<p>SAT I- 1570 (780 m, 790 v)
SAT II’s-
Writing- 800
Math IIC- 800
Physics- 800
Class Rank - 20/493
(I got B’s second semester of Geometry and first of Alg II; math used to not be my thing, but I explained in the optional essay that it is now; I had ADHD and never really paid attention in class until the second semester of sophmore year)</p>
<p>AP’s
Compsci- 5
US History- 5
English- 5</p>
<p>Both of my teacher recommendations have several boxes checked saying I’m one of the best students they’d ever taught; my humanities teacher said I started a classic-a-week challenge in which she participated, the other said I sometimes taught physics when he didn’t understand problems.</p>
<p>Awards:
National Merit Semifinalist
Winner of NCTE national writing award (out of ~600 in US and Canada)
Texas High School Aerospace Scholar (spent all-expense paid week at NASA), and was the manager of my group
Elkins High School Physics Department Award
Member of 2nd Place Regional UIL Computer Science Team
1st Place District UIL Headline Writing
Region band winner (10th grade ->)</p>
<p>Summer Activities:
American Festival for the Arts Music Conservatory
Internship at Mesa Engineering (not the guitar amp company)
IT intern, City of Missouri City</p>
<p>EC’s
President of Elkins HS Ham Radio Club (w00t)
Honors band (9th - 12th grade)
Treasurer, Mu Alpha Theta
Treasurer, English Honor Society (2004)
Chief of Engineering at NASA’s Mars Settlement competition (weekend long); I mananged 30 other students.</p>
<p>As in too many cases, very high above average at everything, but nothing in particular that makes you stand out. I wouldn’t be surprised either way - how original were your essays? How unique are you? Unique in a way that will blend well with the MIT community? Did you demonstrate a clear focus and unification of your interests in the application? Did you connect to your interviewer / to the teachers that recc’ed you. Those are some of the determining factors. Another one is luck.</p>
<p>Man, college applications make me want to become an axe murderer. I bet MIT never has had an axe murderer apply…</p>
<p>My essay was pretty bland; I talked about how I was terrible in school due to ADHD (like, I’ve been to in-school-suspension a few times) to changing everything in 7th grade, but it sounded like the typical “overcomer” bullcrap (I wrote literally 7,200 words of essay before I finally settled on the last one).</p>
<p>My interviewer was actually a small standardized test company owner and I attended his class; he said that he would very highly recommend me and that his goal was “to get as many people into MIT as possible.”</p>
<p>How is it that you were the recipient of the NCTE award (which, I might add, will make you stand out) but had trouble writing outstanding essays?</p>
<p>I’m sure you’re fine, anijen21. Keep in mind that everyone on this board fear rejection (or are complete arrogant jerks, and will get rejected just for that). I wish you luck.</p>
<p>Writer’s block, hardcore. I can write well, but I kept getting nervous, so my style became awkard and stilted, and I didn’t really reveal much of anything about me.</p>
<p>I agree, UncleFeezus. I understand exactly what happened to you. I’m pretty sure I’m a good writer, but pretty much all of my essays for college so far have been… just… ehhh. Okay, I guess. I’m just not used to writing “I” in my papers, talking about myself, while writing something structured, coherent, and purposeful. Not to mention insightful, meaningful, and as quirky as I know I am.</p>
<p>Somehow, over the summer and just through drafting college essays and thinking about personal stories, I’ve become a much stronger writer than I’ve ever been. My first essay concept didn’t turn out so hot. The second was better. And the third (that I actually wrote specifically for MIT and then ended up using as a personal statement for almost all my colleges) came out perfect.</p>
<p>On the other hand, this…
God, you make me feel like such an inept, untalented loser.
I’m going to get rejected. Why did I even try?
…Is definitely the wrong attitude.</p>
<p>The NCTE is highly regarded; the teachers at my son’s school made a big deal about nominating him, and an even bigger deal about his winning. So, congrats.
I have a question . . .are you planning to send the NCTE cards attached to your apps? Not sure if one should just mention the award in the resume or send the cards along.</p>
<p>I’m an excellent writer. . .when it comes to writing literary analyses or science reports. But when it comes to college essays, I’m a horrible writer. I just can’t write without being boring and dull. I have problems writing in a way that reflects about myself. . .in fact, I’m not good at writing about myself at all. </p>
<p>But yeah, hearing people with scores like that questioning whether they’re going to get in completely destroys any shred of confidence I might have had for getting accepted.</p>
<p>Well, for my one paper application (Rice), I attached the card and mentioned it. On my online apps, I just put it as one of my awards/accomplishments. But I don’t think it matters either way- as long as you tell them, they’ll believe you, and I highly doubt that putting the card and mentioning it would come across as overkill or too pretentious.</p>
<p>Cranium, you just have to be within a range of scores and have a good personality, I think. I know a kid who everyone loved but was in the top 5% of his class at my decent high school, 1400 SAT, and wrote about the technology of twinkies for his MIT essay. He got accepted, but didn’t like the campus so is now going to the US Naval Academy (and really hates it, because he’s a bit of a free thinker. %^@%.). I also know someone who my brother met through a special district internship program who got a 1600 on the SAT, did research on quantum mechanics and wrote a paper on it, valedictorian of his excellent high school’s class, and got rejected (but he’s going to Harvard instead). So really, the difference between a 1400 and a 1500 is not as important as everyone thinks.</p>
<p>Since early August, I have written exactly 7,282 words worth of disorganized outlines, trashed paragraphs, and stilted, awkward essays for MITs 500 word main prompt (I have suffered from terrible writers block; MIT is by far my first choice school). In this essay, which almost certainly will be my last, I have taken a different approach. Rather than try to write a mildly witty but ultimately meaningless anecdote, a moralistic train wreck, or a pseudo-artistic waste of paper, I have decided to list the facts as plainly as possible, without telling much of a story or pointedly leading the reader toward a conclusion. I present to you (in full, living color) my struggle with… blah blah blah.</p>
<p>Hmm, my first essay was about how I filled my elementary school auditorium with smoke; my second was about how I love to sew; and my third was about how Monet motivated me concering computer science.</p>
<p>I am completely fried now; what do you guys think?</p>