|
This is my response to Froadac's blog.
I was going to post my story when I hit somewhere around 1k, but I have the urge to let it out right now.
Yes. My GPA is not MIT standard. My ACT is average. My extra curricular is good, if not great. But who cares? My GPA is low...
Or is that so?
High school is where students die a little. Not physically, but mentally. Those who want to succeed study everyday, changing their habits just so that you can make it into Harvard/Yale/MIT.
I happened to perform worse than my peers, and I had a harder time going through high school. I won't post the exact details, but some of them were pretty nasty: I've lost half of my friends due to my actions.
But now, I'm fine. Everything's in the past, and it's all over for now.
Why did I say this? Because some of my former friends still talk down on me because I have lower GPA than them.
Yes. That's true.
So it naturally means that I shouldn't apply to MIT, the school that I really want to go to, right?
This was the biggest question that I had for several weeks. My parents were worried that I would be in severe depression if I didn't get in there. One counselor (outside of school) told me not to waste time on MIT. Verdict: It's nearly impossible for me to end up at MIT as undergraduate freshmen.
Does that really mean that I should not try?
Let me quote from my previous post:
Here's a better question.
You have 0.000000000000001% of succeeding, and you really want to succeed.
Do you take the chance, if you're not going to regret it later? Or just don't try at all?
You're denying the truth yourself by listening 100% to what your parents say. I'm denying the truth because I'm not backing down without a fight.
And last time I've checked, 0 < 0.000000000000001
Sure, parents raised you up. Blah blah blah. But this is the stage where you have to make your own decision. Are you going to stop because people tell you that you don't have the potential?
Maybe it is the truth. For both of us. No one knows the answer until everything's over.
Are you going to back down and be scared just because your parents told you that you suck?
At first, I didn't believe this statement either when my guidance counselors told me not to worry. My paper records were far below other people, and I knew I was going to perform under many other students. It's the 'fact' that many people believe in: Low GPA, end up in regular community college (no offense to anyone who attends them; our school has very high standards).
Here's a story that I would like to share.
8th grade. Top of the class. Best math student in the grade, possibly the whole school. Yay.
Then I enter hell. I applied to a magnet school, and I was accepted.
Everyone's getting 3.8+ GPA, while I'm falling behind by a long shot. But hey, at least I still have my strongest area: Math.
Wrong.
I joined the AAST Math Team because I loved math, and I wanted to succeed in the team so that I would get recognized, while also having fun.
This was not the case.
First competition that I took was PUMaC. I took it unofficially while some of my friends took it officially. This indicated that I was performing poorly compared to my friends.
Okay. Just one incident... calm down.
AMC. This is where it hit me really hard.
90% of my friends (freshmen at the time) passed AMC 10. Me? 30 points below the passing grade. A whooping 30 points. I knew at this point that I was a failure. I was underperforming, my friends were already qualifying for AIME. At ARML, I was on the third last team, Freshmen B. All of my friends were on Freshmen A, and they were performing well. 10% of the freshmen who didn't qualify for AMC persuaded me to quit Math Team, saying that it was waste of my life. I, however, persuaded myself to wait for one more year.
Angered by the last year's performance, I went to my close friend to help me out on the AMC/AIME practice. Although I didn't do well in competitions, I did pass AMC in my sophomore year. Great, right? No. I choked on AIME, and got 1 question. Others were getting 5 and 6's, while I had a 1. Even a pre-frosh beat me. Thus, I was placed into third lowest team for ARML - basically filled with seniors who don't care about Math Team but wanted a day off from school.
For the first two years, I stayed at the bottom of the math team. My friends were moving up, yet I was moving down. It seemed like the end for me. I heard friends speak of my stupidity when it came to math, both directly and indirectly. I wasn't going to succeed.
I didn't give up however. I wasn't going to quit something I love that easily.
Junior year came, and I was given more chances, including Duke and Stanford. However, I completely failed those two tests. Seemed like a repeat again from previous years. Yet, I just kept on trying. 2 on AIME? I just thought to myself that I'm just bad at AIME. Eventually, after competing at small competitions like NYSML, I ended up on second highest team for ARML from our school.
