Early Action by Matt McGann '00
A summary of this year's early action admissions process.
*Update as of 2015: Early action is available to both domestic and international students.
This year, we received 3493 applications for early action, 13% more than last year. We admitted 390
I am often asked why MIT's admit rate for early action is so low in comparison to the admit rate for early programs at other highly selective colleges (where the early admission rate is often much, much higher than the regular action admission rate).
The reason is that we are committed to admitting no more than 30% of our class during
While this 30% is a much smaller percentage of the class admitted early than many other places (where, often, nearly half of the class is filled from a much smaller early pool), remember that here, being deferred is not a "polite rejection." Deferred students are given full consideration again during regular action, where most (~75%) of our admitting is done. Many students were deferred, and I know that those students will be very competitive during the regular action process. For
I know I speak for all of the admissions officers when I say that this was the most challenging early action admissions we've ever done. There were so many incredible students who applied early this year, more than we can ever remember. We loved reading your applications. Thank you for applying!
First post?
Half an hour until EA decisions, can’t wait.
Thanks for explaining that.
On the final approach-
Inside half an hour to go!
I find it slightly ironic that my letter in the mail got here before noon.
wait what ur acceptance letter?
so nervousssssssssss good luck to everyone
I wish. My defer letter.
good luck
**teeth chattering***
Good luck!!!
Good luck, everyone! Gah, that 11% is scaring me…
just got my letter in the mail
Wait a minute… they’re up, people! I got deferred… oh well.
I’ve got a few chat rooms set up for discussion about your decisions!
General Chat
Talk with fellow class of ’11!
Discuss your deferral.
Extra room for deferred students in case there are too many.
Denied.. Console one another..
Use the rooms as you see fit. I’d recommend using the general chat room unless it gets too full.
Enjoy!
-Adam
I was deferred too…
yup… same here
Darn, didn’t get in. Flat out denied. But best of luck to the rest.
You all are totally wonderful!!! I had a great time on these boards.
Deffered
GO ’11S GO
GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY
its been nice knowing all you people good luck if you were deffered and congrats if you got in
Deferred…
There are a couple of new threads for admitted & deferred discussions… check the homepage
Congrats to everyone admitted! And to those deferred and denied, good luck with Regular Action and your other applications!
Deferred! Congrats for all those who got accepted.. good luck for those deferred and those rejected
Deferred…There’s still hope. Good luck to everyone!
deferred as well. congratulations to those accepted! hopefully all of us deferred ones will be joining you
Honestly, I am not a person that would even consider applying to MIT for any decision, but I guess I will be the first to question the school. You’re telling me that you don’t accept people so that you don’t pressure them into applying early ACTION, not early DECISION. That doesn’t make sense to me. All this does is indicate that you want to go to MIT as your top choice school. It’s not like ANYBODY in America can argue that they are not in the proper situation to apply early ACTION to MIT. Forgive me if my knowledge is far inferior to those of the admissions committee, but that flat out does not make sense.
To Keri,
Your post was sweet. Thanks for caring.
Getting denied isn’t that bad. It’s cut and dry no need waiting 4 more months.
Matt put up a “admitted” and “deferred” post, but didn’t put up a “denied” post! How can I console all the other greats who were denied like me? = )
(of course I’m just joking)
Keri, much success to you at MIT…p.s. I hope you enjoy your first northeast winter.
I had rashly made a promise (I think) that I’m not finding very easy to keep. Now, I won’t rave and rant, so rest easy! May as well make the msot of the night! Deferred
to the “Can’t Understand” post — although I am not affiliated with the admissions committee and/or the school (other than ’11..) I think Matt’s point here is that MIT, along with a LOT of schools these days, is considering the problems that many have seen and commented on with the entire college application process. Harvard and Princeton have both committed to eliminating their Early programs altogether — Harvard is Restrictive EA, which isn’t “binding” but given a reputation like Harvard or MIT’s, it is effectively as binding an agreement as one can find, without the legal or financial stipulations.
MIT’s concern, I would guess, is that with the atmosphere of fanaticism and whatnot from the entire application process in general, they do not want to “force” people to apply early. If MIT admitted 45, 50% of their incoming classes from Early (roughly 500, 600 students?), then to a student who is thinking “Ok, 10 000 total apply, 500 out of 2000 Early get in, vs 500 of 8000, I have a ‘better’ chance if I apply early…” (using exaggerated numbers for simplicity), MIT’s acceptance rate will only pressure people into applying early.
