If your high school doesn’t offer courses that help you prepare for MIT, or if you want to pursue more advanced coursework that challenges you,01 To be clear, we do not expect students do anything above and beyond <a href="https://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/foundations">what is required to demonstrate their readiness for the MIT education</a>. However, we also know that many of our applicants have interests, aptitudes, and curiosities that may carry themselves beyond what is offered at their local high school, and the resources here may help you explore those further if you wish. there are other options that can supplement your education. You’ll be able to report any courses that you take outside of your high school on your MIT application.
Here are four options that many of our students have found useful to prepare for MIT and/or pursue their interests:
- Dual enrollment opportunities
- Structured online classes
- Standardized exams that assess content knowledge
- Free certificate through Schoolhouse.world
Dual enrollment opportunities
Many students can access advanced classes through dual enrollment programs, which offer college-level courses at a local high school, college, or university—including community colleges.
These programs use all kinds of subtly different names, like dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, Running Start, Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO), or Early College at Your High School…among others. But they often have a few basic things in common:
- They’re usually low-cost or fully funded through grants, scholarships, or financial aid (though some programs may have tuition)
- They have a variety of eligibility requirements, such as your age, your grade level, your GPA or standardized test scores, or a recommendation from a school official
- They often give both high school and college credit (though colleges have different credit policies)
Here’s a list of some dual enrollment programs offered across the U.S.02 To use <a href="https://www.ecs.org/dual-concurrent-enrollment-policies-state-profiles/">this list</a> to find opportunities where you live, click on your state name, look in the DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM BASICS section, and then click the link(s) next to “Program Website” for more detailed information. It can also be helpful to work with your school counselor, other school officials, or college access programs to see what opportunities are available in your local community.
Structured online classes
Some advanced classes may be unavailable to you or canceled for any number of reasons,03 We provide space in the Academics section of the MIT application to explain those reasons or anything else we should know about your educational context or obstacles. or you might have unavoidable scheduling conflicts with your other high school commitments.
In these situations, some students prefer to take advanced classes in a structured online environment instead of self-studying. Some online classes function more like a traditional classroom, with assigned homework, regular chat periods, an instructor, grades, and so forth. You may be able to get high school (and sometimes college) credit through these programs, or enroll in them to prepare for standardized exams that assess content knowledge.
Some online classes our students seem to like include (in alphabetical order):
- Art of Problem Solving (AoPS)
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Online Diploma Programme
- Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY)
- MITx Online
- Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies (SPCS)
- Virtual High School (VHS) Learning
Standardized exams that assess content knowledge
If you don’t have access to advanced classes in-person or online, some students choose to self-study for standardized exams that assess content knowledge without taking the associated class, such as Advanced Placement (AP) and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams.
These exams may also confer college credit, depending on the credit policies of each university. On the MIT application, you’ll be able to self-report scores for standardized exams you have taken or plan to take,04 We don’t require applicants to officially send scores as part of their application; we'll verify these scores upon enrollment. which can help demonstrate your foundational knowledge in those subjects.
There are many free resources to study for these kinds of exams online, but many of our students have found these to be particularly helpful:
- Khan Academy offers world-class instruction to anyone, for free. Founded by MIT alum, Sal Khan, Khan Academy is recognized as the official test prep partner of the College Board. They offer free videos, articles, and practice exercises that align with AP-level courses.
- Schoolhouse.world is a free peer-tutoring platform that offers sessions in a variety of subjects, including AP Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus courses. Certified tutors can also offer live, one-on-one support—all at no cost.
- MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) provides users with open access to the syllabi, lecture notes, course calendars, problem sets and solutions, exams, and even a selection of video lectures from courses across ∼34 MIT departments.
- MIT Open Learning publishes materials from OCW, MITx Online, and other non-degree-granting courses and enrichment programs, including hands-on STEM activities.
Free certificate through Schoolhouse.world
If—and only if—you don’t have access to calculus through a local school and none of the other options above work well for you, MIT also accepts calculus certifications through Schoolhouse.world. Here’s how to get certified:
- Learn math on Khan Academy: Khan Academy offers free online lessons and practice for you to learn new material at your own pace.
- Receive free tutoring through Schoolhouse: Schoolhouse.world is a free, online tutoring platform where you can get support from a personalized peer tutor if you get stuck or want extra help.
- Become certified in the course through Schoolhouse: Once you’ve learned the material, Schoolhouse lets you showcase your mastery by recording yourself explaining practice problems in that subject. Follow these steps to receive certification:
- Use the button below to be taken to the Course Challenge box for Calculus. Then click on the “Get Certified (+50 SP)” button on that page and follow the instructions to take the certification.
- Achieve a 90% on the Course Challenge and then submit your certification for review.
- Once your video has been reviewed and approved, you’ll get an email with a publicly shareable link to your Schoolhouse certification transcript.
You can download and share your Schoolhouse certification transcript with us on your application. Once you’re certified, you’ll also be able to tutor in that subject on Schoolhouse if you want to help other learners!
- To be clear, we do not expect students do anything above and beyond what is required to demonstrate their readiness for the MIT education. However, we also know that many of our applicants have interests, aptitudes, and curiosities that may carry themselves beyond what is offered at their local high school, and the resources here may help you explore those further if you wish. back to text ↑
- To use this list to find opportunities where you live, click on your state name, look in the DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM BASICS section, and then click the link(s) next to “Program Website” for more detailed information. back to text ↑
- We provide space in the Academics section of the MIT application to explain those reasons or anything else we should know about your educational context or obstacles. back to text ↑
- We don’t require applicants to officially send scores as part of their application; we'll verify these scores upon enrollment. back to text ↑
