Hello? by Hamsika C. '13
Pick up your phones!!
Yesterday, I briefly deserted my physics and orgo psets and headed over to the Bush Room to join several other MIT students in calling youuu: the RA admits!
I think I got to call and congratulate about fifteen or so of you, although I spoke more with answering machines than actual people :( Since I’m from the Houston area, I begged Matt to let me call admits from Texas; I more or less got my wish, with a few Mainers thrown in :)
Based on yesterday alone, I feel safe in saying that the MIT Class of 2014 is AWESOME. Those of you whom I spoke with were funny, nice, and admirably ambitious – it was a pleasure to meet you :) The RA telethon will continue on Thursday, so if you didn’t get a call yesterday, don’t worry; we haven’t forgotten you!
A lot of you asked great questions yesterday; here are some of the more common ones:
Are MIT classes ridiculously hard?
Hard, yeah. But not impossibly so. As with anything else, you have to work at it. If you have three tests coming up in next week, you might have to sacrifice a couple of your weekend plans. It’s entirely feasible to get all As at MIT, and I know people who have done it. Plus, there’s always help: professors, TAs, classmates, Wikipedia. I’ve discovered that office hours are more or less lifesavers.
What exactly happens at CPW?
The better question might be what doesn’t happen? Sleep doesn’t happen, food-that’s-not-free doesn’t happen, boredom doesn’t happen, and homework definitely doesn’t happen :) CPW is basically four days of nothing but fun, where you can explore any part of MIT you want to: the dorms, the classes, the clubs, the labs. I’m sure there’ll be more CPW-related entries later; try to make it to CPW if you can! It played a huge role last year in my final decision to attend MIT.
Do people even have time for extracurriculars?
Definitely. I think some of my friends might actually be spending more time on clubs/activities than on classes. It helps that there are hundreds of student groups and that all of them are diverse. It’s not too hard to find something you like – and then join.
Can you tell me more about the placement exams offered during orientation?
Sooo during orientation, Advanced Standing Exams in physics, chemistry, biology, and math (maybe? I can’t remember…) are offered for anyone who wants to place out of introductory classes. A good way to study for them is by using the materials (lectures, practice problems, notes, etc) available on OCW.
If I think of any questions later, can I e-mail you?
Of course!
~*~23 days till CPW!!!~*~
Yay CPW!!!!!!
Hey, Hamsika: just out of curiosity, did any kids from the San Antonio area get in? I know one of my rivals from another school’s math/science UIL teams got in last year…grr!
*wistfully* Aaw, just realized it would have been you calling me probably if I’d gotten in. Ah, well. Next year!
@Hamsika
Is it possible to use AP exam scores to get out of introductory classes?
@ yi – yup, some of them help get you out of intro classes; here’s MIT’s policy regarding APs:
Is the telethon over? D: I didn’t get a call! haha.
OH GOSH stupid me didn’t see the part about continuing Thursday.
Sorry about that.
@ Anon – Haha, no problem; the telethon on thursday runs from 5 pm to 11 pm. Have your questions ready!
@ David – Sorry we missed you! We do actually try to call back, but I guess there wasn’t enough time yesterday. I don’t think we I saw any of the admits’ cell phone numbers :( But maybe, if you get called again on Thursday, your mom could give the caller your number? Or alternatively, you can e-mail [email protected] and any of the bloggers with questions. You could call admissions too, if you like – the number is 617-253-3400
Any of us would be glad to speak with you!
…I have a question.
A kind of stupid question, but
is being at MIT like being at Hogwarts?
@ Anonymous – Hmm…a little bit, I guess. We might have a few more Hermione Grangers than Hogwarts does =P And we DO have Quidditch!
But the other parts I loved like the moving staircases, talking pictures, boggarts, apparition, owl post – we don’t have those :(
@ Aakanksha and Nihara – :( I don’t think we get to call the International admits…sorry! We’ll have to talk to you in person when you get on campus
@ the other Anonymous
– in August, they release the blogger application here on the blogs. You can see last year’s app under Dave’s posts and the year before’s under Matt’s.
@ Shazan and Navdeep – I think by ‘official high school transcript’ they just mean that it should come from your school and hopefully have your school letterhead on it. Your principal’s signature should be adequate, though, I believe. I can check with Dave and let you know.
Are going to call international admits as well? (Pleaseee say yes!!)
I’m so excited I forgot the you :O
Do you guys have time to call the rejected?
Haha just kidding…
How did you get to be a blogger? It seems like an awfully cool job.
@Anonymous
A friend of mine once asked me what was it about MIT that made me want to study there so bad, and I joked saying it was because it made me think of Hogwarts. XD (But it does make sense, I guess…)
And yeah, as Aakanksha said, it would be awesome if you called internationals too! (albeit a lot more expensive)
Hey do international students get a call as well? Just wondering… It would be great if we did
@ hamsika
I have hears that many of the School transcripts of Indian students are rejected as was the case with some of my friends. As there is hardly a procedure in schools of giving Transcripts. And if we are in need of it they just make it on a simple A4 paper with signature of the principal.
Although that is 100% official
What by MIT means an official high school transcript
Thank you
Sorry, this is tree. Just saw that infamous school of Harry Potter came up and just wanna say that Hermine, the actress, is in Brown University.
Question! -raises hand-
As a freshman, how much “free” time do you typically have? For example, if you felt on Sunday that you wanted to go to Boston at some point in the week, then when in the week would/could you do it? :D
Thanks Hamsika. The info is very helpful for me in some ways
@hamsika i also want to know the answer to the question shazan just asked .
its true that if we need an official transcript and demand it then we get it the way as described by shazan
I got a call but I wasn’t home and my mom picked up. The student said that he would call back later but never did. Do you guys call back?
I will be away from my house for the next few days…….it would be cool if I got a call on my cell phone though! Or if I could call you guys!
@ Et Tu – haha, yeah, i know
My roommate’s friend is actually friends with her!
@ Anon – Thanks for raising your hand
If you have good time management skills, you can actually end up with a significant amount of free time. I randomly go into Boston alll the time. First semester, I pretty much went into Boston two or three times a week. At least until the weather got bad and I was too scared to cross the Charles, loll.
@ Ulziibayar O. – You’re welcome; I’m glad it helped!
@Hamsika
Please tell me what could be a good SAT score for reasoning test and subject test for international applicant. please let me know.
And how can the secondary school reports, teacher evaluation forms be sent online.
What could be a good 11th class marks to make chances alive.
can it be 80 percent
Thank you
Regards
This info was very helpful…
Unfortunately, you guys called me while I was at school or swim practice (because of the time difference in California). :(
I guess I’ll just get my questions answered at CPW.
I love that MIT calls! They called me earlier in the year about my Interview, and then today congratulating me and telling me more about CPW. It really makes me feel welcomed by the MIT Community, its wonderful.
I also want to know what Saurav asked
What is a good score in SAT tests to keep hopes alive
And also is 11th class marks need to be sent as i am doing my class 11th from another school and transcript made is till class 10th from my old school.
And what are good 11th class marks
Please do reply
Yourself!