What is MIT's view on self studying and taking hard math classes earlier on?

cellardweller
Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:29:19 +0000

In regards to overcoming challenges you may also want to bring up stories about the challenges moving to the US from China in middle school. Did you speak English before you moved? How did you handle being thrown into a completely new environment? Were you able to make friends quickly? These are experiences that may be quite relevant in evaluating how you will adjust in a new environment such as MIT. On the creative side, it could just be that you approached an art or engineering project from a different perspective and got unexpected results.



Do your best at what you want, but don’t play by MIT’s rules because MIT probably wants people who play by their own rules.



Be careful about that type of advice. MIT clearly wants individuals not carbon copies of some “ideal applicant”. They want to see some real passion not some standardized curriculum loaded with APs and a list of manufactured ECs to please the adcoms. On the other hand, they are very concerned about “the fit” between MIT and the student. Don’t disregard what they ask for just to stand out. If they believe you don’t match what they look for, it does not matter how unique you are. They won’t take you. Some schools stress leadership, others academic, athletic or community service achievements. MIT stresses creativity and resilience: these qualities should show through in your application. Many times MIT will pass on the student with the highest GPA or highest test scores in a class for the one with the greatest potential creative talent or the one who finally succeeded at something special after all types of challenges.

MIT is a meritocracy but not an honor society: you get accepted for what MIT thinks you can contribute in the future, not as a reward for what you have done in the past.