M.I.T

I'm looking at applying for M.I.T and I'm asking for advice from anyone else who was an international applicant. I'm currently an a-level student studying Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics and I have a strong interest in robotics.

If you were an international applicant could you write a list for everything that needs to be completed for applying as I don't want to miss anything.

Any, advice is also very welcome.

I know that I will have to sit 2 SAT test in two subjects and an ACT test.
Does anyone recommend the books for these tests?

Reply 1

Doones

Original post by Gwen Thornton

I'm moving this to the Studying in North America forum. Have a look at the stickied threads at the top of the forum :smile:

Reply 2

Gwen Thornton

Thanks. I'll have a look.😁

Reply 3

Doones

Original post by Gwen Thornton

Thanks. I'll have a look.😁

Also check out http://www.fulbright.org.uk/going-to-the-usa/undergraduate

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Reply 4

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

The MIT admissions website has all the information and dates you need for application. The main thing to pay attention to is application dates, and making sure you book your SAT/ACT test dates so you get the results in time to send with the application. It's also worth bearing in mind, spaces at SAT (and presumably ACT - there were none near when i was living in the south so I can't comment specifically on that, and I was considering "near" as going to London for an SAT test centre) test centres book up very fast, so you should start looking at when you can begin booking for the appropriate test dates now.

In terms of the SAT/ACT, you need to take either the "main" SAT or the ACT, along with (at least) two SAT subject tests as noted. You might be able to take one or both subjects tests on the same day as the main SAT potentially, so it may be more convenient doing that. Also be aware, the ACT covers (or at least previously did) matrices in their Math section, which is normally a FM topic; otherwise it's largely GCSE and AS Maths, and the main SAT Math section is all GCSE Maths (the Math subject test, which you'll need to take, does cover some AS Maths topics. I believe the Math II test, if they still do two different versions, includes complex numbers and maybe matrices though, so you will probably be taking the Math I version).

Outside of the Math sections, for the main SAT and the ACT the rest isn't specifically "revisable" as it doesn't rely on subject knowledge (this is particularly notable for the ACT Science section), being more about comprehension and reasoning (ostensibly anyway). However, the test format and how the questions are phrased are quite different from UK exams and somewhat peculiar, so it'd be worth trying the practice test on their respective websites, as well as to get a question book or similar. I got an SAT book from Waterstones back when I took it (and it was a tiny regional town one as well) for like £20 and it had tons of questions (for the main SAT), which I believe is published by CollegeBoard themselves. I'd probably suggest that, or an equivalent analogue for the ACT.

For the subject tests, they do rely on subject knowledge - I believe this is broadly at AS and higher end GCSE, but do look carefully at the syllabuses and see which topics you need to prepare, and if any of the material you won't have covered by then. As you're doing all three sciences (which wouldn't usually be advisable for applying in the UK) you have the benefit of being able to choose any of the science subject tests, so just pick the one where the topics equate to stuff you've already covered as much as possible and/or the one you find easiest. There are probably practice questions and revision materials online for those, and undoubtedly umpteen question books or similar you can buy (maybe from CollegeBoard, probably from others as well - I think there are a few Schaum's Outlines for the SAT?).

Outside of academics (which is really just a necessary and not sufficient condition for the US, unlike in the UK) you need to otherwise develop extracurricular activities. I would probably recommend looking at a US centric application forum (perhaps like the CollegeConfidential talk pages, or the applying to college subreddit) for examples of these, but generally the emphasis is on quality - leadership positions, committee roles, implementing something new which creates some kind of somewhat lasting effect. Beyond that the usual slew of musical instruments, drama productions, debate club, sports and so on is fairly standard, and unlikely to stand out by itself but if you are doing it already, by all means continue.

MIT are slightly atypical as I think they do tend to like "supercurriculars" as well, similar to Oxbridge over here - stuff like Olympiads, hackathons, robotics camps or AI programming competitions etc would probably be favourable. I believe there are some schemes to get Raspberry Pi's into schools, so if you could set up some kind of programming club alongside such a scheme and then participate, you'd tick a couple boxes from the above with that (although you'd need to do stuff otherwise).