I know that I hesitated in applying Early to MIT. I’m glad I did, in the end, but there are huge tossups with doing so. I didn’t send an ED application to any schools because I did not want the binding clause. MIT eliminates that, which is a good thing, but again, like I said, any effort on the part of a school to reduce the pressures and intensity surrounding the application process is, in my books, a good one. Between SAT/ACT, AP/IB TESTS, let alone courses and honors/accelerated curricula, the fervor to “pack” an application with as many good things as possible, it is in my humble opinion that college apps have gotten to a completely ridiculous level.
Not sure if any of that is on point, or helps you, but I hope it can clear some things up.
Admitted! Congrats to everyone else who got in and good luck in regular action to those who were deferred
“being deferred is not a polite rejection”
Yeah Okay. Whatever you say.
I wholeheartedly agree with CantUnderstand’s comment. The people who apply to a college early usually have that college as their top choice. If someone really wants to go to College X, they won’t feel pressured to apply early; they’ll apply early because they want to. Why would someone apply elsewhere early if they clearly prefer this school over others?
Additionally, it’s early action. I would understand MIT’s argument if they followed the Early Decision program, but they don’t. There are no strings attached to early action, so I don’t see how pressure to apply early would even be a bad thing. Applying early isn’t a guranteed win, but it definitely is not a loss in any imaginable way. Why even bother with an early action system? You might as well just institute a single deadline for everyone if you feel the pressures to apply early are too high. I just think it creates extra work to have an early reply date just to accept so few people.
TO EVERYONE –
you obviously have an amazing record if you even applied to MIT. As I read in another blog, high caliber students will do great anywhere. I hope MIT is that place for me, but if it’s not then I trust their judgement. I want above all to go to a school where I match. I know I’m going to succeed no matter what. Congrats to EVERYONE for working so hard!
Accepted!!! All who were deferred, keep your hopes up! Many of you will still make it.
EA does alienate some people. Most of the MIT-types are people whose parents know what they’re doing and have helped them with the whole application process, and they probably had schools picked out their sophomore year. There are plenty of well-qualified people who are first generation college goers or the like who figure out late “Oh man, I need to apply to college.” Those people shouldn’t be at a disadvantage because they need more time to figure out the whole application process, especially at a place that requires SAT IIs. If someone decided in October to apply to MIT, they wouldn’t neccesarily have the chance to finish all of their standardized testing by the November EA deadline.
And there’s nothing wrong with getting deferred, it just means you’re going to have to wait. Be patient.
To Anon,
When they say a defer is not a polite rejection, this is actually very very true. At other schools, this may be true, but look at the stats on the website. The number accepted Regular Action who were deferred Early Action nears 13% which is the admit rate for MIT in general. So, being deferred is literally given the same chance to be admitted into MIT as before. Also, be thankful that you were deferred. There ARE some people that were rejected.
Matt, or any other admissions bloggers, I am really interested in the CPW program but frankly don’t know if I’d be able to go (financial-wise); What can you recommend for me to do in order to get more familiar with MIT before entering classes (If I am able to go)?
For about 2,800 of us, yes this IS a polite rejection.
Congratulations to all that got in… not everyone can go to Caltech.
Deferred,
I am a living example that NOT ALL “MIT-types are people whose parents know what they’re doing and have helped them with the whole application process, and they probably had schools picked out their sophomore year.”
My parents didn’t go to college and have no idea of what college is like or what is required to go. I had to work hard to find out everything by myself.
I agree with Anonymous. A low EA acceptance rate doesn’t lower pressure at all- students may choose MIT over other top schools where they may have a better chance of acceptance, so if anything, applying EA is taking a risk. Regardless, I think there are a million arguments for both sides, so maybe EA should be axed altogether.
To anon,
I hate to sound like a know-it-all, but you forgot about those who were unfortunately rejected outright. Which leaves roughly 2418 people who are rejected later(but that is also only 11%). EA may be statistically pointless, but it has its perks. I like the fact that my application is finished.