Although I didn't achieve significant results, I was proud. I started out as a no-namer who couldn't do math in Math Team. Many people suggested that I should quit and devote the time into doing other things. Yet, I never gave up. If there was a slim chance for me to succeed, then I would take it. No matter how hard or rough the road might be, I'm willing to work towards success.
Where am I right now? I'm one of the five AAST Math Team Captains who runs the whole team (each person with different role). As Mu C member, our team placed 10th at Duke University competition and will be competing as Mu B at this Saturday's PUMaC. One of the other captains, who helps out organize teams, stated that if I worked harder this year, I might end up on the A team for ARML.
Why did I brag about my success? Because it was real, and it happened. I never believed that taking slim chances are worth the time. And sometimes, it's not worth the time if you fail. But, many people have a misconception: slim chance does not mean that you will fail; it's just harder to succeed. And believe me. You'll learn a lot of things on your journey to success, even if you end up failing.
Back onto my original argument, if you have a slim chance at succeeding, and if it's on something that you love, go for it. It worked out for me, and I'm pretty sure it worked out for many Starcraft players.
What others are telling you might be true. But always remember, that no matter what they say, no matter how much they discourage you, only you can determine the outcome. If you're clouded by their messages, then you will end up failing. But if you learn to ignore their messages and focus on your own goal, you will succeed.
Do I believe that I have a chance of getting into MIT? With 3.519 GPA and 34 superscore ACT? Slim, even with good extracurriculars and recommendations.
If I fail to get in, will I be depressed? No. It means that I wasn't good enough this time around. Never implies that I can't apply to MIT through transfer/graduate. Wherever I end up, I will make the most out of it.
Am I not going to apply to MIT simply because others are telling me that I will fail no matter what?
Hell no.
Go for your dream. Because if you fail along the way, you can always say, 'Well, at least I tried.'
 
|
This was pretty damn inspiring, SNM. Especially the whole 0 < 0.000000000001 part
|
AAST? Dude, are you from BCA?
|
On November 19 2010 13:44 shieldbreak wrote:
AAST? Dude, are you from BCA?
Yes, I am. If you're from the same school and want to identify myself/yourself, PM please.
|
nice.
dont ever let other people define you, or tell you what your limits are
|
Awesome attitude, and if that attitude is reflected anywhere in your application, I'd say you have a decent shot. Good luck with your applications.
|
I'm applying to MIT, but it will probably be the last application I fill out.
I know what you mean by slim chances; I submitted a project for Siemens and Intel this year.
Siemens results are out.
Last year two people in my school made Siemens and two years ago four people made it. This year, no one in my school made it. Not a single person in the city made it.
|
So why are you applying to MIT? I mean, what about it attracts you?
|
I agree with a lot of the sentiment in this blog; i cannot stress that enough.
However, there are some things you also need to consider rather then just 0<0.0000000001
What is the cost of taking that chance? If there is no cost, then go for it!
But if it is like the lottery, is it worth playing? Sure you have 0 chance to win if you don't play, and a small chance is better then nothing... but is it worth the price? Apps cost money and time. Time you could spend tightening up essays for other schools etc.
And if you made it into MIT, would you be happy there? It's easy to say yes, but being that competitive and that hard..... is the price you have to pay to get MIT on your diploma over .... whatever other school worth it?
|
On November 19 2010 13:51 d3_crescentia wrote:
So why are you applying to MIT? I mean, what about it attracts you?
For some people, if a mountain is there in front of them they want to climb it
|
lol you're applying for hell (i'm a current student at MIT)
but I love your attitude, and go for it man. there's a surprising number of awesome people in hell, and i personally would love to have someone as motivated as you join our ranks.
|
On November 19 2010 13:51 d3_crescentia wrote:
So why are you applying to MIT? I mean, what about it attracts you?
In general, the community. I've been to MIT once, and I know few people who went to MIT and shared their experiences with me. To me, it's a place where I can bring out my full potential without being limited by some stupid reason, say budget, space etc. You have so much resources: there's the dumpster where you can find old hardwares and use it for something else. And if you are stuck on the project due to whatever reason, there are many people who are willing to help you out with the project.
