Comments on: 10 Things Not To Do If You Are Applying To MIT http://coltonprovias.com/2009/06/10/10-things-not-to-do-if-you-are-applying-to-mit/ Composer and Programmer Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:48:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1-alpha By: Trung H.Q. http://coltonprovias.com/2009/06/10/10-things-not-to-do-if-you-are-applying-to-mit/comment-page-1/#comment-1326 Trung H.Q. Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:48:26 +0000 http://coltonprovias.com/?p=777#comment-1326 Well when I first looked at the title i thought it was like "10 things not to do TO GET ACCEPTED to MIT". But it turned out to be more like "10 things not to do in order NOT TO LOOK DUMB WHEN REJECTED" to me. Well, take no 2 for example, I don't think it's a great deal when buying a mug or a T-shirt, I want something to keep memories of going to MIT's campus that's all. Anyway some of those advice are indeed useful. Thank you very much =) Well when I first looked at the title i thought it was like “10 things not to do TO GET ACCEPTED to MIT”. But it turned out to be more like “10 things not to do in order NOT TO LOOK DUMB WHEN REJECTED” to me. Well, take no 2 for example, I don’t think it’s a great deal when buying a mug or a T-shirt, I want something to keep memories of going to MIT’s campus that’s all.

Anyway some of those advice are indeed useful. Thank you very much =)

]]> By: Ashwath http://coltonprovias.com/2009/06/10/10-things-not-to-do-if-you-are-applying-to-mit/comment-page-1/#comment-616 Ashwath Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:36:19 +0000 http://coltonprovias.com/?p=777#comment-616 They may 'look' for passion but it's nice to remember that at the end of the day, they're just another school with just another admissions process. Do NOT get carried away by the very cool admissions website into thinking that there's something magical that other places don't have. It's great to study at MIT, but there are several other places which are just as awesome. For the most part, we hackers didn't recognise that. And well ... you know the rest of the story. They may ‘look’ for passion but it’s nice to remember that at the end of the day, they’re just another school with just another admissions process. Do NOT get carried away by the very cool admissions website into thinking that there’s something magical that other places don’t have. It’s great to study at MIT, but there are several other places which are just as awesome.

For the most part, we hackers didn’t recognise that. And well … you know the rest of the story.

