MIT wants to accept students who are going to accomplish world-changing things, who contribute positively to their communities while in college, and who help other students accomplish great things as well. The 25th percentile SAT/ACT score of admitted students is as high as 1420 on the SAT or 32 on the ACT. Ultimately, you want to be OK in every field but especially accomplished in one particular field. But the school offers a wide range of other programs as well, ranging from business and humanities to public policy and gender studies. With 3.7 million high school seniors a year, this is about 37,000 studentsmany times larger than the roughly 2,300 students Stanford accepts each year. MIT trains us to be problem solvers and independent thinkers. The photo-heavy blogs take forever!! Didn't have too many ECs, but that's mostly because robotics takes up so much time and runs for most of the year. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. One question that people always ask me is, "Chris, are you an international student?" If you're applying to Stanford, it's important to know everything there is to know about the school. MIT has a general institute requirement. 5 Jun. In reality, the above truth of multi-area admissions is actually well known to people who have done even a minimal amount of college admissions research. If your scores are below these numbers, the most effective step you can take to raise your chances of admission is to study more for the SAT/ACT since the primary reason Stanford will reject you is based on scores alone. For the AP exams, aim for a 5 in each of these fields. 3113112221232112111312211312113211, As another HASS lover, I think you are awesome for writing this post :D, MIT is a good place to study so people think that students there study 24/7. I hope the rest of you will similarly find this useful. Everyone who is well rounded looks the same: they're very good (but not earth-shattering) at everything. I would find things that I really enjoyed; its like killing two birds with one stone if youre doing something that you enjoy, youre more likely to put your whole heart into it, and if you put your whole heart into something, youre more likely to outperform yourself and be awesome. In fact, I myself during my early years of high school believed in this horrible assumption, even though I'd already done hundreds of hours of research at that point. Menu and widgets. After all, if you were trying out for the football team, the coaches wouldn't measure your skills in baseball, right? you'll still have to pick and choose) 13112221. Want to build the best possible college application? Also, good mentors with previous experience will know which problems can be done by students and which would be too complicated or time-consuming. Whats with the counting? Chemistry is a happy mixture of using logic to solve problems and memorizing a moderate list of information to help solve those problems. But gaining admission to MIT is easier said than done. It is consistently ranked in US News' top 10often top fiveuniversities. For the class of 2024, applications totaled over 20,000. Cultivate relationships with your teachers. In these other competitions, I'd say that qualifying for the top 20-40 will make the competition a spike for you in the eyes of Stanford. But I believe what got me into MIT was ultimately my service and commitment to something bigger to myself. With his intelligence, he could have easily swept the US News top 50 if he'd put even a modicum of diligence into his schoolwork. MIT doesnt care. Also, if you followed the link, youll see that there are also language-specific awards given to students studying French and German. Will it be easier for me to get into MIT? The MIT essay prompts are designed specifically to get to the heart of what makes youwell, you. Indeed, the school would love to see you talk not just about the humanities, but also how your expertise in the humanities uses areas such as computer science or math to help refine your analysis. I agree that there's not really a way to guarantee or make it very likely to get into MIT. This means thatall else being equalif your interests learn more toward engineering, you'll get a slight boost in your admission chances. Do research (ISEF at the very least) and do meaningful community service that matters to you. This spike will be good for you if your SAT Math score is 760 or above (or your ACT Math score is 35 or above). Learn how to nab a perfect 1600 on the SAT or a perfect 36 on the ACT. Many people think that since Stanford is an academic institution, it must care only about academics. Its amazing to know that MIT offers so many opportunities for humanities thanks SO much for this post. But either way, half the stuff I do dont even have to do with my major. You can't apply directly to the ISEF. When you say a school is "good in the humanities," you still can't take every single class that the school offers. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. ), taking them and getting a 4 or 5 on the AP tests and an A/A- in the class will definitely benefit you in the end. Non-native English speakers are encouraged (but not required) to submit scores from an English proficiency exam. is it easier to get into mit for humanities. You might also consider playing a sport. We can help. You can read about the competition's judging criteria and a real winner's experiences on the official website. Posted by ; words for deep love in other languages; MIT has its own application. 