Admitted Students Update by Matt McGann '00
Class of 2012 guestbook and an update on The Tubes.
As of yesterday, all 522 admitted students can log into MyMIT for the Class of 2012 guestbook directory (post your picture!).
Also, all of the decision letters — including the famed “tubes” — were mailed yesterday. Watch your mailbox!
Finally, feel free to use this entry’s fresh comments space for more admitted students chatting.
First? And congrats guys!
Wow, an acceptance rate of almost 14%. Wasn’t it 390 last year?
Again, congrats everyone!
I AM SOOO EXCITED!!! Yay tubes are finally coming!!! =]
Congrats to every single one of you 521 other students!
I can’t wait for the tube to come, lol I forbid my parents to open it without me.
WOW. 522 students is a lot. I thought I heard you guys were admitting even less students early this year because of the whole Harvard and Princeton business.
Not that I’m complaining at all. Just curious.
Also, EA guys, chatting on Facebook is much easier than on here. FYI.
HOLY CARP!
522 is huge! Are you still using your same benchmark for letting EAs in? I know you used to cap it at a certain percentage of total acceptances, and if so, how many people are going to get in RA?!
Congrats everybody, you’ll have a ton of people to meet n’ greet with on Facebook now!
oh..that’s why my tube is not here yet..thanks for the update!!! =)
552 is nothing… Yale accepted 885!!!!!
wow, is the tube going to fit in my tiny mailbox?!?!?
Wowza, 522? That’s colossal. Plus, we just found out another kid from my school had been accepted. That makes three – a school record!
Oh, excuse me.. OH TWELVE hahehahahah
Out of curiosity, what does everyone want to study?
I’m looking into Bio and Neurosci…
The last few year’s yield rate at MIT has been around 67% so the EA 522 will not be the enroll number. I would imagine, however, that EA admits would trend toward a higher yield rate.
Hi Matt or MIT admission officers,
I was just wondering if there is any particular reason for such a huge jump from last year’s 390 to this year’s 525 admitted EA. Hope MIT is not degading her EA acceptance criteria.
^^^ biomedical engineering
Omg Minipocketsized!!! (that sounds like a nano btw)
I’m thinking of Biomed. engineering too! Well, that and pre-med…. =)
Wow. That’s a lot.
I wrote the 3(b) essay on chem engineering but biomed sounds thrilling. Oh and someone else said on another blog that the acceptance rate was 2/15. So close to 3900 applied?
Wow, that is a big number! Congrats again, guys! I look forward to meeting all of you!
Anon9-
I know what you mean. I’ve been wondering what apps to do for RA but I don’t want to give up on a college and THEN get this letter from MIT saying that my admittance was an error or something equally heartbreaking.
Does 522 people being admitted early mean over 1700 people will be admitted total this year since only Does 522 people being admitted early mean over 1700 people will be admitted total this year since only <30% is accepted early?
less than 30% are accepted early?
Well also a few big name schools canceled their EAs this year. Just a guess… the yield of MIT EA admits could be lower than previous years, because these students would have been EA cross-admitted to those other schools. So chances are that they will apply RA to the schools and choose to enroll there?
IS ANYONE ELSE AS ANXIOUS AS I AM TO GET THE TUBE?!?!?
I want my TUBE!!!
I still don’t quite believe I got in! I got in! That is not possible!!
And HELLA CONGRATS to everyone!! All 522!! (wow!)
Can’t wait to meet all of you!!
Ahhhhhh!! US MAIL!! MUST HURRY!! *twitch*twitch* Must *twitch* have… Tube…
@ Mr. Matt McGann and/or any Admissions Officers: There hasn’t been any mistake or anything in the online acceptance, has there? (Did I really… Did I really get in??)
I can’t wait to get my tube! But will it fit in my dinky mailbox…?
?!?!?! That’s half the class! Wow. I remember thinking when I was applying that MIT should admit half-and-half, but… is that what you guys are doing now? Or as the pool uber strong this year?
What exactly is in the tube besides forms and papers and stuff?