It’s technically beneficial to apply EA, but it sucks to be deferred. In the last two years they’ve accepted around 260 or 280 of the deferred pool. If you apply that number to this year’s pool, then less than 10% of the deferred pool will be accepted, which is lower than the overal acceptance rate. It’s not lower by much, but every percent counts when you don’t have many to spare.
I am wondering if there was any downside to applying Early Action. If I applied Regular Action, would I possibly have had a better chance of getting in?
I’m starting to wonder why I got rejected. I skipped a year in high school, I had nearly perfect SAT scores, and a decent GPA. However, I also moved three times throughout high school, and had a homeless friend live with me for a year and a half.
Would MIT ever consider giving reasons for rejection?
Early Action is stating what your top choice school is. Nothing else. Problems with standardized testing? Come on! Anyone that doesn’t know they have to take those to go into college should not apply to MIT. Early action is as binding a decision as early decision. Good joke! It is not binding at all that is why it is instituted! It lets a college know ‘you are my top choice.’
Early Action is stating what your top choice school is. Nothing else. Problems with standardized testing? Come on! Anyone that doesn’t know they have to take those to go into college should not apply to MIT. Early action is as binding a decision as early decision. Good joke! It is not binding at all that is why it is instituted! It lets a college know ‘you are my top choice.’
@Admitted: I agree.
@Deferred: I don’t think most “MIT-types” have their hands held by their parents throughout the entire process. The fact that MIT doesn’t accept 40% of its EA applicants (unlike other schools) proves that MIT doesn’t want to put any students at this “disadvantage” you’re talking about.
Anonymous- You can be the brightest crayon in the box, but if you want a paper all to yourself, you’re pretty worthless.
~~One of the smartest things I’ve heard said in a long time.
I view EA (does anyone else immediately think Electronic Arts?) as simply an opportunity to complete the application sooner than one would need to, and in doing so have more time for other applications when it comes time for the regular application deadlines. I don’t see how it’s unfair: you’re given the choice to know early on whether the school is a good match for you.
Sigh, the psychological effects of being flat-out rejected from EA when 86% of EA applicants are at least defered and given a second chance really really suck, especially when EVERYONE at my school from other students to my counsellor has been telling me I have a better chance than everyone else at the school of getting in. I’ve sort of convinced myself that I was rejected because of some kind of technicality, although you never really can be sure.
Hey at least you guys got your decisions… My application has to come in the mail because my online account is locked and I can’t get in touch with administration until Monday. Today has been so stressful. I heard application results were being posted today and then my honor band results are being posted today. I may have a stress related heart attack before the day is through.
COME ON PEOPLE
Not making it into MIT isn’t the end of the world. Chances are if you have excelled at your high school, you will excell at any college you go to if you put your mind to it. A degree from MIT might be impressive, but when it comes down to it, after 5 years the pay is the same. College is only an entry in to the job market, and is only a tiny part of schooling- let alone your life.
So stop thinking about the future if you have finished your applications and live in the present. Come on, it’s SENIOR YEAR!!
When I first read the admissions letter, I honestly thought it was some sort of computer glitch or perhaps, a bizarre (ok, cruel) joke concocted by one of my high tech friends…but, apparently it’s the real thing!!!! WOW! MIT! Yesterday was truly the happiest day of my life!
@ xx: Oh, but admissions isn’t just test scores and competitions! Personality and character matter too!
Just kidding. I actually agree, the college admissions process, especially for competitive schools, is absolute crack. There’s no way to measure passion, sense of humor, etc with an 10 page application and an short interview … it takes lots of time, something the admissions committee unfortunately does not have. America should just rely more on uniform examinations like other countries.
Downright Rejected. Deferred would have been nicer, but at least it is final. Must remember the upsides: gives me the opportunity to focus hard on applying to many other fantastic colleges that I otherwise would not bother, if I was accepted/deferred. On EA: I do think that MIT’s EA is wonderful since it is not a single choice, like some other colleges; with that it was nice to have been been accepted at another college today by EA, having received MITs reject. Finally, MIT’s EA forced me to complete a very detailed application early, which I have since reused many times for other colleges.
Deferrrrrrrrfffed.