]]> By: An MIT '12er http://coltonprovias.com/2009/06/10/10-things-not-to-do-if-you-are-applying-to-mit/comment-page-1/#comment-607 An MIT '12er Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:40:07 +0000 http://coltonprovias.com/?p=777#comment-607 I think those are interesting, but subjective. For example, I did 2, 6, 7, 9, and 10. And I got in. 2. I went a whole year at my high school wearing only MIT sweatshirts. It was a good luck charm. It let everyone know where I was applying, and they supported me 100% of the way. I was the first one to get in from my school in 6 years. 6. I only applied to MIT. Early. Didn't apply anywhere else. Had no plans to apply anywhere else. didn't apply anywhere else. Made it my only option. Why? Motivation. 7. I joined the 2012 group at like 100 people. Watched it grow to almost a thousand. Chatted with future classmates. Made CPW a blast since I met people way before hand. Saw the numbers dwindled as people who chose other schools dropped out. Talked to future classmates about clubs and activities and classes. Made me more informed before going in. Let me see the kinds of people going there. 9. I kept a blog for a while. Had my own site and everything. I have since moved on to other forms of social media / thought sharing (not to mention my domain renting ran out and I was cheap) but while I was applying, that's what I wrote about, for that's what I thought about. Did it get many readers? I don't know. I don't care. It was my space, and what was occupying my time was MIT. I was a bit worse though, as you only have one category for MIT, I had MIT-Apply, MIT-Rumors, MIT-Classes, MIT-News, MIT-Awesome. 10. I'm a terrible procrastinator. I know its true. Yet I do it because it helps me focus. I'm work great under pressure. Yes I started the application early. I got the recommendation forms handed out over the summer. I filled out part one like in August or like a week after it was released. But Part 2? The Essay? I couldn't rush that. I didn't rush that. You have to go with how you work best, and my best isn't forcing it. I'm not trying to rub this in your face or anything like that. Honest to god. I just think better advice would be to do what you do. Do as you do. Their selection process is complex and looks for the people they think will fit in, and they do a pretty damn good job, as their drop out rate is very very low. Maybe I'm biased, its true. But trying to be someone else just to get into your dream school is bound to leave you disappointed. Instead of don't do the aforementioned. I think you should do it! In fact, do more! Do everything that shows your passion about a school. Make sure all your teachers, all your classmates, your counselors, the MIT reps who come to your school, your interviewer, make sure EVERYONE knows how much you really want to go to that school. They look for passion. It says so on their website. Yes you need good grades, and good SAT scores, but mine weren't amazing. Math was actually my lowest score. But passion show them that you'll do whatever it takes to stay in. Your enthusiasm for their school is the key, at least in my experience, to making you stand out over all the other applicants with their perfect SAT scores and 20 AP tests. I think those are interesting, but subjective. For example, I did 2, 6, 7, 9, and 10. And I got in.
2. I went a whole year at my high school wearing only MIT sweatshirts. It was a good luck charm. It let everyone know where I was applying, and they supported me 100% of the way. I was the first one to get in from my school in 6 years.
6. I only applied to MIT. Early. Didn’t apply anywhere else. Had no plans to apply anywhere else. didn’t apply anywhere else. Made it my only option. Why? Motivation.
7. I joined the 2012 group at like 100 people. Watched it grow to almost a thousand. Chatted with future classmates. Made CPW a blast since I met people way before hand. Saw the numbers dwindled as people who chose other schools dropped out. Talked to future classmates about clubs and activities and classes. Made me more informed before going in. Let me see the kinds of people going there.
9. I kept a blog for a while. Had my own site and everything. I have since moved on to other forms of social media / thought sharing (not to mention my domain renting ran out and I was cheap) but while I was applying, that’s what I wrote about, for that’s what I thought about. Did it get many readers? I don’t know. I don’t care. It was my space, and what was occupying my time was MIT. I was a bit worse though, as you only have one category for MIT, I had MIT-Apply, MIT-Rumors, MIT-Classes, MIT-News, MIT-Awesome.
10. I’m a terrible procrastinator. I know its true. Yet I do it because it helps me focus. I’m work great under pressure. Yes I started the application early. I got the recommendation forms handed out over the summer. I filled out part one like in August or like a week after it was released. But Part 2? The Essay? I couldn’t rush that. I didn’t rush that. You have to go with how you work best, and my best isn’t forcing it.

I’m not trying to rub this in your face or anything like that. Honest to god. I just think better advice would be to do what you do. Do as you do. Their selection process is complex and looks for the people they think will fit in, and they do a pretty damn good job, as their drop out rate is very very low. Maybe I’m biased, its true. But trying to be someone else just to get into your dream school is bound to leave you disappointed.

Instead of don’t do the aforementioned. I think you should do it! In fact, do more! Do everything that shows your passion about a school. Make sure all your teachers, all your classmates, your counselors, the MIT reps who come to your school, your interviewer, make sure EVERYONE knows how much you really want to go to that school. They look for passion. It says so on their website. Yes you need good grades, and good SAT scores, but mine weren’t amazing. Math was actually my lowest score. But passion show them that you’ll do whatever it takes to stay in. Your enthusiasm for their school is the key, at least in my experience, to making you stand out over all the other applicants with their perfect SAT scores and 20 AP tests.

]]> By: Ahana http://coltonprovias.com/2009/06/10/10-things-not-to-do-if-you-are-applying-to-mit/comment-page-1/#comment-606 Ahana Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:32:47 +0000 http://coltonprovias.com/?p=777#comment-606 lol lol

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