The school atmosphere is great, blahblahblah, but I really love how students are really 'relaxed' throughout their years. Maybe not so much during the exams, but most of the MIT students that I've met/talked to seemed relaxed and happy with what they were doing. My friend, Cherry Su (nickname), already found herself home at MIT; she took the old Apple monitor, which is incompatible with new Apple laptops, took the wires apart, soldered few things, and made it work (monitor courtesy of the dumpster). She didn't have the resource/time/space to do this back at BCA, especially since she was limited to doing school projects. Nowadays, when I see her blog, she's working on something new. Something amazing.
That last monitor mod made it onto hackaday and lifehacker. She's amazing.
And who makes roller coasters during their freshmen orientation? =P
There are many other things that attracts me; however it will be too long for me to write them out.
On November 19 2010 13:58 dogabutila wrote:
I agree with a lot of the sentiment in this blog; i cannot stress that enough.
However, there are some things you also need to consider rather then just 0<0.0000000001
What is the cost of taking that chance? If there is no cost, then go for it!
But if it is like the lottery, is it worth playing? Sure you have 0 chance to win if you don't play, and a small chance is better then nothing... but is it worth the price? Apps cost money and time. Time you could spend tightening up essays for other schools etc.
And if you made it into MIT, would you be happy there? It's easy to say yes, but being that competitive and that hard..... is the price you have to pay to get MIT on your diploma over .... whatever other school worth it?
It's definitely worth it. I've considered many things when I chose schools, and MIT is one place where I want to be.
|
Hey Alex, MIT is my first choice too!
Also, shieldbreak, meet Alex. Alex, meet Rana.
|
I was in a similar position last year. Up until my freshman year of highschool I was performing great. I was also pretty strong in math, started taking high school math in 6th and 7th grade. But then for some reason I just started slacking off, and my gpa dropped from a 4.0 to a 3.6 by the time I graduated. I had decent sat scores (2240) and really crappy extracurriculars. Anyway, I applied to a few schools, and didn't really expect to get into any of them except the in state ones. Incidentally, I got rejected from both Caltech and MIT, but it was a good learning experience. Anyways, you just have to be prepared for the fact that you probably won't get in, but who knows. There's always a chance. Anyways, I go in state now and its honestly not that bad. Free ride, easy grades (for med school) and now I have a little bit of perspective now. I understand that if I want to get into med school, I can't slack off like in high school. Does it blow that I didn't perform well enough to get into Caltech or MIT? Yes. But that's just more motivation for me to excel in college.
|
United States4053 Posts
WHOA I've met a lot of people who do math at AAST, so chances are I've met someone who knows you :O but I haven't kept in touch with them...
Good luck on your MIT application! You're definitely right not to let others discourage you from pursuing that goal; I know math can be tough and depressing at times, but it sounds like you have some serious persistence. Don't lose sight of your goal.
|
Is there a penalty for applying to multiple schools? Is there a reason NOT to apply?
As I recall, applying to colleges cost money and it wasn't that outrageously expensive (unless if you apply to a ton of college) so if you really want to go to MIT but have sub optimal grades it doesn't really cost you anything except for application fees.
On the chance you can't get in, you can always work your tail off, do really well during your first 2 semesters at college and give it a shot at transferring to MIT. At least for my university (its a decent school but it's no Ivy leaguer so YMMV), they mostly ignored my craptastic high school grades and only looked at my 3.8 gpa at my first semester at a local college.
|
Even if you don't get in as a freshman, remember that you have almost 2 more years in college to prove yourself and transfer.
edit: heh, someone else said it.. probably should read other posts more thoroughly
Looking forward to see if you make it in  I like the attitude.
|
My ACT is average.
With... 34 superscore ACT?
I don't understand. Which is it?
Regardless, you've got a shot at MIT. Probably not a good shot, but a shot. It's not like Caltech or anything. My friend got into MIT with just half a year of Calculus and a comparatively mediocre SAT (Something like 1300 out of 1600, I think?). Granted, she tried hard, had a good GPA, and good extracurriculars.
It's possible. Write a good essay. :-)
|
snm I don't know much about getting into top tier schools, but I wish ye the best of luck .
|
Yeah, I took your original comments as "I'll get into MIT sucker" lol. Not what you meant. THis is a great attitude, but I can't sustain it.
