my chances for a selective college?

Question

i'm a senior in high school and my top choice is MIT. i go to a small town school, i took the most challenging classes offered, 3 AP classes, but my GPA isn't that great, around 3.77. i was the president of debate club and model UN team, and i was officers in a bunch other activities. i volunteered a lot, i'm actually a UN Youth Ambassador (some people say it's gonna help a lot but others say it won't). i got 2000 on my SAT, and about 700 for each SAT II tests. my essays are ok, teachers' recommendations are pretty good. i'm bilingual, i play the piano, i play sports. but i'm really worried about my GPA and SAT scores. a lot of people especially my parents think i won't get in because my grades aren't good enough. what are my chances? someone with experience please help!!!!

Answer 1

DEFINITELY do apply. I am actually a freshman at MIT and we share some of the qualifications, namely the "low" SAT scores. Your SAT scores arent necessarily a deal-breaker; I got a 680 on the SAT I Math section (although I got much higher on the Math Level 2SAT IIs). They definitely do like to see well-rounded people. Just work on your essays, and dont "try" to make them into something you think an admissions officer would like to read. Also, a pretty good indication of whether you get in is if you've met the basic requirements, namely :
calculus (pretty important, but not necessarily required)
physics
chemistry
and biology.
again, none of those subjects are necessarily required- I had taken everything but physics. Good luck!

Answer 2

There is some good advice in these answers, especially, DO apply - or you won't know whether you could have gotten in! And DO apply to several other schools - there are lots of great schools for technology. In New England you could look at Worcester Polytech - they have a great program that is not as competitive but is well respected, and Northeastern

I don't think you will get into MIT - the average math SAT there is well over 700 and they have a lot of applications from top students. But you won't know if you don't try.

Answer 3

Hi there. I used to do admissions counseling in Boston, MA. It's always worth it to apply to at least one "reach" school. MIT is probably going to be that reach type of school. You should begin by looking at the Barron's guide, or any other publication, to compare your gpa,sat stats against those of last year's class. Also, call the admissions counselor for your geographical region..or ask your guidance counselor to do so on your behalf (they'll usually talk to them ..more than a student directly). Find out from the source..what your chances are.

80% of your application chances are based on your GPA and SAT scores. With MIT, it matters what program or major you are applying for. It's safe to say that either way they will be looking at your math and science gpas for each quarter starting freshman year to present. They will be looking for a trend of maintenance or improvement. Dips in your gpa in math or science will be looked at critically. AP classes in math or science will be critical. Essentially, they will recalculate your gpa with only math, science, english and social studies/history. All other classes will most likely not be figured in. This can make your gpa look better or worse.

Make sure your letters of recommendation are coming from your math and science teachers...and that they explain your critical thinking skills and abilities in detail.

Best of luck..and please, pursue your dream of MIT! I would hate for you to wonder "what could have been". I've seen a lot of students make that mistake.

Answer 4

Your chances are very good! Don't worry, just be who you are and interview at the colleges of your choice. Many times a good interview will "make up the difference" with lower GPAs. This was true for me,. I had an Uncle who told me "Good Luck getting into that school." (the school of my choice) and guess what? My GPA wasn't perfect and my SAT scores weren't either, but my interview sold them - they told me so - and I got in and rubbed it in his face. So there you have it - you do have an excellent chance!

Good Luck!

Answer 5

Don't get your heart set on one school. Apply to as many schools as you can and get your name out there. You might even find that you school you want isn't the place for you. In the end the school doesn't even matter, it is what you take away from your learning experience!