December Questions Omnibus 2 by Matt McGann '00

I’ve been feeling guilty with these questions piling up so close to the deadline, so I’m taking a break from my New Years vacation (in Virginia) to answer some questions. Props to my old buddy John (Caltech ’08), Leon, Niyatee, Sarah, and everyone else for doing a little pinch-hitting for me in the comments…

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Vinayak wrote, “Just a quick question. When I print preview the MIT application online (Part 2), my name doesn’t appear on the two signature lines which are on the 4th page and the last page to verify that everything is “true and accurate, etc.” On the Common Application, for example my full name appears typed there and it reads something like “By typing my name here I agree that…etc.” I submitted already, so would it have let me submit if somewhere were wrong? Do I need to print out that page, sign it, and mail it in?”

This is a bug in our online application, all is good, don’t worry.

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Anonymous wrote, “hey, do you recommend any programs seniors could do in the summer?” And Ashish wrote, “Can seniors also try for the SSP. I am asking this because I remember there being some international kids in RSI 2005, who were seniors and I believe that RSI is also strictly for juniors. In any case can you suggest some summmer programs for seniors (where international participation is allowed). Thanks for providing all the earlier information.”

I’ll try to do a longer entry about this earlier, but I encourage you to take this summer to decompress from high school, spend time with friends & family, do something good for your heart (lots good for your head is to come!). And, if you can swing it, consider taking a gap year between high school and college. More to come on these topics later.

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Scott wrote, “I was wondering how much each part of the application is worth for the “overall picture”. e.g SAT scores are worth 30%, extracurriculars are worth 20%, etc. I’m not really looking for actual numbers just a general idea.”

Some public universities do have exact percentages of what things are worth, but really, it’s a pretty holistic process here. If anything is most important, it would be your grades, but everything is important, and everything is considered. More on this in many future entries.

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Minh wrote, “When submitted the Part1 of the form, I have asked for the fee waiver however there is no Guidance Councelor or someone like that in my country’s system to help me. This is really complicated. Is there anyway that I can now submit the application fee instead. 60$ may be a large sum for my family but MIT is my only choice and I have spend 65$ for SAT II, 160$ for Toelf. Now it will be really ridiculous if I cannot submit my form.”

Minh, have any official from your school write us a letter certifying your financial situation. This will be sufficient for a fee waiver. It is okay if this reaches us after January 1, if you need the extra time. Please use a fee waiver if you need one.

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Jason wrote, “I scored an 800 on math level 2, but only in the low 700s on my other two subject tests (in physics and chem). I understand that math level 1 is not required since I took level 2, but if I could get an 800 on that (or a score significantly higher than the score in the low 700s I got on the sciences), would it make sense to take it?”

No.

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Amulya wrote, “I am a little worried about my application. MIT has not yet processed my toefl score. I did the test on november 19. I got my printed score report on december 19th. I see no reason why it wouldn’t have reached by now. Will my application be adversely affected if the scores dont reach on time? Another concern is that my interview has not been processed either. I filled in the conducted interview form a couple of days ago after two weeks were up. Mr. Coutts was my interviewer. Do i start worrying about either right away, or should i give it more time?” And Aditya wrote, “Hey matt i sent my evaluation forms a and b on second of december , the b form has reached but the a form is still not shown on the application tracking. should i again get the teacher evaluation forms and resend them. my toefl scores which i have been told were dispatched by 6/12 have not yet reached, so should i ask them to send the scores again” And C��sar wrote, “I have a problem with my toefl score. I did the test on november 17(more than a month ago) but MIT has not yet process my scores. I am a little bit worry about it. It is okay if I do the sat subjects test on january? The other thing is that all my evaluations and my transcript were send by express mail because I was worry about the deadline.” And Edward wrote, “1. I did my TOEFL in April and my SAT 1 in June. Both these tests have not been processed in My MyMIT account. This really worries me because my SAT 2 (which I did in DECEMBER!!) has already been processed. Whats the problem, could you help me in any way? Please.2. My scool report and teacher recomendations are also not processed even though I made sure they were sent in early December. Do I need to get them sent again? I hope not because this is a real problem for me, getting them in the first place was difficult. Does it take longer to process things for international applicants? If so maybe that’s the cause of all my problems because I’m applying from Kenya.” Pradyumna wrote, “I have a problem here. My math evaluation which I made sure to be sent in the early weeks of December has not been processed yet in Mymit account. Even my TOEFL score which was realeased on Nov-28 didnot appear as processed in my Mymit account.Is it a problem to worry about? Should I ask my Math lecturer to resend the evaluation?”

