MIT Admissions

More making stuff up. First of all, 1300 is under 450 for each section of the SAT so he definitely scored higher than that. Now let's just assume you're being obstinate and refusing to count writing because you know so much more than every college in the country... I guarantee your "friend" who probably doesn't exist scored better than 1300 on the two tests you, in your inestimable arrogance, deem worthy. Reread the OPs original post then ask yourself why you are being so irrelevant.

As to the post which should be just above this, more lies. That poster does not have "several" or "many" or whatever term he used friends that scored perfect SATs. People are just making this stuff up. Each state has about 6 perfect SATs on average. The odds that we know more than two people with 2400s are astronomical unless you are in some sort of support group for perfect test takers. What bothers me is how flippant people are with these statistics they throw around. If you are 4.0 and 2400, you ARE getting into any school you want unless you spit in the interviewer's face or something akin to that.

I don't care whether you believe me or not, but she is accomplished in that she's now in a company in a large metropolitan ballet. At any rate, the point I was trying to make is backed up by MIT runner guy's experience. He did exactly what I was recommending and got in. Go to the MIT admissions web site and you'll see plenty of stories that are similar. They get plenty of off the charts academics with no outside interests applying.

To the people saying 1550 / 4.0 definitely gets you in to MIT or similar schools, that's just not true. I, as a Johns Hopkins graduate and current PhD student, with a good knowledge of the college admissions process, do a fair amount of tutoring. One of my former tutoring clients is currently a high school senior that wants to go to Harvard. She has a 4.0, got a 35 on her ACT (equivalent to roughly 1570 on the old SAT), and has an excellent extracurricular resume that goes far above and beyond the vast majority of high school students. She was not admitted to Harvard via early decision and was instead just shuffled back to regular admission, so she won't know if she gets in for a few weeks still. Her credentials are very nearly perfect, but there are many people across the world that want to go to Harvard with similar credentials, so it becomes a bit of a crapshoot. MIT is probably ever so slightly harder to get admitted to than Harvard. Their coach wanting you to run for their D3 team will have zero bearing on whether you are admitted, but being an extremely competitive high school runner will help you present yourself as a well-rounded individual with a resume that goes beyond just academics. Good luck.

HS Coach2 wrote:

What bothers me is how flippant people are with these statistics they throw around. If you are 4.0 and 2400, you ARE getting into any school you want unless you spit in the interviewer's face or something akin to that.

I don't know many 2400 guys, but I know plenty in the 2300-2380 range. of fifteen of them, three got into MIT. in the group, one guy has a 2400. he was rejected.

if what you're saying were true, many people I know (if you count 2300+ and 4.0) would be much happier campers.

As far as MIT goes, I will echo what other posters have said: the coach has very little to no pull in admissions. However, this is not true for other elite DIII institutions which you may be interested in. As far as engineering, I know coaches have strong pull at Carnegie Mellon...friend of mine was admitted with 28 ACT for the soccer team, another highly coveted football player from my school was admitted with 30 ACT, but chose to attend a different uni. For other UAA schools, the coaches have significant influence as well. Check out UChicago and WashU for strong liberal arts and economics if you are interested in finance or NYU for design and if you like the big city. NESCAC programs like Amherst and Williams are also great if you are an athlete, lots of pull in football and good help in the non-helmet sports as well.

Best of luck!

It's true a perfect score can make you look like you're just a professional test taker. I actually missed a question on purpose because I knew I would get a perfect score if I didn't.

You have no idea what you're talking about. A perfect score does not guarantee entry to MIT, and ESPECIALLY not if you're Asian (sad but true). Just as an example, an Asian student of my mom's had a 1600/1600 on the valid sections of the SAT and was rejected by Harvard. Once again, a good score is helpful, but IT WILL NOT GET YOU IN EVERYWHERE. You need something special outside of standardized testing, a mediocre predictor of success.

MIT is probably ever so slightly harder to get admitted to than Harvard. Their coach wanting you to run for their D3 team will have zero bearing on whether you are admitted, but being an extremely competitive high school runner will help you present yourself as a well-rounded individual with a resume that goes beyond just academics. Good luck.[/quote]

I was attempting not to post on this topic, especially since posters above me have already made it clear that the coach DOES have pull with admissions. But too many people, like the person quoted, are saying the opposite, and they are simply wrong. I have coached three athletes that are currently at MIT, and all three were told by the coach that they were on a list that he sent to admissions of people he wanted on his team. He wouldn't bother sending admissions this list if it had no effect.

Anyone saying the opposite is simply wrong.

testertest wrote:

It's true a perfect score can make you look like you're just a professional test taker. I actually missed a question on purpose because I knew I would get a perfect score if I didn't.

I wish I had the option to miss a question on purpose. It was a struggle for me to just get an 'above average' score.

You don't recognize the that the written section of the SAT is an accepted and "valid" portion of the SAT and I don't know what I'm talking about. Good thing there's no logic section on the SAT. For the last time, seriously the last time, 1600 is not any more a "perfect" score on an SAT than getting the first answer right. Fortunately enough people have accurately stated the correct answer to the OPs question. With a decent combination of SAT and GPA, good running times can push you over the top to get into MIT.

Most of you nit-picking SAT statistics on this site probably belong at MIT. But to the OP, I'd say, if you have the credentials to get in to MIT, you'll be much happier and get a more well-rounded education almost anywhere else. And you might even get to kiss a girl. Go to MIT for your PhD if you must.

Track down The New Yorker article on Michael Saylor (CEO of MicroStrategy), and read what he thought of his experience as an MIT undergrad and alumnus.

Buddy, you lost all credibility by comparing schools like CMU, Emory and Wash U. to MIT.

got exactly 1300 total on old sats in the early 80s. straight A student, public high school, 4:55 miler. Got in (surprisingly) and graduated with a 4.55 gpa. Go figure. Ran xc there for coach Taylor couple of yrs - good guy and coach.

alum wrote:

got exactly 1300 total on old sats in the early 80s. straight A student, public high school, 4:55 miler. Got in (surprisingly) and graduated with a 4.55 gpa. Go figure. Ran xc there for coach Taylor couple of yrs - good guy and coach.

I thought they didn't weight GPAs in college?

I thought they didn't weight GPAs in college?[/quote]

They don't. MIT thinks they're special and have their GPAs out of 5 instead of 4.

awefwaegf wrote:

I've always thought that the switch from 1600 to 2400 SATs was kind of dumb. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the last 800 a writing portion? Which is entirely subjective. Which means mostly luck.

The writing section has one essay scored out of 12 points and counts for 30% of your score. It also has a bunch of multiple choice questions mostly pertaining to correcting grammar and usage mistakes in sample sentences.Those count for 70%. I got a 10/12 for the essay, but I got all of the MCs right and got an 800.

The guy on the first page from Lake Zurich Illinois did finally get into MIT.