Therei s cost (opportunity cost) for applying, but the potential reward is probably higher for you
But, you can increase those numbers, increase odds, etc
|
United States10328 Posts
Yo yo best of luck man. Show admissions that you fit here and deserve to be here.
On November 19 2010 13:51 d3_crescentia wrote:
So why are you applying to MIT? I mean, what about it attracts you?
Because it is awesome?
On November 19 2010 14:26 crazeman wrote:
Is there a penalty for applying to multiple schools? Is there a reason NOT to apply?
App fees are annoying 
And who makes roller coasters during their freshmen orientation? =P
Also only EC makes roller coasters 
Also whoa, didn't know "Cherry" did that... I should talk to people who do things other than math more often LOL
|
Many ivy leagues also require you to write individual essays and have specific application processes, so it can add up to a lot of time and money in the long run :/
|
Beautifully written.
Also really, really inspiring.
This blog made me feel a lot better (I'm still trying to 700 on my SAT Chemistry mock exams)
Thanks for the great post!
|
On November 19 2010 17:21 Z3kk wrote:
Many ivy leagues also require you to write individual essays and have specific application processes, so it can add up to a lot of time and money in the long run :/
In terms of microeconomics,
Marginal benefit > Marginal cost
Here's a principle from my dad:
I don't care if you go to some random college, or decide to drop out of school to do something else. It will take me a long time to accept what you're doing, but I will eventually accept it as long as it's not crazy.
However, when you've set your goal, do it right. Put your full effort in to the work. Do it right, and make sure you work hard so that you won't regret later, even if you fail.
|
College apps are always a dice roll, you can load the dice in your favor but in the end, some of the best of students get rejected from good schools and poor students can randomly get accepted to decent schools. There's no reason not to apply to a school you really want to go to because in the end, you might get the admissions officer who just got high and is in a good mood.
As far as MIT goes.. I always thought they were a bunch of work hard/party hard types living in a depressing part of a fucking cold region. Not really my flavor but to each their own.
|
^ yeah, admissions at elite schools are chancy, because there are just soooo many HS students with excellent credentials, each applying to a lot of schools. In addition to everything else, schools are driven by US News rankings, so they are playing numbers games themselves.
So apply to a lot of great schools, and I'm sure you'll get into one
In HS I was like "Yale or bust" and I was pretty devastated when I didn't get in - but to be honest, if you choose the schools you apply to carefully, you'll find once you are in college that it is just a fun experience and you'll make a ton of lifelong friends. All big/great US colleges provide an excellent undergrad education and environment. It really is on you to make the most of it.
|
nice blog post. This is exactly the attitude you need to get to where you want to go in life, especially in the work place. Some people hide behind their excuses of fear of rejection, unemployment/the economy, headhunters aren't giving me the interviews I want -- but god damn it, the good jobs are tough to get so that only the people who really want them get them! And from my experience, attitude is by far the biggest factor in getting a job and doing well in it. So go get'em, MIT is nothing bro.
|
Since when was 34 average for an ACT? I'm also pretty sure GPA is one of the smaller things when it comes to college apps, just because every school is different and it wouldn't be a fair assessment.
Who cares about elite schools, if you get in great, if you don't, there are a crapload of schools that still give you a good education/experience. I didn't do shit in high school since the effort it would take to get into an ivy(esp being a semi-rich asian), would mean less starcraft =[
|
Good attitude. The entire reason these schools are prestigious is because of their exclusivity- if you go through life expecting to get into one, you're doing it wrong. The vast majority of the population will never be able to be accepted, so why should you feel badly about not getting in? I'd consider it a great privilege, not an inherent right.
|
On November 19 2010 15:44 MarryMeSeanPlott wrote:I don't understand. Which is it? Regardless, you've got a shot at MIT. Probably not a good shot, but a shot. It's not like Caltech or anything. My friend got into MIT with just half a year of Calculus and a comparatively mediocre SAT (Something like 1300 out of 1600, I think?). Granted, she tried hard, had a good GPA, and good extracurriculars. It's possible. Write a good essay. :-)
The acceptance rate for women at MIT is three times that of men.
