the qualified candidates get rejected anyways.</p>
<p>one day at a time, i guess.</p>
<p>“If you don’t get in - well, you didn’t belong there.”</p>
<p>Oh, honestly, what nonsense. I’m pretty sure even the admissions committee members do not contend that every kid who is denied admission “didn’t belong there”. Count your blessings and try hard to stay humble, please.</p>
<p>*<strong><em>UPDATE</em></strong>**
December 2006
Math I: 740
May seem low, but I am taking Math II in June when I finish my Pre-calculus course. :)</p>
<p>I have a question about the essay length.
For example, if the length is 500 words and I write 400 words, would I be looked down upon because I did not say “enough”? How many words would it be advisable to write in this situation?</p>
<p>lol usually the case is that people feel 500 is far not enough, but to you it’s opposite…
Don’t worry about it. As far as your essay is striking, even if you write only 300 words, they will still love it.</p>
<p>p.s. a girl who wrote only 350-word essay was admitted to Harvard EA this year.</p>
<p><strong><em>UPDATE</em></strong>**
Essay: 10.
Combined English/Writing: 30</p>
<p>YAY!!!</p>
<p><em>Streamers and noisemakers</em></p>
<p>Your math scores are sort of low for MIT. I would recommend retaking them.</p>
<p>What’s your background? For an openly affirmative action Tech school like MIT it makes a large difference.</p>
<p><strong><em>UPDATE</em></strong>***
5 Semester GPA: 4.739</p>
<p>Congrats on your grades ShadowRider! Keep it up. As others have said, lighten up a bit on yourself, and by all means open up your horizons as far as schools go. My daughter was deferred EA to MIT, awaiting word in March on RD. Her grades, APs, SATs, class rank, essays, ECs, recommendations, are all stellar. But everyone else in her position also have spectacular stats. Unfortunately, with a 13% accept rate, there are lots of 2400 SATs, valedictorians, etc. who don’t get into MIT. The good news is that other really, really good schools will be very thrilled to get you (and will give you merit $$), if you keep up your hard work.</p>
<p>stop taking tests and work your butt off to get a 2250+ composite score on one sitting. Colleges frown, yes I said frown, on someone constantly taking standardized tests to increase their scores 10-20 points.</p>
<p>Rbanerjee, how am I constantly taking standardized tests to increase my score 10-20 points?</p>
<p>well, its just that you have already given two SATs AND an ACT AND you plan on taking another ACT. Thats FOUR!!! standardized tests that colleges will see that you have taken. I have heard it from the mouth of a Stanford admissions counselor that colleges you apply to have access to all your test scores and they actively discourage more than three.</p>
<p>Rbanerjee, I just want to increase my ACT composite score to at least a 33.</p>
<p>I am aiming for something similar to this:
32 E(+1)
36 M(+0)
33 R(+3)</p>
<h1>32 S(+4)</h1>
<p>133/4 = 33.25</p>
<p>That would be going from a 1380 to a 1470, a 90 point boost.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I, personally, count ACT and SAT separately. I took each twice, and I think that’s totally fine. Now, when you start taking them 3, 4 times each, that gets a little scary…</p>
<p>Don’t worry shadowrider. I took the SAT 5 times, 3 times old, 2 times new. I didn’t even break 2200 and I got in. Colleges will frown upon taking the test many times if you don’t do anything else. Do what you need to to get the best score, but make sure you are doing other stuff.</p>
<p>Sometimes what’s easy to count doesn’t count as much what can’t be counted.</p>
<p><strong><em>UPDATE</em></strong>***
6 Semester GPA: 4.7394.87
June 9th 2006
C 31
E 32(+1)
M 33(-3){Did not even finish…}
R 28(-2)
S 30(+2)</p>
<p>SScore
C 32
E 32
M 36
R 30
S 30</p>
<p>It looks as if my scores are good enough as a 32 is in the 99 percentile. 
What do you guys think?</p>