My DS15 has his sights on going to MIT for computer science.
What kind of grades are we talking about to get into this school?
Any other advice for him?
To aim for it, but not count on it, even if he has the grades and scores.
It's in the realm of the top-tier Ivys for acceptance and requirements. They take so few of those who apply that it's a ....shoot.
That said, you never know, and if he wants it, he should go for it. For that program at that school you want absolutely top grades in applicable classes, and the most challenging applicable classes possible - plus ongoing extracurriculars demonstrating interest in the field. In addition, I'd say over 750 on the math portion of the SAT is pretty de rigueur, and the same on the math 2 SAT II and on as many of the science SAT IIs as he can.
I don't know if they require full disclosure, so check before he takes or has taken (if he's done the bio) stuff as a freshman or sophomore. Those are very, very competitive for MIT, especially the maths. It's not that they mean so much by themselves, but if he's in a pile with other applications and those kids have 800s on the SAT I math and 780s on the SAT IIs and he's got 100 pts below that, it's going to drop the attractiveness of his application packet.
My DS15 has his sights on going to MIT for computer science.
What kind of grades are we talking about to get into this school?
Any other advice for him?
My older daughter is a senior at MIT. She was valedictorian of her class, took all the AP classes her school offered, plus two more (one at MIT!), and got 800 on the math portion of the SAT. She was captain of the math team, editor in chief of the school paper, president of Mu Alpha Theta. She was also a competitive synchro skater, nationally ranked at the junior level.
MIT gets over 10,000 applicants a year, and accepts about 10%. You've got to be one of the best in your school, and do something unique outside of school. They are also very concerned about the mental health status of their students, and want to see a well-rounded, social young adult.
As it should be
My DS15 has his sights on going to MIT for computer science.
What kind of grades are we talking about to get into this school?
Any other advice for him?
Unlike some of the other schools at their level though, like Harvard, MIT has not really moved to accept the students that may be more 'well-rounded' but not have as academically rigorous and impressive a background.
Harvard, Yale, will accept kids with lower grades and scores who they feel will be interesting additions to the community. The community at MIT is full-on math/science nerd - within that realm they certainly want healthy with other things and interests concordant, but where Harvard might consider someone with a B+ average, 600s on the SATs and an interesting, globe-trotting history with various achievments, MIT would probably be much less likely to.
Check out College Confidential. A WORLD of info there.
Yes, that's why the consensus at MIT is that 'smart people who go to Harvard don't get any smarter while they are there'. Yes, they actually say that, LOL! Also, my daughter has a friend who is taking 'remedial' classes at Harvard. Harvard is quickly gaining a reputation of taking students just for the newsworthiness of their background, not because they are at some certain academic level.
Having some grandparents and great-grandparents graduate from Harvard and other Ivy league schools, and having an aunt and grandfather who worked at Harvard and MIT, I've heard a lot of stories about what actually goes on at these institutions. Harvard seems to be all about the name, while MIT actually gets students to contribute to the intellectual society that is fostered there.
For example (and it's a very narrow one, I admit) my daughter is taking an obscure language class at Harvard. There are 5 students in the class. The 3 from Harvard are struggling to keep up with the 2 from MIT. BTW, it's my daughter's 4th language.
Yes, that's why the consensus at MIT is that 'smart people who go to Harvard don't get any smarter while they are there'. Yes, they actually say that, LOL! Also, my daughter has a friend who is taking 'remedial' classes at Harvard. Harvard is quickly gaining a reputation of taking students just for the newsworthiness of their background, not because they are at some certain academic level.
Having some grandparents and great-grandparents graduate from Harvard and other Ivy league schools, and having an aunt and grandfather who worked at Harvard and MIT, I've heard a lot of stories about what actually goes on at these institutions. Harvard seems to be all about the name, while MIT actually gets students to contribute to the intellectual society that is fostered there.
For example (and it's a very narrow one, I admit) my daughter is taking an obscure language class at Harvard. There are 5 students in the class. The 3 from Harvard are struggling to keep up with the 2 from MIT. BTW, it's my daughter's 4th language.
Eh, I dunno; the people I know who went to Harvard were academic heavyweights who remained so. A couple speak multiple languages (even dead ones! and were involved in a lot of rigorous academic pursuits at H - and would probably tell you that MIT students are really good if you want someone to do your taxes in exchange for explaining Chaucer to them.
One friend who went to a just-as-prestigious graduate program at a different school was quite cognizant that people almost never got bad grades there or got booted from the program, despite orientation warnings to that effect. The idea seemed to be that if you were good enough to let in, must be good enough to graduate. According to that person, that attitude was much more prevalent there than at Harvard, inflation scandal aside.
I thought students read Chaucer in high school? We did, anyways!
Actually, MIT has some really interesting 'non-geek' minors, (and a few majors) and a requirement to take a certain amount of 'non-geek' courses. Hence the language classes for my daughter, some creative classes like costume design, and her favorite, Meso-American History. I love the Architecture department - very cool displays last time I walked through campus.
Freshman at MIT do not get grades, only pass/warning. It is definitely a very high-pressure environment, with a very high suicide rate for a university. They do have a wonderful mental health support system, and that, along with the pass/warning, helps the student body adjust to the rigors of the experience there. It is definitely not a party school though!
Best of luck to all the applying students - it's a tough school to get into, but once you are there, it's a great experience. It's all about what you know, not who you know.