On November 20 2010 04:31 superbabosheki wrote:
Since when was 34 average for an ACT? I'm also pretty sure GPA is one of the smaller things when it comes to college apps, just because every school is different and it wouldn't be a fair assessment.
Who cares about elite schools, if you get in great, if you don't, there are a crapload of schools that still give you a good education/experience. I didn't do shit in high school since the effort it would take to get into an ivy(esp being a semi-rich asian), would mean less starcraft =[
A lot of times, GPA relative to the average GPA of one's peers in his/her school is a dealbreaker :/
|
On November 20 2010 00:20 supernovamaniac wrote:Show nested quote +On November 19 2010 17:21 Z3kk wrote:
Many ivy leagues also require you to write individual essays and have specific application processes, so it can add up to a lot of time and money in the long run :/ In terms of microeconomics, Marginal benefit > Marginal cost Here's a principle from my dad: I don't care if you go to some random college, or decide to drop out of school to do something else. It will take me a long time to accept what you're doing, but I will eventually accept it as long as it's not crazy. However, when you've set your goal, do it right. Put your full effort in to the work. Do it right, and make sure you work hard so that you won't regret later, even if you fail.
Sorry, I should have quoted the statement to which I was responding :/
I wasn't trying to dissuade you out anything; someone was asking whether there were any drawbacks to applying to a huge number of colleges. The marginal benefit of attending MIT isn't necessarily greater than the marginal cost in MIT's case, however. If you do by some miracle get accepted (and I unconditionally wish you the best of course), you might find the structure and atmosphere of MIT not to your liking, and you might even have major difficulties with the coursework. Obviously, it's better to attend a mediocre college that prepares you an independent life than to attend MIT and do poorly/not feel like your experience there was particularly edifying.
Best of luck, though! MIT is also on the list of universities I want to attend--it's easily one of my top choices.
|
On November 20 2010 08:46 Z3kk wrote:Show nested quote +On November 20 2010 00:20 supernovamaniac wrote:On November 19 2010 17:21 Z3kk wrote:
Many ivy leagues also require you to write individual essays and have specific application processes, so it can add up to a lot of time and money in the long run :/ In terms of microeconomics, Marginal benefit > Marginal cost Here's a principle from my dad: I don't care if you go to some random college, or decide to drop out of school to do something else. It will take me a long time to accept what you're doing, but I will eventually accept it as long as it's not crazy. However, when you've set your goal, do it right. Put your full effort in to the work. Do it right, and make sure you work hard so that you won't regret later, even if you fail. Sorry, I should have quoted the statement to which I was responding :/ I wasn't trying to dissuade you out anything; someone was asking whether there were any drawbacks to applying to a huge number of colleges. The marginal benefit of attending MIT isn't necessarily greater than the marginal cost in MIT's case, however. If you do by some miracle get accepted (and I unconditionally wish you the best of course), you might find the structure and atmosphere of MIT not to your liking, and you might even have major difficulties with the coursework. Obviously, it's better to attend a mediocre college that prepares you an independent life than to attend MIT and do poorly/not feel like your experience there was particularly edifying. Best of luck, though! MIT is also on the list of universities I want to attend--it's easily one of my top choices.
Oh, I understand that you weren't trying to dissuade me; I just wanted to put in my perspective from my situation.
|
Korea (South)1897 Posts
Schools love these kinds of come back stories,
let your desire and passion shine and you'll get want you want in time,
if you have this much tenacity already, then life ain't anything for you.
Gogo! You are more than your GPA! Desire for life!
|
Didnt read the whole thing but I just want to say that theres plenty of other schools out there that are more than good enough too lol. Getting into your top school shouldn't be everything.
|
On November 20 2010 04:38 3clipse wrote:
Good attitude. The entire reason these schools are prestigious is because of their exclusivity- if you go through life expecting to get into one, you're doing it wrong. The vast majority of the population will never be able to be accepted, so why should you feel badly about not getting in? I'd consider it a great privilege, not an inherent right.
It's all about relative worth; I went to a great high school (60% went to ivy leagues or non-ivy peer schools like Stanford). It would be a pretty big lie if I said I didn't feel deserving of an acceptance at a top-tier college during my HS years.