The matriculation rate isn’t 100%, so that’s not quite half of the class
Ha, Matt used “fresh” in the final sentence.
Now. I hope it wasn’t used in the same manner as in “This tomato is fresh.”, but more like the way in “Dig those fresh beats, yo. Word to your mother.”
Sweet. Congrats guys, can’t wait for those letters. I’m looking into the Nuclear sciences.
@Judy
I’m pretty sure there’s fun stuff in the tubes as well, like an MIT poster.
Is anyone else interested in Course 7? : )
on the early action vs. regular action part of this website (http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/early_action_versus_regular_action/index.shtml)
It states “We are committed to taking no more than 30% of our total admitted freshman class under Early Action.”
if 30/100=522/x then x equals 1740. Is there really going to be this many freshmen next year at MIT?
@ Judy and Anonymous
There’s also confetti!! yay!
I really want my tube!
oooooh…confettiiiiiiiiiiii
I think one thing to take into account is the number of people switching from RA to EA, especially with the hype about EA that’s been circulating in recent years. So, I think when MIT admitted 522 students early, they’re banking on the RA pool being smaller than usual. So if they admit the same percentage of students from a small RA pool (~12% or something?), then technically less will be admitted RA in terms of raw numbers. I’m just saying that doesn’t take into account the number of people who might have applied RA normally but decided to do EA.
Still…I’m also hoping that MIT has decided to have a larger class size than before, which would be great for us RA applicants. ^_^
@Anonymous
I’m ALL about Course 7. I’m fairly positive that I’ll start out in biology. Half the reason I read these blogs is for Mollie’s archives about school and labs and UROPs and everything
@Judy
From what my ’11 friends told me, there’s a formal copy of the acceptance letter, a specialized MIT ’12 poster, a coupon for stuff at The Coop, confetti, and more. :D
I call it amazing :D But I still haven’t gotten mine yet! Hmph
So, Judy, where’re you from? I’m around Disney
tubes…yay!
Got my tube yesterday!! *Yay for living near Boston/MIT*
Really exciting!!! yup, there’s fun stuff in it
I am pretty sure I want to do course 18 *eee math yay* :-D
hehhee I wonder if it’s too early to go UROP hunting :-D *Hello, Can I have a UROP… next year?? Pleaseee??*
@ Lauren
Ha, I think you should definitely call up to find a UROP. I want to know what the reaction will be when you mention you’re a pre-frosh. : )
I still haven’t gotten my tube yet…
I read somewhere that a dorm formerly used for graduate students will now be an undergrad dorm, allowing the Class of ’12 to be bigger than prior classes.
Wow I didn’t know that they would be accepting more people early this year.. I am excited nonetheless, I think I want to do something with Biology or Biomed.
How many people applied early??
I think more than 3900 people applied early for MIT…maybe?
Congrats to the 522, that is an amazing accomplishment! Have fun with your tubes…and confetti…and posters…and fin aid papers :-p
@Natalie-
Haha Call?!? Pff, I live near the subway in Boston – obviously I’m going to walk right into the fluid dynamics lab! *hehehehehehehe @Natalie-
Haha Call?!? Pff, I live near the subway in Boston – obviously I’m going to walk right into the fluid dynamics lab! *hehehehehehehe <3* …Probably tomorrow :-D!
Hey Shamarah, I think MIT does have a bioengineering program though!!!
Here’s the link:
http://web.mit.edu/be/index.htm
ya!!! got my tube today!!! you know a college truly cares about you as an individual when they:
1) put confetti in your admitted packet
2) made an awesome poster just to welcome you
3) hand stuffed each and every one
4) paid $4.60 just so you get a tube rather than a common envelope.
5) you actually get a short hand-written note at the bottom.
thanks all the admissions officer at mit for doing all the special stuff to make us feel loved and special! =)
ME WANT TUBE.
who got into nuclear engineering & science!??, I want to know my classmates!!