How does the committee as a whole evaluate the apps? Does the entire committee work together, or just individual officers reviewing individual apps? What if I got a really bitter, cranky, 85 year old officer who has chronic ulcer problems and a really bad gas problem when he was reading it? Would I have the same individual review my app, or would another officer review it? Obviously, this question is null if the answer to my first question is that the committee works as a collective whole
hey, i got deferred and it wasnt the happiest news i received but i have come to terms with it. i am happy that i will still get a chance once regular deicision comes along. though i can c where there were faults in my application, i really agree that the application doesnt really fully summarize a person. i work my butt off day after day to be where i am and yet, the college admissions officers may not see that.
choosing MIT as my top choice and applying early was something that i hoped the committee would take into consideration. By applying early, i hoped that my chances would be higher simply because applying early means that that school is my top choice. that is only one of the few ways that applicants can show their heightened interest in the school as opposed to regular applicants who were unsure of their application came the early deadline. But the people who applied early were sure and because of its early ACTION stance, the contract is not binding, meaning financial situtions should not have been an issue because it is something to be worked out in april.
I was truly disappointed when i logged on and saw the deferred letter. I had invested my dreams in going to MIT and although i know that what i MAKE of the college rather than what college i attend is what really matters, i cant help but to make the point of “what if i made something of myself AT MIT?” then it would be the best of both worlds. But i do not have that option until feb/march so all i can do is hold on tight and continue to work hard.
i congradulate all the people that got in, you really must be fantastic applicants. and to all the people that got deferred like myself, all we can do is hold on and remain patient because the decision ultimately is still not under our own control. we must trust in the committee to make that decision because as we can see, their decisions to make MIT the school that it is with the students they choose. thats a thought to think about…
Deferred.
Blah. But hey, it was kinda expected. Slightly disappointing, but I can live with it. One of my friends also got deferred, and his academic record is better than mine. Hmm… Ah well, hope for the future you guys.
Admitted! I found out at 1:30 a.m. last night. I was so excited I thought I was having a heart attack. I read the first line of the letter 17 times before I finally believed I was interpreting it correctly.
Last night I was at the MIT unofficial chat room. I couldn’t believe I was so sad. Even if I myself am rejected, probably I won’t be as devastated as at that moment. The friends with which I have had so many memorable conversations, whom I have never seen in my life, who have the same concern as mine… Most deferred, only several got in, some flat out rejected. Whatever you say to comfort people(whether it is sth like “you’ll have fun whenever you go” or “MIT is not everything in your life), it won’t do. I’m beginning to understand how harsh (and sweet) the admission process could be. It’s not simply applying to somewhere I love and waiting for the college to send decisions. Hey, chatroom people, don’t be disappointed, we’ll see each other again in March and hopefully we will get into our ideal school!!! Cheer up!!!
To xx, Mien Kampf, and anyone else this applies to..
Do you really think you were the best choice for MIT? I know others who have been rejected and deferred, and they’re taking it. It’s NOT about test scores; that’s just silly. What is IS about is finding a community. I know one thing: MIT hasn’t become the top engineering school by picking the wrong class. You can be the brightest crayon in the box, but if you want a paper all to yourself, you’re pretty worthless.
And it’s discomforting that you call yourself “Mien Kampf” – next Hitler here?
Good luck to you. I hope you get over your anger, but you have no right to bash MIT decisions.
Hey Matt,
I’ve been wondering about something, and now that I’ve been deferred, this question seems more pertinent than ever. You’ve said that the admissions committee is committed to taking no more than 30% of the class during Early Action. Does this mean that you were forced to defer people even though you knew that they would be accepted during Regular Decision? Just curious. Thanks.
Questioning same thing with above poster, but I’m pretty sure answer is going to be that the admissions board is just waiting to compare the early action strength with the regular action strength pool instead of jumping onto whatever suitable students they can find.
To those who believe early action is stating that it’s your top school. not necessarily true. that would be early decision, because it’s binding. ea just helps you know sooner about whether you were material for the college or not, and it is one less school to worry about. in my case, because it’s not single choice, i applied to other schools early too.
and to mein kampf’s comment about there being no way to measure passion, sense of humor, etc: if you chose the right recommenders and approached your essays with the right frame of mind, those attributes should have come across easily. that is what the admissions officers look for.
