Applying to MIT: Tips, Strategies & Experiences

[Johannes]

just a litte off topic side note to that... I think given all those thoughts it is about time to critically question the role of the "elite" universities in world. Just go to ocw.mit.edu, there you can see lectures from the mighty MIT, if I look at the Physics and math lectures, they are no different from the lectures I'm used to here in Germany... I don't know if there is that saying in english... but in German one would they, they also just cook with water... meaning, well, at the end, the substance is not that different. It is not what they are doing that makes them so much surperior to other insitutes, it is their handpicked student body I think. So if you are a great mind, you will be much likely to succeed at any institution there is, it might be easyer at MIT and its Ivy frineds, but struggles and obstracles can be great teachers as well. If it is very hard to reach your professor and they have only very limited time to answer your questions, as it is common on schools with poor staff student ratio, you are forced to carefully pick your questions, and try on your own first. Later on, once you are into research there might be only very few specialist that can advice you, there the those skills might come in quite handy.
So, over all, I know that for now, we will still all try to get into top schools around the world, because that is just the way it it, but maybe once we are in power of picking employees etc. we should be more relaxed about the whole elite thingy...

 

[cellotim]

just a litte off topic side note to that... I think given all those thoughts it is about time to critically question the role of the "elite" universities in world. Just go to ocw.mit.edu, there you can see lectures from the mighty MIT, if I look at the Physics and math lectures, they are no different from the lectures I'm used to here in Germany... I don't know if there is that saying in english... but in German one would they, they also just cook with water... meaning, well, at the end, the substance is not that different. It is not what they are doing that makes them so much surperior to other insitutes, it is their handpicked student body I think. So if you are a great mind, you will be much likely to succeed at any institution there is, it might be easyer at MIT and its Ivy frineds, but struggles and obstracles can be great teachers as well. If it is very hard to reach your professor and they have only very limited time to answer your questions, as it is common on schools with poor staff student ratio, you are forced to carefully pick your questions, and try on your own first. Later on, once you are into research there might be only very few specialist that can advice you, there the those skills might come in quite handy.
So, over all, I know that for now, we will still all try to get into top schools around the world, because that is just the way it it, but maybe once we are in power of picking employees etc. we should be more relaxed about the whole elite thingy...

You make good points. Elite schools are notorious for ignoring their undergraduates. On the other hand, most of the benefits of an elite education go on outside the classroom. Lectures are lectures and much the same from school to school, but the people you meet in school and the opportunities and connections available through them are at least as important as the knowledge you gain in class.

 

[chaoseverlasting]

just a litte off topic side note to that... I think given all those thoughts it is about time to critically question the role of the "elite" universities in world. Just go to ocw.mit.edu, there you can see lectures from the mighty MIT, if I look at the Physics and math lectures, they are no different from the lectures I'm used to here in Germany... I don't know if there is that saying in english... but in German one would they, they also just cook with water... meaning, well, at the end, the substance is not that different. It is not what they are doing that makes them so much surperior to other insitutes, it is their handpicked student body I think. So if you are a great mind, you will be much likely to succeed at any institution there is, it might be easyer at MIT and its Ivy frineds, but struggles and obstracles can be great teachers as well. If it is very hard to reach your professor and they have only very limited time to answer your questions, as it is common on schools with poor staff student ratio, you are forced to carefully pick your questions, and try on your own first. Later on, once you are into research there might be only very few specialist that can advice you, there the those skills might come in quite handy.
So, over all, I know that for now, we will still all try to get into top schools around the world, because that is just the way it it, but maybe once we are in power of picking employees etc. we should be more relaxed about the whole elite thingy...

That really is food for thought.

 

[Erythro73]

just a litte off topic side note to that... I think given all those thoughts it is about time to critically question the role of the "elite" universities in world. Just go to ocw.mit.edu, there you can see lectures from the mighty MIT, if I look at the Physics and math lectures, they are no different from the lectures I'm used to here in Germany... I don't know if there is that saying in english... but in German one would they, they also just cook with water... meaning, well, at the end, the substance is not that different. It is not what they are doing that makes them so much surperior to other insitutes, it is their handpicked student body I think. So if you are a great mind, you will be much likely to succeed at any institution there is, it might be easyer at MIT and its Ivy frineds, but struggles and obstracles can be great teachers as well. If it is very hard to reach your professor and they have only very limited time to answer your questions, as it is common on schools with poor staff student ratio, you are forced to carefully pick your questions, and try on your own first. Later on, once you are into research there might be only very few specialist that can advice you, there the those skills might come in quite handy.
So, over all, I know that for now, we will still all try to get into top schools around the world, because that is just the way it it, but maybe once we are in power of picking employees etc. we should be more relaxed about the whole elite thingy...

True.

I go to Montreal University in Physics. When I compare to McGill (undergraduate program) (ok, not as elite as the MIT), there isn't much of a difference in terms of level. They're doing basically the same things, some different optional courses (not more, not less), but overall, the level of difficulty is the same. Some friends of mine who went there said they are in no way better than us. I have a saying for this "A no-life program remains a no-life program".

This holds for almost every other universities I saw in the US. Elite universities does not mean better undergraduate programs. Maybe better contacts, more services, better administrations, ...

 

[dhvanitp]

Hey its the topic starter : dhvanit..
Thanks a lot to everybody for your views on my topic.. I really appreciate it.. Anyways I scored 1990 on SAT recently in OCT ( actually without much preparation, just to try it out : 550 CR, 750 Math, 690 WS).

 

[Bcogswell]

As a lot of others said, when dealing with schools with such a low acceptance rate, you will need to have a "wow factor". There has to be something to set you apart from the thousands of other people applying.

With that said, I would suggest some extra curriculars.

Oh and you might want to have some back up schools, in case MIT doesn't work out for you.

 

[dhvanitp]

Thanks Bcogswell for your advise..

 

[PhysicalAnomaly]

I find that all universities in australia have similar classes and syllabuses and people who have been to more than one agree that the education is practically the same. The difference might be that in the more elite universities, there's more pressure. However, some people shine brighter when there are fewer stars around. Just my two cents.