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN “TUBED,” PLEASE DON’T REVEAL THE POSTER’S DESIGN!!!! Just FYI…
i got my mit mail today, and it wasnt a tube! i was so dissapointed when i realized people living overseas dont get a tube. i mean, seriously, we had to pay extra just to get you our recs and supp materials, can’t you pleeease just make the investment????
@Anonymous
Personally, I think it should really be up to you what part of the question you focus on more. Put the focus on whatever shows your passion the best.
I did that question as well– I used my mom saying she was the biggest influence in my life, and with each thing I wrote about her I tied it into how it has affected the person I am today.
Speaking of Mom, she’s bringing me my tube today at school if it comes!! yay!
I want my tube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
leah do you happen to live in korea?
You can’t get accepted EA if you live in Korea
yes you can if you are a us citizen
Leah, what is your last name?
Good point. Hmmm…. yes good point
Ahh, I really hope my tube comes today. I am almost more excited for the tube than I was for the actual decision! (Almost, but not quite.)
2 QUESTIONS I NEED ANSWERED:
1. Can I still get an interview past the Dec. 15th deadline if the EC is still available?
2. How strict is MIT on its word limit–One of my smaller essays is about 125 words (over the 100 word limit), but cutting out would really be determinental to my essay. Does anyone know?
Thanks
The TUBE poster design is a bit cartoonish but really cool.
Do RA admits get the poster eventually too?
Wow.. 522 accepted EA.. my jaw just dropped. That sounds like a lot of good applicants. I certainly hope MIT is admitting more international students this year. It’s scary to be up against the best applicants in the USA, even scarier that I’m up against the best applicants in the world
@JP: I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that the word limit is a guideline. Just don’t go too far above it. 25% sounds like quite a bit.
On the same topics… I have a few questions of my own. I had my interview on the Dec 6, but the interview part in the online application status still isn’t ticked. Should I be worried about it?
And on the “Describe your world. How has it shaped your dreams & aspirations?” essay, which part of the essay is main point, the describing the world or the dreams? I’ve been working on that essay since mid-Nov and it’s almost impossible for me to reach a balance in 500 words. I’d either describe my world with few details of my dreams or vice versa.
Thanks
I still haven’t gotten my tube.
me neither. tomorrow?
@ Bryan & Archimedes
I haven’t gotten my tube either yet! I’m beginning to lose faith in the US Postal Service!
@JP
125 words on a 100 word essay is fine. I can’t remember where it is, but there’s a blog about this discussing it further. Anonymous is right, they’re just guidelines. It’s not a huge problem unless you do like twice the word limit.
:D Good luck!
Chill people, we will get our tubes. I’m sure that some of the bad weather is holding them up. Besides, the closer to Christmas you get the tube, the more it will feel like an early Christmas present! . . . Well, that may be pushing it, but it was worth a shot.
Here’s a question to ponder while we wait: what about admitted students who chose not to check their status online and are waiting to find out through the mail? Wouldn’t they find out when they open up their MyMIT? or if their EC emailed to say congrats? Are there people who don’t know they’re part of the 522 yet? I’m wondering because the page on decisions.mit.edu made a big deal about “there will be no ‘are you sure’ screen.”
I WANT MY TUBE!!!
Lets see.. driven to Boston post office Mon.. sorted Mon afternoon.. flown Tues morn.. sorted Tues afternoon.. driven to my middle of nowhere town’s post office Wed morning.. sorted Wed afternoon.. DRIVEN TO ME THURSDAY?!?!
I hope so.
Hey everyone, I thought MIT didn’t have a formal Biomedical Engineering program o_0
oooohhhh, who’s going to be on East Campus????
125 is perfectly fine. I wrote 140 for mine (“What do you do for fun”) and that didn’t keep me out.
I emailed admissions and they told me that I should write however much I feel like necessary for the short response. (I think for the long essay, one page is a tacit limit).
When I walked into my apartment building today, I met my mailman. I noticed that there was a tube-shaped cylinder in his cart, so I decided to wait for him to distribute the mails in case it was my tube. I stood there for like 10 mins, only to discover that the cylinder-shaped packet was not my tube. I was disappointed, but on the bright side, now I know my mailman pretty well (we talked about his holiday plans)! =)
isn’t the 30% of the class thing (EA admits)*(EA yield)/(class size) = 30% ? If so, then since a lot of math/science oriented people who would’ve applied to Harvard or Princeton early applied to MIT, early, the yield will go down and the result will still be 30%.
