<p>Hi, thanks so much for answering these questions! My school requires that all non-common app forms that need to be filled out by the school have to be handed in as a hardcopy to the counselors so that they can mail them. My school will not fill out the teacher recs/SSR electronically. How should I go about getting them submitted? Thanks! </p>
<p>Can you please tell me which recommendation (evaluation ‘a’ or ‘b’) if any would a Computer Science/Pre-Engineering teacher fall under?</p>
<p>@MuggleMom - That would be A (Science). </p>
<p>@mathematica5 - You should be able to print those out. Check MyMIT for the option?</p>
<p>Another college includes the following on an admissions blog:</p>
<p>“Don’t include things that are not extracurricular involvements. I paraphrase a Supreme Court Justice when I say I cannot define an EC but I know one when I see one. Fantasy football should not appear on your list of extracurricular involvements. Neither should reading, writing, jogging for personal enjoyment, dinners with family, or family vacations.” - June 22, 2011 William and Mary Blogs</p>
<p>Does MIT concur? Or not? The MIT application seems to more broadly ask for a list of activities and/or “hobbies”. Wouldn’t some of the above qualify? If so would they diminish an applicant by seeming less serious? BTW I am asking in regards to the fifth of five spots on the application after other more traditional EC’s. And, I am asking how they would look in comparison to something like a typical HS club or activity with no leadership.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Huh. I included reading and writing in my list of extracurricular activities. Actually I’m not sure if it made it to my list of extracurriculars but I think there was a summer section.</p>
<p>Be honest. Be you. If you means reading and writing and jogging and dinner with family then you means reading and writing and jogging and dinner with family. I’m sure there are ways to make that work within the context of the rest of your application.</p>
<p>A couple more questions:
- I’ve written some math and science olympiads that were offered in school and did manage to receive single digit state ranks on a few. However, these aren’t the actual International Olympiads, just some national/multi-national olympiads organized by private non-profits. Would this be worth including in my app? And if so, which section would I include this in?
- I wrote 5 AP exams in the summer of my junior year and self-studied for them all. I didn’t really do it for the credits, and neither am I expecting any nor will I probably use them. I just wanted to see how well I grasped the material and learn some more, I guess, and get a different exposure to the material than what I get at school. I wrote Environmental Science, English Lang and Comp, Biology, Physics C and Chemistry. Would the fact that I self studied for all of them be worth mentioning? If so, would I have to mention it in the additional comments section at the end of the app?</p>
<p>Thank you :)</p>
<p>I feel like I should clarify this- worth mentioning as in, would it be considered at all, or should I use my limited space in the app for other things.</p>
<p>@hereindreamland - </p>
<p>(1) They’re worth mentioning. Just make sure you’re clear about what type of olympiad it is. Putting it in the awards/honors or extracurriculars sections are fine, whichever suits you better.</p>
<p>(2) Do you report the exams on your application? If so, I would definitely mention self-studying for them.</p>
<p>Whether or not you want to use that space for other things really depends on you and what you feel is most critical. I don’t think what you said is either a definite thing to list or not – it depends on what else you have on your app.</p>
<p>Makes sense. Thanks a lot :)</p>
<p>Just to be certain, I mention that I self studied for them in the additional comments section right?</p>
<p>Yep</p>
<p>Ok, so I’m applying to MIT this year (obviously) and I was wondering if I should send my SAT (2400 770M 710W 800CR), ACT (35comp, 33M 36R 36S 34E 11essay) or both.</p>
<p>Also, on the application it only has 12 slots for AP scores/tests to take. I’ve taken 10 so far and am planning on taking 3 this year (Phys C E/M, Calc BC and Chem), and I was wondering which score or test to be taken to omit (if I was to omit a score from a test taken it would probably be my lone 3 in macroecon).</p>
<p>Finally, I self studied/was homeschooled/used MIT OpenCourseWare for Microecon, Macroecon, and Enviro Sci; should I put those in my course list and say that it was with MIT OCW and that it was home-schooled so no grade was awarded? My mom gave me an A/A-/A- but I don’t think they count xD</p>
<p>Although I could make my own transcript with those courses on it and send it in separately (I already have to send in 4 transcripts because I’m graduating in December but my AP courses are all yearlong and from 3 other high schools). Is this home-school transcript considered valid? Or should I just put no grade but list the course? Or just not list them at all.</p>
<p>The only reason I have for listing my Microecon score instead of replacing it with a test-to-take is that it validates my home-school course somewhat, although a 3 is rather meh (I got a 5/4 on the other 2 home-schooled courses) and the 3 tests I have yet to take are rather important. </p>
<p>I’d just send in both the ACT and SAT. MIT will use whichever they think is better anyway.</p>
<p>Does homeschooling require grades to be awarded? I’d check on that before giving no grade :)</p>
<p>If you have good scores on APs from two other home-schooled courses, I think you’ve already validated your homeschooled courses. It’s perfectly fine to list a current course there instead.</p>
<p>Can anyone answer this question for me perhaps? So I’m on a science team and I construct many of the engineering devices that we use. I was wondering if I could use this as part of a maker app. However, I contacted someone at MIT and she emailed me back saying that since this was an in school- related thing, I couldn’t use it as a maker app. What do you think I should do?</p>
<p>It sounds to me like you already got your answer, no?</p>
<p>I was wondering if I should include edX classes on my list of courses, even though I’ve only received an honor certificate?</p>
<p>Hello again!</p>
<p>As I get my letters of recommendation, should I tell my teacher to upload the file with the letter, or for them to scan the signed and printed letter?</p>
<p>Also, could video games count for the short answer in the application?</p>
<p>Can you tell me whether this question, in Part I of the Application Form, is to be answered in essay form, or just list additional information? In other words, should we talk about what our culture means to us, etc., or just list our cultural background: Please tell us more about your cultural background and identity in the space below (100 word limit). </p>
<p>A question from my daughter who is filling out the MIT application:</p>
<p>From reading about the letters of recommendation on the MIT admissions web site, I was under the impression that one could send more than one supplemental letter of recommendation (I have both a science club coach and a university professor with whom I did an internship that I would like to write letters). However, after sending out the first invitation from the ‘optional rec’ tab on the ‘applywithus’ site, I can’t seem to find a way to send the second. Am I limited to one supplemental letter, or am I missing something important?</p>
<p>@lemniscater - I don’t see the problem with that, though make sure to prioritize your normal coursework first. Maybe that can go under activities?</p>
<p>@xer070 - Using the online system is preferred</p>
<p>@miakoula - That question should be in essay/paragraph form</p>
<p>@woodsmom - Huh. In the past, people have not been limited to one. You may want to email Admissions with that one.</p>
<p>@PiperXP- That is encouraging, thank you. </p>