13112221. Studying satellite images and data from the. Is MIT somewhere you can see yourself being at for the next 4 years? The Perks of Being a Humanities Major | MIT Admissions The myth of pure academics is more of a non-myth: it's a myth that lots of people love to bash, but not many people actually believe. Answer (1 of 4): If your application is super-strong, you will get in. As a result, math-related classes and extracurriculars are not the only things that matter when applying to Stanford. It would suck to train hard for IMO to boost your chance of getting into a top school when the pay-off isn't as guaranteed as people like to make it seem. Of course a few with 5's on math AP calculus place out of 1 semester of calculus. If you're wondering how many times you can (or should!) The MIT regular admission deadline is January 5. Not a doctor who's pretty good at setting bones and also pretty good at diagnosing the type of flu you have and pretty good at recommending a diet to keep you healthy. College Info. While the school has a fantastic engineering program, it's also incredibly strong in non-STEM fields, such as economics and literature. I can 100% confidently say that if my character hadn't developed and I hadn't matured in the way that I have in the past 1-2 years, then no matter how smart I was, I would've been rejected. But in your spike, you want to be the best of the best. Conversely, if you're above the SAT/ACT Math threshold, you definitely will benefit from taking the USAMO series, even if it isn't your spike. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. For me, I started out in a C. elegans lab with absolutely zero biology lab experience aside from looking at pretty slides and dissecting rats in AP Bio. If you want, you can also initiate your own language-study trip since theres a ton of external organizations that conduct those as well. 1211 < one 2 one 1, Oops I accidentally commented out what I wanted to say. 21. Don't wait until the last minute to write your MIT essaysstart them with plenty of time so that you can revise and receive feedback. This post I think made me sure of my decision to go to MIT. Im always like WHOOAAA! As you know, both Harvard and MIT are extremely hard to get into, with Harvard having a slightly lower acceptance rate; however, MIT has slightly higher test score averages, which means you will need to do even better on the SAT or ACT, especially on the Math section, to get in. I worked there for six months, learning the valuable ins-and-outs of basic bio research like setting up a PCR, running a gel, and purifying DNA. By contrast, the ISEF is more about tinkering around, spending days and months doing research similar to what you'd do in college, and then presenting your results. The "well-rounded" myth goes like this: Stanford wants you to be well rounded, so it's best to perform excellently in all areas. You don't just need great grades to get into MITyou need great test scores, too. For the awards from the Foreign Language department, what languages are eligible for those? This is why they hit us with insanely difficult psets this is why they give us exams in which we feel like we always have no time to finish this is why our science courses go nearly 2x or 3x faster than state colleges and many Ivies.*. We are fun and quirky, elite but not elitist, inventive and artistic, obsessed with numbers, and welcoming to talented people regardless of where they come from.". Check out our in-depth guide on how to apply to MIT. I'll also explain which admissions strategies are false and could seriously impact your chances of getting accepted if you follow them. Put another way, you'll need get as close to a perfect score as possible to make sure you're putting yourself in a good position to get in (if you choose to submit test scores). See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. MIT School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (SHASS) What's unique about the ISEF, though, is that it's the premier science fair in the United States. In this section, I'm going to tell you the critical three truths and two myths you absolutely need to know in order to get into Stanford. You should look to get mainly As, with a high few Bs on your transcript. Stanford is one of the most difficult universities to get into, as are UC Berkeley and Cornell. Furthermore, Stanford is looking for students who will succeed in the future. ps. You can definitely get these scores if you put your mind to it. How to Get Into MIT: 5 Expert Admissions Tips - PrepScholar What ACT target score should you be aiming for? There are lots of writers out there giving admissions advice without any personal experience. Your test-prep strategy will center around the fact that the SAT/ACT is an analytical test. To show originality for the ISEF, you must tackle a problem that's interesting to the scientific community. Get good grades in high school, and make sure you're in at least the 50th percentile (for Stanford or whatever school you're applying to) on the SAT/ACT. Admitting lots of students with different spikes allows Stanford to create the diverse student body it desires. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? 1211. Econs more fuzzy. But the truth is that being too well rounded makes you look the same as others who are just as well rounded as you; it also makes you look like someone without any direction. The biggest reason that naturally talented STEM students perform at just a mediocre level in STEM courses is a lack of diligence. 5. I get surprised looks from people when I tell them my major. A 4.1% acceptance rate means that MIT is extremely competitive to get into. MIT doesn't want to admit students who will be content to take their expensive diploma and sit at home doing nothing with it. If you do well in that, you can advance to the next ISEF rounds. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. Over this past weekend, many prefroshies asked me a very interesting question and I believe that this warrants a more drawn-out response from me. (fact: accidentally typed a t after your name and quickly backspaced that would have been awkward), Its relieving to know that it is possible to do all the things youre interested in. Don't expect your humanities classes to be easy either: there is plenty of reading, writing, and research in the upper-level courses to keep you occupied. If you're already in STEM, you'll want to strongly consider entering a prestigious math or science competition to show off the high degree of your skills. That I was accepted, and that I spent tremendous energy thinking about Stanford, means my advice can (hopefully!) Like most myths, this one results from taking the truth too far. 13211311123113112211 Though Cornell and Berkeley are not the same as Stanford, they are both very highly ranked colleges with a slight engineering tilt. For example, the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures (21F! Ive always been a LEETLE worried about the whole humanities problem at MIT (its so true, all of my friends tell me, but isnt MIT for NERDS?) I love every blog where you mention Japanese and Japan :3, Dont worry I get emails that begin with Hey Christ a lot. Which is easier to get into MIT or Harvard? It made me feel a little bit better about insane psets in the coming years (still a little intimidated). This will ensure that you work on a problem the field considers important. However, prior to coming to MIT, I had never liv, filling out the app. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Already got some great extracurriculars? The hands-on portions of both Chemistry and Biology require you to be good at following memorized procedures. Want to get into Harvard or your personal top choice college? All rights reserved. and psst, hes in one of the photos on that blog I linked to if you cant find him). Think outside the box. Does applying to MIT as a humanities student help you in admissions? Round out your Stanford application with some lower-hanging fruit if possible. It's OK to be lopsidedin fact, it's even desirable! This second mythand by far the biggest and most harmful mythis that Stanford cares about students being well rounded in the sense that they should be equally excellent in all areas. In the end, make sure that you're putting forward your absolute best Stanford application possible! ways. Don't study or invest your time in something like that if you don't care about it. Get started with our complete guide to Stanford University and then read our best tips on how to write great Stanford essays, including a stand-out roommate essay. Your spike doesn't need to be related to STEM, but you should still be strong in quantitative subjects as a whole. MIT's early application deadline is November 1 and students are notified in mid-December. Yaaaay, go MUN!! Contribute positively to your community while you're in high school. Edit: You also need a 700+ math sat and 650+ English or else its basically a guaranteed rejection. You should put a lot of effort into every one of the five MIT essays. As such, scoring substantially below a perfect score on the SAT/ACT does actually signal to Stanford a lack of understanding of some rather standard areas of math. is it easier to get into mit for humanities. Your essays are the best opportunity to show off your skills and your unique interests. The decision is largely based around whether or not your personality fits into a specific niche they want to fill. Following from what was pointed out in number 312211 above MIT has more than enough awesome humanities classes for you to easily fill up your eight semesters here. Stanford is all about engineering, and they would love to see you build something of your own! Tell us about a significant challenge youve faced (that you feel comfortable sharing) or something that didnt go according to plan. The third and final truth is that Stanford would much rather see a candidate who is OK at most things but really great in one specific area. The USAMO series is so prestigious that I've known Stanford students whose main spike was placing within the top 1,000 or 2,000 in this competition. If your strong point is quantitative, then that's a great advantage. It's very difficult to get into MIT, but it's not impossible. How hard is it to really get into MIT and those who are in MIT - reddit Stanford follows certain rules when it comes to admissions. I came into MIT with a lot of hopes and ideas of what I was going to do. Because Stanford has a large number of applicants, they have enough humanities-spike applicants who can at least get the basic A or A- in the hardest math and science classes. You'll need excellent grades, test scores, essays, and letters of recommendation to even be considered. The MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) is one of the five schools of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT wants students who will succeed on their campusyou need to demonstrate that you're up to MIT's academic challenge. Sometimes I say yes, and other times I say no. All rights reserved. I got a brochure from MIT called "You and your fit with MIT" that outlined what they were looking for, and the one I took to heart the most was "Be kind". We have 24/7 access to a tiny kitchen with a coffee machine and a fancy tea selection.