To those who believe early action is stating that it’s your top school. not necessarily true. that would be early decision, because it’s binding. ea just helps you know sooner about whether you were material for the college or not, and it is one less school to worry about. in my case, because it’s not single choice, i applied to other schools early too.
and to mein kampf’s comment about there being no way to measure passion, sense of humor, etc: if you chose the right recommenders and approached your essays with the right frame of mind, those attributes should have come across easily. that is what the admissions officers look for.
oops, that got posted twice. i must’ve been feeling especially passionate or something.
To – Buddy, and I guess i’m also asking matt if this is rite?
SO…you admitted the top 30% early, but you can’t say for sure that any of the deferred will get admitted….LEt’s say you have an awesome incredible perfect pool of regular applicants that are all better than all the earlies..then u won’t admit any deferred students correct?
Also…did you guys truly reject all the students you could reject? meaning..do you truly think that all the students you deferred will succeed at mit and could you maybe later post how many of your early acceptances were girls and boys…I know your gender doesn’t make a difference..but its another statistic i’m sure many of us would like to have!
All in all..thank you for your hard work on the admissions committee..I can admit i’m a little disappointed..but I can wait till March 14th…I know you guys work hard and have a very hard job and good luck with reading the rest of your applications!
To Thanks,
If this new batch of RA applicants are all better than all the EA deferred applicants, it’s logical to assume that yes, they would be picked over the EA people. But how likely is this? Remember, they don’t look at the EA people as “deferred” – just in context with the RA pool. It doesn’t make a difference. Deferred people are RA applicants now, that’s all.
As for the gender issue, less girls apply than boys, but the ABOUT same number of each are accepted – this means the percentage of females accepted is higher than the percentage for males (more self-selected), but the raw numbers lean slightly in the males’ favor.
For the record, 89 % of you are qualified to be considered for the class of 2011. 11% were admitted today. In regards to the remaining 78%, how many of the whiners, conspiracy advocates and malcontents will end up as members of the class of 2011? My guess is way fewer than the deferred students that supply some additional information while completing other college applications. Just a thought.
To Daniel ::
>>How does the committee as a whole evaluate the apps? Does the entire committee work together, or just individual officers reviewing individual apps?
A committee reviews it, just as in most interview/application/significant evaluation processes (auditions and the like). Usually there will be a single reader who will evaluate for generally a “maybe” or a “probably not” and will pass it on to another colleague before it is discarded fully. At a large school like MIT I’m sure your application was read through by at least a half dozen admissions officers, if not more than that.
I want to second the comment about the crayon quote.
“You can be the brightest crayon in the box, but if you want a paper all to yourself, you’re pretty worthless.”
It’s not only true in the context of college apps — it’s not just about who you THINK you are, but how others evaluate you, how you can present yourself and work within whatever context you happen to be in. The interview and essays provide the outlet necessary to present a more complete picture of you, as well as in your letters of recommendation. Someone’s grades, test scores, class rank, etc don’t define them as a person, and MIT understands and recognizes that.
As for the deferments who are disappointed, there is still a fairly good shot of getting in — from the overall applicant pool, MIT accepts roughly 11-14%, depending on the year. From the 3500 Early candidates, they accepted… 11%, and from the remaining 27-2800 or so deferments, they will most likely accept… 10-14%… and from the total RA pool, they will accept… that’s right, 11-14%.
Although I don’t claim to understand the nuances of what distinguishes a deferral from an acceptance from a rejection, all I can say is that there is still roughly the same “odds” of getting in as there were before. And I’m sure that if you evaluate yourself on a really objective level, you will be able to understand the Admissions Office’s decision.
I’d have to say that EA is not completely useless. Although getting deferred from EA is probably not any better than just applying regular action, the fact that I didn’t get rejected right now makes me feel better. I may still get into MIT, I may not, but that deferment means that I am a qualified applicant (read: MIT admissions committee thinks I could do the work) and so even if I eventually get rejected, I’ll probably still get accepted somewhere else. Which is fine, because even this far into the application process I’m still not sure what my top choice is.
And as Mateo said, I like the fact that my application is finished. That’s one school that I don’t still have to write essays for.
Admitted. Still trying to process that I got in. Don’t know when it will sink in. Made my mom promise not to look in my absence, then at 12.01, I called her and forced her to log on while I was at a debate tournament.