@OP; If you feel strongly about going to MIT, just apply. The marginal amount of work required shouldn't be a deterrent.
|
On November 22 2010 03:27 MightyAtom wrote:
Schools love these kinds of come back stories,
let your desire and passion shine and you'll get want you want in time,
if you have this much tenacity already, then life ain't anything for you.
Gogo! You are more than your GPA! Desire for life!
For some reason, I think I learned more about life than math, reading, science etc. combined in High School.
I learned something that I was supposed to face and learn later. Now, I'm not afraid of any challenges that I will have to face.
|
On December 23 2010 05:44 supernovamaniac wrote:
Question. Do you like the colleges that you're applying to? (aka do you want to go there?)
If yes, applying gives you more than 0% chance at acceptance.
SAT2: Chem 680 (FML) Math II 800 Korean w/ Listening 800 (I AM QUALIFIED TO TRANSLATE)
ACT: 34 superscore (R-31 E-34 S-35 M-36)
GPA: 3.519 UW, Senior year 1st tri: 3.7+
Schools: MIT, CMU, UMich, UChicago, Columbia (MAYBE), Lehigh, NYU-Poly etc.
You think I have no chance at these schools?
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=178802¤tpage=2
^
I do go on to say I love ALMOST every school I'm applying to.
You probably won't get in to MIT. It's just the sad truth of the matter. But it can't hurt Your GPA is a a little weak. But your extra-curriculars could be amazing. I don't know. Your essays can still be amazing. I think you have a solid ACT score, and I assume you are going into some kind of engineering major. I think you should show the schools that aren't MIT some serious love.
Basically, MIT and Columbia is going to be a crapshoot. It is the same for any Asian unless you have an extenuating circumstances anyway. I think you're in good shape for the other colleges you're applying to as long as you don't plan to major in chemical engineering.
|
What makes you want to go to MIT in the first place? When I was applying in 05, I thought I wanted to go to CalTech, 100% dream school etc. But then I started visiting colleges, and talking to current undergrads. The more I heard, the less and less I wanted to go there. I can't really put it into words, but its just the environment and the attitudes of the people. It felt cutthroat and arrogant, and just a little bit ugly under the shiny surface. I ended up turning them down.
I'll never tell someone to not apply somewhere - its always worth a shot. But definitely before you make a final decision, you always want to really think about where you want to LIVE 24/7 for the next 4+ years of your life. It's a large part of the deal, and you don't want to get stuck with a bad one.
|
On December 23 2010 08:41 susySquark wrote:
What makes you want to go to MIT in the first place? When I was applying in 05, I thought I wanted to go to CalTech, 100% dream school etc. But then I started visiting colleges, and talking to current undergrads. The more I heard, the less and less I wanted to go there. I can't really put it into words, but its just the environment and the attitudes of the people. It felt cutthroat and arrogant, and just a little bit ugly under the shiny surface. I ended up turning them down.
I'll never tell someone to not apply somewhere - its always worth a shot. But definitely before you make a final decision, you always want to really think about where you want to LIVE 24/7 for the next 4+ years of your life. It's a large part of the deal, and you don't want to get stuck with a bad one.
People.
Unlike your story, I've heard good things about these people. And I know a lot of them too. It's a place where I think I'll be comfortable for the next 4+ years of my life.
Well, if I get in and don't end up in East Campus I might change my thoughts. =P
|
Don't colleges charge like $40-50 to apply? It adds up after awhile. That's really the only reason why someone should hesitate on applying.
|
On December 23 2010 08:59 lac29 wrote:
Don't colleges charge like $40-50 to apply? It adds up after awhile. That's really the only reason why someone should hesitate on applying.
I'm applying to random universities I have no intention of going to simply to see if I could get in. But I'm in Canada, and it only costs $40. It depends on your situation, but you should always apply to as many as possible, just so you know and 5 years down the line wherever you are, you don't have to keep guessing and wondering if you could have gotten in.
|
5003 Posts
On December 23 2010 08:47 supernovamaniac wrote:Show nested quote +On December 23 2010 08:41 susySquark wrote:
What makes you want to go to MIT in the first place? When I was applying in 05, I thought I wanted to go to CalTech, 100% dream school etc. But then I started visiting colleges, and talking to current undergrads. The more I heard, the less and less I wanted to go there. I can't really put it into words, but its just the environment and the attitudes of the people. It felt cutthroat and arrogant, and just a little bit ugly under the shiny surface. I ended up turning them down.