For your TOEFL scores, if they are not on the tracking system and you sent them this past summer, first double check that the name you took the TOEFL under and be sure that it matches the name on your application. If they are different, please email admissions so we can check for your scores under the other name. If they are the same, check with the testing agency and have them resend the scores.

Aditya: Were forms A and B sent together, in the same envelope? If so, you should email admissions@mit. If not, give it another week or so and see what happens.

Amulya: Don’t worry about your interview any more; we will follow up.

Cesar: You can do TOEFL in January if you wish. You do not need to express mail your application as long as you send it by the deadline.

Edward and Pradyumna: Wait a week or two; this is our busiest time of year for processing.

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Jonas wrote, “Many “top” schools contact applicants *if* they require further information regarding one’s application. Is MIT among those? If not, do you contact Guidance Counselors?”

We will not contact you if application components are missing — it is your responsibility to monitor the tracking system. If there are other things we need to know, we will not hesitate to call you, your counselor, your teacher, etc.

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Helen wrote, “I have somewhat of a dilemma. As MIT is my first choice, and Cal Tech isn’t too far down the list, I’ve noticed that a lot of applicants to either school have taken the AMC. I’m a high school junior right now, so this is probably my last chance to take it and still report my scores. Unfortunately, my school doesn’t offer it, which means if I have any desire to take it, I have to discuss this with the department head, recruit people for it, meet very quickly approaching deadlines, etc., etc. Also, according to some discussion on CC, some of people don’ report their scores and a score of under 130 won’t really help my application. Since my school doesn’t offer very challenging math courses (the toughest problems I’ve seen since coming to America were regular AP Physics problems: not only fairly easy, an entirely different ballpark), in order to do well, I’ll need to study/practice. With the SATs and school finals coming up, stress is at an all-time high, and I don’t know if I want to undertake extra responsibilities. What would you suggest I do?”

Feel free to not take on this AMC project at this time — it honestly won’t hurt your application — but next year, actually organizing your school for the AMC could be your gift, your legacy for the school, something that could live on past your time. Bottom line — don’t stress, but think big!

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Donna wrote, “Are you going to visit the annual HMMT on 2/25/06 at Harvard? Or may be even give a talk to the contestants? About 700 some students (most of then juniors and seniors) registered.”

I might just be there! HMMT always falls during a tough time for us (often during selection!), but I’ve made it to HMMT the past two years, and hope to be there this year. More news as the date draws nearer…

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Prashant wrote, “I just have an request that I would like to make. Could you please thank all the people at the admissions office for sacrificing their holidays to make sure that last minute submitters like me don’t get left out. Also, a very happy New Year to all of you!”

No problem — I’ve forwarded it their way!

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Virzhiniya wrote, “I’m still working on my application part 2. It’s just that I’m never satisfied with my essay. I’ve written 12-13 drafts so far, and I still haven’t found THE ESSAY.”

My advice: relax, take a step back, reread the question, and make sure you actually answer the question.

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Minh wrote, “It is really close to the deadline but I think I am still not clear about everything. I will take the Toelf and SAT II in January, I sent the office of Admission some letters one week ago to explain about this but still not receive anything back. Can I send anything else after the deadline?”

We will accept your January test scores. That you for your note explaining the situation. Submit your application before the deadline, but feel free to send us updates after the deadline.

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Minh wrote, “Sorry Matt, I think this is such a stupid question but I have to ask it. Who will send my evaluation letters, my teacher or I will send it myself, every thing is not very clear where I live, It’s a ridiculous thing that I must have one teacher make the evaluation and someone else translate it, some of my teachers are ot really good at English.”

