Official MIT Class of 2016 RD Discussion Thread

MITChris
Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:00:39 +0000

mystory -

We had far more Intel/Siemens participants apply than we did admit this year. Some Intel/Siemens participants did get in; many (most) others did not. What you are suffering from is called an [“availability bias.”](Availability heuristic - Wikipedia) We do value those awards because they provide externally verifiable evidence that those students are balling researchers. We also value people with terrific LORs or who make cool things too.

@pizzafatface and others-

We do not have quotas, secret or otherwise. Every student at MIT deserves to be here. Full stop. I’m sorry you are upset that you (or your child, or someone you knew, or whatever) were not admitted, but as I’ve posted elsewhere, I stop short at forgiving demeaning admitted students as a sort of salve for that particular wound. I do wish y’all luck wherever you end up.