DEFERRED as well…
Hey! MIT Class of 2011!!!!
I can’t believe I got in! SAT: 1910, rank 23 out of 510, GPA: 3.5 can you believe it!!!?? I’ll see y’all next year!!
To be honest, Michelle, I would wait only if you are sure if it will actually help you. In Melissa’s case, writing apps is one thing (relatively connected and can keep you focused), but if you’re studying or taking a test and find yourself thinking back to this website (rather, decisions.mit.edu), and the letter that follows, then it might be worth it to find out and either set your worries to rest, or at least have somethng definite to work hard for.
And think about yourself and really if you think you have a good shot at acceptance, open the “letter.” The exhilaration you will feel if it’s good news will, I’m sure, allow you to focus and really ace those finals. Good luck with them, in any case!
Personally, I think that this whole deferred thing means that you’re neither exceptionally good nor exceptionally bad. Time constraints mean that perhaps they can’t give every application as thorough of a going over as they could later on, so they accept the absolute best, weed out of worst, and stamp deferred on all the others because they simply don’t have time to deal with it.
To put this into perspective:
This year, the number of early apps rose by 13%, yes? And last year, it was by a similar amount. Following this logic, there’ll be a similar increase next year, and it’ll be even harder to get in.
Though this will be of little consolence to those of you rejected, at least the rest of you can be happy that (a) you are a fantastic person and MIT liked you enough to give your app a second chance and (b) you’re not applying next year like I am.
Comments closed 12/11/06
“For the record, 89 % of you are qualified to be considered for the class of 2011. 11% were admitted today. In regards to the remaining 78%, how many of the whiners, conspiracy advocates and malcontents will end up as members of the class of 2011? My guess is way fewer than the deferred students that supply some additional information while completing other college applications. Just a thought.”
Posted by: washerelastyear
Hmmm…usually I have a few biting words to people that read a few sentences someone writes and immediately starts labeling them “whiners” and “conspiracy advocates.” I imagine you can guess what I’d say though. And here I thought MIT admits would be able to prove their point without namecalling.
Well, Grant & Melissa, thank you for your comments about waiting.
I know. I’m trying to keep this in perspective. I mean, the curiousity’s there for me, but it’s not that strong at the moment. I’m concentrating on exams and apps and such, and if I read the decision, I know I’ll be mulling over it a lot more afterwards than if I left it for a while.
I will check the decision if my curiousity is overwhelming (to the point of distracting me) or if I finish my apps (whatever comes first).
However, I’m not the kind of person whose curiousity is easily aroused – I want to wait it out a bit. I have a holiday on Friday – I’d rather read it then.
PS:
Grant: thank you for the luck on my finals! I’ve got five to worry about – so that’s sorta scaring me right about now.
Melissa, congrats!
I’m assuming you got in. Best of luck to you and all the admitted people! 
>>And here I thought MIT admits would be able to prove their point without namecalling.
James : there’s no indication that is an MIT admitted. Anyone can access this website, and put in a name and post. Not to mention, the name listed is “washerelastyear”… as in, accepted last year? and now a student? Rejected last year and now happily at another college? Less likely than the former. Or it could have been a defer/reject from this year, who is a little bitter and in a not-so-great mood and lashed out at someone, anyone, for saying anything.
As for the ad hominem arguments… all too common nowadays, and it’s good to see that you recognize and refute them. YOUR fallacy, though, is begging the question. By assuming that “washerelastyear” is a member of MIT’11, and then concluding, or rather, making a slightly twisted ad hominem argument (not so much ad hominem propter hominem ; “and here I thought… without namecalling” in the form of ‘because of an MIT admit’s character, they should be ____’ {in this case, above name-calling}) your conclusion draws from false assumptions. As it draws from false assumptions (or not necessarily false, but simply unproven), it cannot be verified as true or a logical conclusion.
Not trying to be contrary, but since you started in on the logical evaluation track, I figured I’d jump on.
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Regarding Nemo’s hypothesis — that is probably fairly close. Given how many applicants there were (3500 sure isn’t 10 000, but it’s not a handful either), probably many of them were very similar in calibre. The extremes were dealt with, and then the rest are set aside to allow for a more in depth assessment (in many cases, a good thing — would you want that *one* factor to know you out on a whim, rather than a more balanced evaluation allow the admissions office to realize that you really are an excellent candidate). This also allows them, in many cases evaluate the rest of their candidate pool as well.