Either you or your teachers may send the letters. If they are being translated, send the translated letters directly to our office.

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Phil wrote, “I have a quick question which, I am sure, applies to more than a few applicants. My semester ends well after January 1st. Therefore, I cannot postmark my Mid-year report by the deadline. Should I just send the report in when my semester grades come out (early-mid February)? Or would it be too late to be processed by then anyway? Thanks for any info you can give me.”

There is no deadline for the Mid-year Report. Please send it in as soon as possible after your grades are available.

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annie wrote, “I’m an applicant from Hong Kong. My school has mailed the school reports and teachers refereces on the 7th of December. However, the MyMIT account shows that these materials sent have not been processed yet. How much longer should I wait before asking the school counselor to mail the materials again?” And Pradymna wrote, “My math lecturer had posted the teacher evaluation in the second week of dec but my mit account shows that it has not yet processed the evaluation whereas my secondary school transcripts sent by the school on 7th of dec have been processed. Do I need to ask my Math teacher to post it again on or before 1st of Jan.”

Wait a week; we are busy processing things. This is our busiest time of year.

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Rahul wrote, “i m intrested to join the under-graduate course for engineering in mit..i m an indian student,studying in std 12th . ao plz tell me everything abt how to fill up the application form,syllabus of the entrance examination n the fee n the course structure.”

I would recommend thoroughly reading the Admissions website and the main MIT website. Stop back with any more specific questions.

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sayeeda wrote, “hullo, i have a very amusing but bad situation. see, i had an interview with a different EC than he who i was assigned to about two weeks ago. he hasnt sent anything in yet, which I assume because it hasnt shown up in my application tracking box…And I wanted to report this, but check this out: I know his phone number, his email, where he works, his wife’s name, but i can’t figure out his last name! so how shall i report this??? and ive been searching like a hungry rat for this guy’s last name over the internet. the closest i got was to his yahoo online profile – which failed to mention his name, or anything for that matter. any suggestions? help would be sincerely appreciated.”

Wait a week to see if it appears on the tracking system. If not, email interview@mit with this information and they will follow up.

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Chris wrote, “My Application Tracking says that they havent processed my teacher recs or interview, and both were completed a while ago, sometime in October, and I am certain that my teachers sent in my letters a while ago. Should I be worried? Should I call to see if they have them? And what do I do if they never received them?”

I would have them sent again, or faxed in to our office, if they were sent in October.

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Siddhartha wrote, “May I send in my optional essays via postal mail along with my ISFAA and the note from the counsellor? Also, will it be a problem if I submit the ‘unembellished’ (i.e., without the symbols/images) optional essays with my online application in addition to sending in the handwritten one by post? Heartfelt Thanks!!!”

That sounds like a good plan. You should separately package the materials for admissions and financial aid in the envelope you post.

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alphamale wrote, “I do have a serious question though. I had my interview weeks ago, and the interview box on MyMIT is still unchecked. Is this something about which I need to worry?” Sukrit wrote, “1. On the activities descriptions, despite cutting I am over by 8 words on the description of one activity and 6 words on another (under on the rest). Will this be a problem? Note: the online counter did notice this. 2. I had my interview near the beginning of the month, but MyMIT still does not indicate interview information was recieved. Should I worry, or is this not an issue?” And Yi wrote, “I have two questions. Firstly, I did my interview on Dec 10th, but in the application tracking section, it still says not processed. I filled out the Conducted Interview form 3 days ago, but I haven’t got any response. What should I do now? Secondly, I finished my year 11 in Australia. I have a reference letter and three school awards from the Australian school. Should I send them to you? If I should, when is the deadline for sending them?”

If you have indicated your interview was conducted, do not worry, we will follow up.

Sukrit: 1. That is not a problem.

Yi: 2. List the school awards on your application; you need not send in the certificates. You may send in the reference letter as soon as possible.

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Lerh wrote, “I too took my SAT IIs in December, but the scores have not been reported. Is this an issue for concern?”

No, don’t worry at this time.