I got My Tube!!!
Tubed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
does it come through us postal service or something special like fedex or ups? I just saw the mailman across the street and almost screamed- it can’t be too much longer…
I still haven’t gotten my tube. :(
*Sigh* no sign of any tubes. Now I have to wait until Dec 31, when I come back home.
I got my tube today. It came just like regular mail.
I got my tube!!
My mom asked my mailman if it he could look out for it.. and he went all the way back to the post office, found it, and gave it to her!!!!!! Then she brought it to school so I could see it. :D
yay
No Tube…
My resentment toward USPS has grown even stronger.
Word up Tong
Rawr
@archimedes
i had considered waiting for the results to come in the mail, but when i finally got home at 2:30pm saturday, I just ran to my computer and checked it. I figured that since I can barely wait 2.5 hours, I could not wait several days…
Aww, sorry archimedes. Perhaps that’s the benefit of living in a smaller town.
Anyone else from West Virginia besides me???
got my tube. its not that exciting
@Meghan: Thank you so much for that. I tried to do what you did, and suprisingly, it came out just nice in only 600 words! I’ll cut it down later, but I’m so happy to finally get an essay I like after almost a month on it.
If I get accepted into MIT as well, I’ll be happy to buy you a drink. But no champagne or anything, just like a coffee or cocoa or somehting
Meghan, your story inspired me to go to our post office just to check if my tube would be there, but no dice. Apparently it won’t come till next week.
ahhh.. ohhh eightttt don’t hattteee
congrats to every1 thats been accepted!
BUMMERS!! Tube did not come today! ARRRGGG!!! (Physics Physics Physics *spoken with extreme vehemence*)
Tomorrow, I’ll be gone all day for the FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge–robotics competition) and NO ONE BETTER TOUCH MY TUBE UNTIL I GET BACK >.BUMMERS!! Tube did not come today! ARRRGGG!!! (Physics Physics Physics *spoken with extreme vehemence*)
Tomorrow, I’ll be gone all day for the FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge–robotics competition) and NO ONE BETTER TOUCH MY TUBE UNTIL I GET BACK >.<
*please, Tube, please come tomorrow!*
@ Tong: ditto
@ fellow EAers: MEGA-CONGRATS!
@ everyone (RA, EA deferred, and all others): BEST of LUCK, all of you!
no one seems to have answered on what percentage is likely to get in on RA! I’m such an incredible fool, I applied early to stanford, effectively “courted and dumped”, and MIT just makes so much more sense! (the confetti would seriously convince just about anyone)
Also, all of you that did get in (I would be more generous with my congratulations if I hadn’t been rejected myself, but really, that is awesome!), did you find it necessary to stuff your application with as much extra material as possible?
I can’t seem to find any info on sending some kind of creative writing supplement. Would it be a good idea to put that into the “Optional Information” section? thanks!
no one seems to have answered on what percentage is likely to get in on RA! I’m such an incredible fool, I applied early to stanford, was effectively “courted and dumped”, and MIT just makes so much more sense!
(the confetti would seriously convince just about anyone)
Also, all of you that did get in (I would be more generous with my congratulations if I hadn’t been rejected myself, but really, that is awesome!), did you find it necessary to stuff your application with as much extra material as possible?
I can’t seem to find any info on sending some kind of creative writing supplement. Would it be a good idea to put that into the “Optional Information” section? thanks!
Hopefully the RAs will still have a 12% rate of admission. As an international student, I have no chance to EA.
STILL. NO. TUBE.
I suggest that MIT mails them via UPS next year… USPS is REALLY slow down here in the deep south.
@ Anonymus: That’s awesome! I’m proud of you! I really hope you get in (and not just for the free drink offer, either.)
If you have a facebook, free feel to add me; I linked my name.