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I was thinking (Haha yea right, that never happens). If MIT fills each class with “no more than 30% from their early pool…” Of 3000 Early, accepting 300, the 10% and 30% of Early and Total class, respectively (numbers simplified). Then of the 2500 defers and additional 7500 regular action, another 700 are accepted. 200 from the Defer pile are accepted through Early cum Regular, and then another 500 from the other RA.
Effectively, that’s a 50% acceptance rate from their Early pool. Now, not to sound cynical or “conspiratorial,” but this may be the case (it may not, too) in order to show MIT’s commitment to accepting the bulk of their classes from the Regular action pool, while still being able to take effectively as many of the (more than likely ) highly qualified Early candidates as possible.
I’m not entirely sure what that leads to in terms of chances for defers and the fairness of the system as a whole and whatnot, but it might be worth considering.
Erps…ok so I guess I probably shouldn’t write so much, sorry. =___=
I have been deferred! HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!
*It’s better that being rejected people!*
hehe!
@Grant. I see. Should we bring out the paper and pencils and write down equations from “A Beautiful Mind?” Just kidding. You’re right, it was a false assumption, but I’d still say chances are good he’s an MIT admit from an earlier class.
“I have been deferred! HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!
*It’s better that being rejected people!*
hehe!” -Deferred PK
But you know, most of us are still going to end up in the same boat as the rejected people…not going to MIT…:(.
Caltech this week! Let’s see how many of us here are also waiting for the Caltech letter….it’ll be funny.
Actually, James, I used the back of my Nash lecture notes to write out the basic form for logical arguments as a refresher… ^___~ Chances are pretty good that whatever academic standing he is in right now (high school, college, whatnot), he was un-necessarily acting the third derivative of motion.
Best of luck with CIT! I didn’t apply to CIT because Cali is a little far for my blood (ironically, I’m applying to Edinburgh, but I figure if I am crossing an ocean it’s legit to have to get on a plane).
questions for Matt:
1) In what situation would references be contacted by phone or email? Does it happen often or is it a last resort?
2) Does our myMIT account username show up on the application anywhere?
Thanks!
How do you know if you have gotten in???? I am confused!!HELP
Wow. I could safely say that this is one of the longest comment threads I’ve ever read from an MIT blog… ‘Twas interesting, seeing people’s perspectives on the whole admittance issue.
I haven’t checked my results for MIT yet, to be blunt. I’m giving myself until the end of the week to check (probably after Friday…), as I’ve got final exams to worry about until Thursday and I don’t want to be caught up in euphoria/ambivalence/depression until then. (Although, I must say my friends on the other side of the globe *have* been pressuring me to check – should I?)
The sheer fanaticism I’ve read on these blogs surprised me. Yes, MIT is a great school. Yes, you may worship it on bended knee. Still, you mustn’t make the early results an important part of your life.
If you got accepted, YES, go you! You got accepted into MIT!
If you got deferred, hey, there’s still hope! Relax, do your best of senior year, and everything’ll work out. If you got rejected, awwww, I’m sorry. = At least you don’t have to wiggle your way through four more months of ambivalence.
But in all honesty, to all the people that applied: I’m sincerely proud of you. You decided to take an application by the neck and make the most of it. You decided (in the end) to apply to this school. As many have said before me, you’ve probably succeeded in high school. You’ll probably get into a school that’s perfect for you. One school should not make all the difference.
So – don’t worry about all of this. Everything’ll be fine.
Michelle
1) Took the words right out of my mouth
2) I think you’re doing the wise thing by waiting. I did something similar – I made sure to finish ALL my applications before finding out my MIT decision so that I wouldn’t have to write them in utter depression =) We all learned to deal with the dying curiosity to know in the past few months, but knowing an answer might affect your judgement (even if you get in!). So yeah, I’d continue waiting if I were you, but to each her own. Good luck!
I hope I get to see all my chatroom buddies next fall =) I’m so excited!
Will there be stats for the EA decisions online? I am interested in knowning what the admits/defer/denied spectrums looked like. Thank you!!