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Sebastian wrote, “I just inmigrated to the US with my family, and I dont have a high school diplomma from any US school. I’m planning on taking APs and enrolling on a shool for that pourpose (Calc AB, Calc BC, Physics C and maybe Art or Lit)I’ll be taking the SATs and also the TOEFL. The idea is to prove I am a qualified student for MIT, but i’m not sure id I really need a High School diplomma. Should I just take the APs? (I’m sure I would get outstanding grades) Also, maybe I could just enroll in some college’s program for summer or simple courses while I wait for the EA deadline 2006. What would be better? PLease help me.”

While waiting to apply in 2006, you may want to enroll in a US school towards a diploma (we not not require a diploma, but it might be a good idea). You cannot enroll in a degree program in a college and still apply as a freshman to MIT (you’d be considered a transfer student), but taking college courses could be an excellent option for you. Best wishes.

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Anonymous wrote, “I got deferred from early and I was wondering, is there any way to send additional materials online? Or, so I have to mail them to MIT? I wanted to send an abstract and/or the whole of my Intel paper. Would additional recs be helpful?”

We recommend mailing any additional materials to us. See my previous entry on this topic.

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“Class of ’10 hopeful” wrote, “Is it true that if we don’t sign the waiver on the teacher evaluation forms, our recommendations aren’t taken seriously? If yes, can I send my decision to waive my right to view the evaluation on a separate paper? (My evaluations have been mailed.) I am an international student from India.”

If you have already mailed your evaluations and live abroad, don’t worry about sending in a separate waiver. Don’t worry, it’s all good.

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AnnaKot wrote, “I’ve graduated from High School one year ago, and the last Grade in our school system is 11th. (I’m applying from Russia) I have a question on how to fill q10 – test/activities section, where one supposed to circle grades of participation. There are activities in which I’ve participated since graduation, not in 9-11 grades. How to indicate this applying on-line? Also a question considering sending TOEFL scores. There is no chance that you receive it before January 1st. What is the last receipt date of scores?”

Just leave a note about “grade 12” in the “anything else” section if you’re worried about it. As for the TOEFL, if you’ve already taken the TOEFL and have named MIT as a score recipient, I assure you we will have the scores on time.

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Dan wrote, “I’ll be applying to MIT next year. I’ll be taking statistics at a community college soon. When I apply, would I need to send a transcript from that college or is it being listed in the self-reported grades enough?”

It should be enough to list it on the self-reported grades.

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Sarah wrote, “If we were admitted EA do you want the Mid-Year grade report? or transcripts from fall college courses taken?”

Admitted students need not send in Mid-year grades, but we will require a “Final Grade Report” later on.

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Anonymous wrote, “Are permanent residents considered international students?”

No; Green Card holders (permanent residents) are considered domestic students. read more in previous blog entries or on the MYMIT website.

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cujoe169 wrote “If i wanted to send in a recording, but it would be very difficult to find piano accompaniment, could i record the violin solo part and send that in? i’d rather not play a solo violin piece like bach, but something like the lalo or mendelssohn requires a good piano player which would be somewhat difficult to find soon”

Yes, that should be fine.

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Shoeb wrote, “Long time reader, first time poster ;). The box in my account for one of my evaluations remains unchecked so I am thinking it must have gotten lost in the mail. As school is out till the beginning of January, can I just ask my teacher to submit it when school starts again? Will getting the letter “late” hurt my chances? Should I include a note from the teacher explaining that she did mail it out “on time”?”

If it does not appear by the time school is again in session, have it faxed or mailed to MIT, you will not be penalized.

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Bill wrote, “I’m an international student. Do I need to send in a mid-year report? And if I don’t need to, can I?”

You do not need to, but you may.

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Jane wrote, “so random question, what made u want to be an admissions officer?”

More on that in a future entry, ask again in a few months when there aren’t so many application questions! =)

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Mushal wrote, “my queston is similar to shoeb’s…my grade 11-12 school is off for the holidays and they haven’t sent in my rec. yet…but my grade 9-10 school has. Will it be ok if my 11-12 grade rec. letter gets in after jan 1?”

If your teachers, through no fault of your own, send in your letters after the deadline, this will not be held against you.

