So on the MyMIT Admissions site, the 2005-2006 undergraduate application has been posted. You can request a paper copy, download a PDF, or view an online version. I sent my printed-out-PDF application via snail mail, but that was back before MIT had the technology in place for online applications. (What???)
I'm hesitant to dole out reams of application advice, but there is one thing that I am confident in recommending to you. (And you just thought I was quoting yet another song ruined by American Idol for fun.)
"You can't make MIT love you if you don't [write a good essay]
You can't put on your resume things that you don't [do]
Here in 3-107, in these final hours
They won't like your essay if they don't feel the power,
But you won't
No, you won't..."
What do I mean?
Well, first, there are the basic things:
+ use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation
+ make it legible (neat handwriting or "normal" font)
+ address the topic
+ stay reasonably within the word limit
Also:
+ write about something that truly matters to you, no matter how nontraditional it may seem
+ take risks
+ be truthful
+ be fearless
+ you are awesome! be yourself
And with a wheelbarrow full of salt, I remind myself of the wise words of My So-Called Life's Angela Chase:
"People always say how you should be yourself, like 'yourself' is this definite thing, like a toaster or something. Like you can know what it is, even. But every so often, I'll have like, a moment, when just being myself in my life, right where I am, is like, enough."
So go forth, '10 applicants, and best of luck!
-----------
(My sincerest apologies to Bonnie Raitt, Tim Berners-Lee, and Marshall Herskovitz. It was for a good cause.)
----------- 7/29 EDIT
I don't think the admissions office has a strict rule about word limits. When I applied, I made sure all of my essays were within word limits, and yeah, it wasn't great to cut out phrases or clauses just to save on words, but I did it and felt like my essays were still meaningful. I know other people who didn't want to sacrifice meaning for a word limit, so they went over -- some by 5 words, some by 105 words. Unfortunately, there's no "real" answer to this question, but if you think it's too long, it's probably too long.
As for the relative importance of the essay, there's no exact answer, but in my opinion, we care *a lot.* MIT doesn't assign each component of the application a specific weight, and then calculate your "grade." Rather, we consider an entire application at once, which helps us evaluate you as a person and not just the sum of your parts. I personally feel the essay is the most important part of your application, since you have the chance to open up about something that matters to you. Also, you can share with us something special that would add to your application file but wouldn't fit or would be under-explained otherwise.
Don't stress out about your essay, since we don't have a standard type or model that we look for when reading them. Yes, the essay is important, but it's hard to make your writing more heartfelt and personal if you revise it to death. Be yourself (the toaster, remember?) and let the words flow.
Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)
erm.. the applicants wud for class of 2010!!! (not 09')
Seeya around
Posted by: Laila Shabir on July 26, 2005
Posted by: Mitra on July 26, 2005
Posted by: Sam on July 26, 2005
I'm pretty sure they actually did have online applications. At least for part of the application. Because I remember submitting my application online about 3 hours before it was due!
Close call, and look where I am now!
Hope your summer is rocking, see you in the fall!
-Stephanie
Posted by: Stephanie on July 26, 2005
Posted by: Mitra on July 26, 2005
Thanks for the tips!
~brian
Posted by: Brian Burg on July 26, 2005
Thanks for the tips though..."Be me... a toaster" YAY
Posted by: Faye V. on July 27, 2005
to call him Mitra Auntie..seemz more suiting since this is your blog n all...Ok it is way past my bed time
Posted by: Faye V. on July 27, 2005
Posted by: Faye V. on July 27, 2005
Posted by: Eric Asava-Aree on July 27, 2005
-Antti Hallavo
Posted by: Antti Hallavo on July 27, 2005
:(
or did i misunderstand anything?
Posted by: aaron on July 27, 2005
Go to http://my.mit.edu, log in, and click the light green "how to APPLY" square on the top left. Then, on the left, click "Download Paper Application."
Hope that helps.
Posted by: Mitra on July 27, 2005
Posted by: MJ on July 27, 2005
Anyway, I have recently discovered that I am quite a worrier. I know I am unneccessarily worrying about application essays. I'm so nervous about it that I'm having trouble writing them, which makes me even more nervous.
I was wondering...any of you hardworking people have advice on how to stop worrying so much about essays?
Posted by: Jane on July 27, 2005
To all you MIT 2010 hopefuls,
I echo all of Mitra's advice. Like she said, be yourself. Take a minute/hour/day/week to think about what it is you want to say in your essay, and then write about that.
Best of luck,
Bryan
Posted by: Bryan on July 28, 2005
Posted by: rAnDom on July 28, 2005
Posted by: 2010 applicant on July 28, 2005
Posted by: Eric Asava-Aree on July 28, 2005
Thanks for the advice- though how much does MIT care about the essays relative to the other parts of the application?
Posted by: Sulinya on July 28, 2005
Thanks for the advice! How much does MIT value essays relative to the whole application package?
Posted by: Sulinya on July 28, 2005
Good questions about essay length and relative weight. I'll edit my entry to address these points.
-mitra
Posted by: Mitra on July 28, 2005
Posted by: Diamond on July 29, 2005
Posted by: Omar on July 29, 2005
Posted by: Omar on July 29, 2005
An application error occured at approximately Sat Jul 30 18:13:14 EDT 2005 (java.lang.NullPointerException).
The date obviously keeps changing whenever I try to click on it another date.
Anybody knows what's going on?
Posted by: Eric Asava-Aree on July 30, 2005
I had been working on my application and received no error. Have you tried changing the PC or the internet browser?
Posted by: Omar E. Fernandez on July 31, 2005
Cheers,
Eric
Posted by: Eric Asava-Aree on August 1, 2005
As a undergraduated student, in my opinion,EE is better than CS.
Posted by: wudake on August 3, 2005
i would like to introduce myself.iam rizat and iam from india.i would like to get admission in mit .i am a student in pune and would like to come over there.i don't have any frens who reside there but that my dream where i would like to study for my futher study.i come to know your e-mail add in ur blog.it seem like u are an indian ur name and other thing.can u plz help me in my undergraduate.i don't know how to apply and how can i prepare myself .if there is other thing also i would like to come to know it.
i pray that u can help for me .
thank you,
Rizat
Posted by: rizat on August 4, 2005
Posted by: wudake on August 7, 2005
I already posted this question on Matt's blog, so please disregard it if it is considered spam. I also apologize for any rambling; I'm a bit tired right now.
You mention that the word limits are not rigid and dependent on the essay itself. I'm in a bit of a bind. I wrote short (the 100-word) essays that I thought reflected my own character, gave details, were mildly entertaining to a reader, and showed how much I researched and loved MIT (Over the course of RSI I started to love it more and more). Problem: One essay comes to 151 words, another to ~183 words. I can hack maybe a few tens of words from each, but after that, I start losing content. 1) How bad is this, 2) What are acceptable essay length bounds, and 3) What should I scrimp on first? Details, research into + love for MIT, what?
Thanks
Posted by: sran on August 11, 2005
Yimin
Posted by: Yimin on August 17, 2005
Posted by: Rachael on August 23, 2005
Not that I didn't already know that...
Posted by: Dan Simonson, Emperor of the Moon on December 5, 2005
i am from nepal and want to contact you
Posted by: ragahv on January 6, 2006
Posted by: mohamad reza on February 27, 2006
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