<p>Public High School
GPA: 3.9/4 UW, 7.8/8.3 W (Weird scale, huh?)
Rank: 2/280
SAT I: 750 CR 780 M 710 W
SAT II: 740 Chem 800 Math II
AP: Chemistry (5)
English Lit (Senior Year)
Calc AB (Senior Year)
Physics B (Senior Year)
…my school doesn’t offer much!</p>
<p>Stuff worthy of note:
-I have recieved a Maxime Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam each year
-Math Team since Sophomore year. Junior year, second highest scoring Junior in the tri-state league. Currently acting as a tri-captain
-Started a Destination Imagination program at the school with a friend freshman year. Last year, we were able to start a second team and mentor them! Last year, we also won the highest award, the Da Vinci award.
-National Honor Society Member
-87 Hours of Community Service
-Winnacore (basically a community service honor society)
-I work for a Summer Camp in the Summer as a counselor. I do various, community-related things for the department throughout the year.</p>
<p>Why would you apply anywhere just for “the absolute heck of it”? Why waste the money and take up others’ time? If, though, the implication is that you think you have no shot - but would attend in a second if accepted, then absolutely apply; you’ll never know unless you try. Your stats are competitive, but that just gets you a good look. Write compelling, interesting essays and take your shot.</p>
<p>Seconded. This was my mindset when I applied (“I’m doing this for the heck of it…I would probably go if I got in, but there’s no way”). Now I’m an alum. :)</p>
<p>I’m doing EA too but I really would like to go there because if I’m going to do engineering why not go to the top school!?
And I felt like I could get my app done by Nov.1</p>
<p>Everyone feels as if he or she “has no shot.” It’s a far reach, let’s face it. Each component of your application will receive serious consideration, including the essays. Stop beating yourself up and apply. By the way, is there some significance to your screenname? MIT has a longstanding toastmaster’s club, if you like making speeches…
Good luck.</p>
<p>In this day and age, there’s no predicting how applications will go at the elite level. My son was accepted at all of the EA schools he applied to last year, including MIT, and at only a few of the RA schools applied to (rejected at every Ivy). It seemed so arbitrary, until we realized that his Guidance Counselor may have informed some schools that MIT was his first choice; what school wants to waste an acceptance on someone unlikely to matriculate (lowering their all-important yield)?</p>
<p>The take-home message, again, is go for it; apply and see what happens.</p>
