national awards

CalAlum
Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:53:58 +0000

^^ You should download and print up the application and look it over carefully. You will be able to show all your interests on the application. There used to be an awards section; see if it’s still there. I think you could talk about your interests briefly in one of the essay prompts; another great option is to solicit a letter of recommendation from a teacher who is very familiar with your activities and could provide details. Not all of the information needs to come directly from you.

Explore the MIT admissions website and read about “The Match”: [MIT Admissions: The Match Between You And MIT](http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/pulse/the_match_between_you_and_mit/index.shtml). Think about how you can sketch a little essay about your interests, what you hope to learn at MIT, and what you hope to contribute to the school community.

What’s strong about your extracurricular activities is not the status of the prizes and awards, but the long list. Nintendo360’s reaction was “wow, I think you like programming.” Anyone would draw that conclusion; you have a sustained interest. If you gain admission to MIT, I can see you having a blast in the Battlecode Competition. Do you know what this is? Get on the website and check it out.