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Zain wrote, “I have two questions. 1) What is the last acceptable date for TOEFL resutls to reach you? 2) How much does replacing SAT with TOEFL hurt the admission decision? Can we send both?”

You may absolutely send in TOEFL instead of or in addition to SAT I without any adverse effect on your application. Please take your TOEFL as soon as possible; we can take some January TOEFL scores.

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Vibhore wrote, “I have taken only two subject tests (maths and physics). Will that affect my chances on getting in? What if I take the third rest in January?”

You can take a third test in January; note this on your application.

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Varuna wrote, “I did SAT II in December in Sri Lanka and the MyMIT tracking displays the subjects I did. Does that mean the MIT has received my results? (I want to find out this because I haven’t received my results yet; maybe because I was a standby student)”

Yes, we have received your results then.

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SoccerChick wrote, “For the completely optional essay question on something that i have created i sent in a cd containing a picture of one of my ceramics pieces, but no real essay. Is this ok or should i send a discription(as supplementary material, i got deferred EA)? I also have gotten more pictures of my work that represent me more fully as an artist, should i send them in on cd? Thanks!”

Any art pieces you send in on CD/etc. will be evaluated.

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ar wrote, “My son applied to MIT early action and was deferred. Recently, he was offered University of Michigan merit scholarship($32,000). We were asked to accept/decline the offer by Jan 15th, 2006. Would it be possible to know his MIT regular admission status by Jan 15th. Please advice.”

It will not be possible to know his status before then, unfortunately. Calling the Admissions Office may be able to provide more context for your decision making. Best wishes.

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Raghav wrote, “sorry to add more questions to the already overflowing blog but my myMIT account shows that you have not received or rather not processed my secondary school report and transcript. This was sent in the same envelope as my recommendations and they have already been processed. I dont think it is possible for only two documents to go missing from a large DHL packet. Similarly my SAT I November and SAT II October scores have not yet arrived even though collegeboard sent them again when I wrote to them regarding it. Is this a problem on the MIT server or did you guys not receive it? im really worried because school is closed for winter and i cant send additional school reports before the 1st jan deadline.”

If they were sent in the same envelope, please contact admissions@mit about this. As for your scores, ensure that your SAT name and MIT application name are exactly the same. Please contact admissions@mit about this and they will look into it.

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Rizwan wrote, “I’m applying to MIT with electrical engineering as a preferred major, but I have little or no super impressive projects. All I have to my credit is a project for the Asian International Space settelement design (we came fifth in Asia) and a LOT of unpublished poetry (free verse and songs, mostly). Since I enjoy(ed) doing both of these activities, do you think I should send them as supplements with my other stuff? And I’m VERY into Rock music (I’ve been playing guitar for 3-4 years now), would it be appropriate if i send in a cd of a gig I did during the school year? The video is a bit shaky, but the sound is fine. By the way, I’m completely self taught and have no formal training and I DONOT plan to major in music, but I know for a fact that guitars will ALWAYS be my passion. and blissfully ignorant as I am of most technical formalities, I didnt write my date of birth on the letters containing my recs/reports/transcripts, just my name. would this be a problem?”

You may send along these supplements. Also, if your name is unique enough, the lack of a date of birth shouldn’t be a problem.

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Anonymous wrote, “Hi, Matt, I’m sorry to inundate your overflowing comment section with another one, but I’m sure like everyone else here that has posted a question, if you could find time to answer it, that would be most appreciated. I’m currently a sophmore in high school, and being into the whole math/science thing would really like to attend MIT. The past seven summers I have attended a sleep away camp in Connecticut. I love it there, and have many amazing friends. Since as I mentioned I like math and science and would like to get into research I feel almost obliged to complete a research project before the end of my high school career. In fact this year a science teacher approached me with the opportunity to do research this summer, and I am seriously considering it despite the angst of leaving my friends at camp. I have already, almost indefinetely set aside the summer after my junior year as a research year, and am considering sophmore as well. Do you think the MIT admissions committee could appreciate, and/or understand the decision to do something social with my summers as well as something academic?”

Yes, we can appreciate and understand this.