OTOH, looks like Brown requires one to be enrolled for eight semesters to graduate.
That is not the case at MIT, if one is so inclined.
They didn’t apply to Harvard or any other schools OP mentioned, so I probably won’t have much to add to your well-informed perspective:)
I was thinking you could add info about the culture of MIT.
Actually, at Brown a student can petition to graduate in 7 semesters with either AP credits or summer/winter term credits.
Is your son considering attending admitted students day at Brown and Harvards, or going on his own on some other day? I know that a lot of students really enjoyed ADOCH (A Day on College Hill) – Brown’s admitted student’s day.
To be honest, I was always a tad skeptical that there is this sort of one culture per institution that one could put a finger on. But it may very well just be my ignorance talking. I never spent any time on American campuses.
I mean, sure, there certainly would be broad differences between institutions on average, but also two different kids can probably go to the same school and have two completely different cultural experiences, depending on what they are looking for.
Latest events on campuses are a good reminder of that.
I would agree that there has to be a good reason for foregoing both MIT and Harvard from the OP’s list.
The density of the highest-caliber math and physics kids will be highest at those places - if that is a consideration.
At MIT, motivated kids can wrap up their undergrad in 5-6 semesters (which requires a few AP credits - MIT doesn’t take very many, testing out of intro classes, and taking moderate extra load during the semesters), and either move on for a right opportunity or stay for a fully-funded Masters (Masters funding is department-specific).
Since cost is a concern, this is something to consider if their kid is a likely candidate for early graduation.
So this is perhaps the part that needs unpacking. Does he worry about intensity too? Or is he craving it?
Like, would he want to be in the same room with these kids? Or would he be intimidated?
Rest assured, it doesn’t take a Putnam fellow to graduate from MIT. But it pretty much takes being at MIT to sit in a class with a Putnam fellow.
So if this is his catnip - then that’s where it’s at.
I recognize that it can be difficult to say no to these outstanding choices but if MIT is his dream school and it is affordable it seems like an easy decision.
A huge congrats to your S!
so helpful and thank you so much!
Yes, now he is going to attend all three admitted students days and make a decision after that.
He did the IB and will get credit from MIT for the courses where he scored 7 so that will help.
For HL courses only, subject to the same exclusions as AP, e.g. no credit for bio or chem.
Anyway, congratulations to him on fantastic choices.
yes, correct! for the 4 HL subjects that he did.
Lol, he is not a worrier at all. He has always been in small schools and just moved back to the US after many years abroad so I worry about him jumping into a large and very intense environment. But he doesn’t, he’s just ready and excited.
https://firstyear.mit.edu/academics-exploration/ap-transfer-credit/international-examinations/ lists subject credit for IB scores, though it may change for this year’s frosh.
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