I'll never tell someone to not apply somewhere - its always worth a shot. But definitely before you make a final decision, you always want to really think about where you want to LIVE 24/7 for the next 4+ years of your life. It's a large part of the deal, and you don't want to get stuck with a bad one. People. Unlike your story, I've heard good things about these people. And I know a lot of them too. It's a place where I think I'll be comfortable for the next 4+ years of my life. Well, if I get in and don't end up in East Campus I might change my thoughts. =P
Not going to say much since you really do want to go to MIT and I'm all for people trying to do the best for themselves, but you should at least be wary of such a thing.
Did you actually visit? Or do you know only because "You heard good things"? Will you just be comfortable socially, or will you be comfortable with all the other aspects a university education is "supposed" to give you? Unless you're just going to integrate into that social circle, then note that what you'll experience is likely an extension of your highschool and nothing more 
|
your odds of getting in will only increase if you apply
|
On December 23 2010 11:34 Milkis wrote:Show nested quote +On December 23 2010 08:47 supernovamaniac wrote:On December 23 2010 08:41 susySquark wrote:
What makes you want to go to MIT in the first place? When I was applying in 05, I thought I wanted to go to CalTech, 100% dream school etc. But then I started visiting colleges, and talking to current undergrads. The more I heard, the less and less I wanted to go there. I can't really put it into words, but its just the environment and the attitudes of the people. It felt cutthroat and arrogant, and just a little bit ugly under the shiny surface. I ended up turning them down.
I'll never tell someone to not apply somewhere - its always worth a shot. But definitely before you make a final decision, you always want to really think about where you want to LIVE 24/7 for the next 4+ years of your life. It's a large part of the deal, and you don't want to get stuck with a bad one. People. Unlike your story, I've heard good things about these people. And I know a lot of them too. It's a place where I think I'll be comfortable for the next 4+ years of my life. Well, if I get in and don't end up in East Campus I might change my thoughts. =P Not going to say much since you really do want to go to MIT and I'm all for people trying to do the best for themselves, but you should at least be wary of such a thing. Did you actually visit? Or do you know only because "You heard good things"? Will you just be comfortable socially, or will you be comfortable with all the other aspects a university education is "supposed" to give you? Unless you're just going to integrate into that social circle, then note that what you'll experience is likely an extension of your highschool and nothing more
I did actually visit and talked to students attending the school. Fun experience.
Didn't get to look into Simmons dorm though =/
|
Here's a smart tip - plan to get rejected and accept it as part of the natural process of applying. There's a lot that can be said for persistence. I particularly like the advice of this guy on the subject of applying to colleges. Hope you get in!
|
I remember this, nice bump.
It can't hurt to try so good luck!
|
Best of luck dude. Only when you complete 4 years of undergrad you will realize that undergrad degrees are hyped beyond belief and that to do the "cool" stuff you imagined of, you will need a masters or phd...
|
On December 23 2010 12:20 d3_crescentia wrote:Here's a smart tip - plan to get rejected and accept it as part of the natural process of applying. There's a lot that can be said for persistence. I particularly like the advice of this guy on the subject of applying to colleges. Hope you get in!
I've faced so much shit in my life; not getting into my dream college won't affect me that much.
|
AMC and AIME....I remember taking those...haha..good ole times in high school.
Thanks for bringing back memories.
|
l10f
United States3241 Posts
Good luck dude, but if you get in and I don't, I'm going to be very pissed. Not at you, at the office of admissions >____>
I got deferred from EA btw.
|
Go for it!
Grad school interviews are coming out now. I got a call the other day from Duke's Genetics Ph.D. program wanting me to go down there for 3 days for a visit to see if the program is a fit for me.
I NEVER expected Duke of all my schools to call me, but I applied anyways.
REACH for the SKY
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
