Official MIT Class of 2016 RD Discussion Thread

canbambiswim
Sun, 18 Mar 2012 14:22:20 +0000

I think that very rarely does it come down to only differences in research quality or experience; there’s no reason why they cannot accept both applicants like your son and the Intel finalist. I think what iceui2 was trying to say is that Intel finalists are attractive and will probably have an advantage over someone who does not have such a distinction because the external validation does exist, but it is by no means necessary to gain admission, as in your son’s case. Like you said, there are plenty of other factors like essays, grades, and recommendations against which to judge applicants.