<p>Hi, I am applying to MIT and a few other schools as a high school junior this year. Is it necessary to have my parents send in a letter supporting my decision (to apply early)? </p>
<p>If yes, what should they write in the letter? can they say stuff that recommends me such as some achievements not listed on the application, why they think I am a good fit for the school and why I think I am a good fit for the school (which I tell them a lot)? that way it almost sounds like an additional recommendation…would that be okay? or a bit pushy?</p>
<p>Thanks…but I feel like the “why you are a good fit for our school” point doesn’t come across quite strongly on my application…I wanted to write a letter myself saying why I think I’m a good fit, but then I thought it would be weird and cocky (saying things like “I have a lot of potential” and stuff) </p>
<p>Is there anything I can do at all to, uh, convey these thoughts to the school?</p>
<p>Unless there is a really good reason, I’d suggest using the extra senior year to do things that allow you not to have to say why you are a good fit. If you think you’re ready for MIT now, imagine how ready you’d be if you spent an extra year doing really cool and neat stuff! From my understanding MIT only admits juniors and younger when there isn’t much left for the student to pursue at their old school. But that’s just my 2 cents!</p>
<p>A letter from your parents won’t do any good, except indicate that they support your choice. If you really want something that answers the “Why you are a good fit”, get an additional recommendation from someone who knows you well, but isn’t related to you.</p>
<p>Yeah, I understand the senior year thingy…actually although I don’t feel challenged or stimulated at my school, what made me decide to apply early is some other reason, special circumstance that doesn’t allow me to stay for senior year. And I know that MIT doesn’t take juniors just because of their personal circumstances or for their convenience. They look for juniors who exhausted local resources, which I haven’t ( I have two more AP or equivalent classes in math and science that I could use next year, and one in music, and maybe psych; probably these classes will not challenge me either but I can neither be sure nor say such things on my app) The point I want them to get is I know I’ll love MIT and take advantage of it, I know I have enough potential to do that (though I might be wrong), but what comes across on my application is maybe "hmm, although she has done well, this student still has classes to take in high school so she should take advantage from another high-school year ", which I can’t! </p>
<p>So becuase I’m a junior, I’ll not really be competing with other applicants, but with myself, the person I’ll be next year. I think I’ll be good at MIT now (again I might be wrong), but they think I’ll be better next year, and I can’t tell them I can’t stay until next year becuase that would completely sound like applying to MIT is for my own convenience. That is why I’m so desperate to tell them “I WANT TO GO TO MIT NOW!” but I guess there’s nothing I can do now.</p>
<p>Please don’t take this the wrong way, but… pretty much everyone who applies is desperate to tell them, “I WANT TO GO TO MIT NOW!” so there’s really no point in trying to craft your application to say that. It won’t exactly be a new sentiment for the Admissions folks to figure out. Your application will be considered in the light of the opportunities you have available to you and what you’ve done with them (and in many cases, in spite of them!). Matriculants often exhaust their local HS courses and opportunities and find less challenge in their HS curriculum than they’d like, so they go on to create their own opportunities and challenges, which are clear in their application without them having to be too explicit about it. </p>
<p>Think about how you might create opportunities and challenges for yourself in the intervening year, which can only strengthen your application for next year.</p>
<p>As I said in the Caltech version of this thread, having your parents write would probably be a minus (since it’s important that you are doing this, and not your parents). But if there is something extra to say, I am sure if you send a letter to admissions, it will be added to your file. (Well, I’m only 100% sure at Caltech, but I am pretty sure MIT would do the same.) And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to say a few more things about why you’re a good fit – just reread what you wrote at the end and ask yourself “does this convey some new useful information that can’t be gotten from the rest of the file?”</p>
Your application will be considered in the light of the opportunities you have available to you and what you’ve done with them (and in many cases, in spite of them!). Matriculants often exhaust their local HS courses and opportunities and find less challenge in their HS curriculum than they’d like, so they go on to create their own opportunities and challenges, which are clear in their application without them having to be too explicit about it. </p>