Meet the Admissions Officers: Matt McGann ‘00 by Matt McGann '00
Name: Matt McGann; Job title: Assistant Director of Admissions; Hometown: Hampton Bays, NY
Name: Matt McGann
Job title: Assistant Director of Admissions
Hometown: Hampton Bays, NY
High school: Hampton Bays High School
College: MIT, Class of 2000, Course 15 (Management Science)
Favorite things about MIT: the people, the housing system, hacking lore, Mystery Hunt and IAP, the idealism & commitment to the mission of helping the world
Favorite things about Boston: public transportation (I don’t own or need a car!), the neighborhoods (Davis Square, Coolidge Corner, Chinatown, the North End…), the Red Sox
Favorite movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Sneakers, The Godfather, Amelie, Lagaan
Favorite music: Alt/Modern Rock, Filmi, K-Pop, Big Band/Standards
Favorite food: Dim sum, ice cream
Favorite cartoon character: Nekobasu?
Advice about applying to college/MIT: be open and honest about yourself and your life’s circumstances, choose recommenders who can provide insight into you as a person, treat the interview as a conversation
Fun fact about yourself: I’m (very slowly) learning Mandarin Chinese. If you speak the language, let’s try to have a (very basic) conversation. Xie xie!
I definitely second the positive note about public transportation.
Hahaha, Sneakers. I rather enjoyed it too.
~Kelly
Sneakers is great. I saw it with a group of friends last summer when LSC showed it. We stood around geeking about it for ages after it was over.
HOLA!
ach the horse in the bed….achhhh…slimy….achh
ice cream is good, though. I tried to teach myself chinese in 4th grade, but all I learned how to say was tiger…hu
Then I tried to learn Gaelic, and all I remember is a few songs, and how to say “kiss my ass” – surprisingly useful:)
ADIOS!~Kiersten~
iam sooo coherent.
Time for my grand debut on the MIT blogs. I am Antti Hallavo from Finland, a prospective applicant. Ever since I discovered MIT some time last fall, I’ve been reading the MyMIT blogs and following the MIT news.
I have to say I’m amazed how your school seems to have everything I’m looking for in a college. Your blog has been really useful and given me a feel of the real MIT. Keep up the good work. I like he new MyMIT btw.
I also had a question: are the any MIT alumni in Helsinki (yeap, my hometown)? A finnish MIT student I’ve been emailing with told me he never had an interview, and it would be a shame if I won’t get a chance to show what I’m all about.
So Matt, with any luck we’ll see each other at CPW 06
. I’ll be looking forward to that day.
-Antti Hallavo
What is the admissions process? That’s kind of a broad question huh? What I mean is, how many of you see our applications? Does it go through on person, or all of you? Either way with the thousands of applications you recieve it must be a very long process.
I believe someone has asked that before. Or maybe it was implied in one of Matt’s or Ben’s entries. All the same, if my memory serves me well, every application is read by two admissions officers.
-Antti Hallavo
Hi Matt,
I’m Matthew and I recently registered in MyMit . It’s just wonderful coming to know more about Mit. To be frank I’m really interested in joining MIT.I ‘m looking forward to my SAT exams . I just wanted to know whether u can give some tips on pursuing a successful admission procedure. Bye 4 the time being.
Take care.
oh thank you Antti Hallavo! Sorry to be redundant. ^_^
Re Bhayya Chute Lagaan!
Ni hao, Matt! =) I’m Hann, a prospective international MIT applicant from Singapore who lives in California. I’m currently at RSI so here’s looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at the MIT Museum! Oh, and keep up the Chinese-learning!
oooh…pinyin, fun fun
ni xi huan shuo jong wen ma?
hello sir,
i’m an indian student and am really worriedd of what my chances stand fot getting into mit. you said that you take really talented people in to college……… well the measure for talent surely is the grades he gets in SAT or if you brush that aside it would also mean that he would have something special in his essay….
well for someone from india were such “speacial things” rarely occur what could be my measure of talent..?? is it i must fill my essay with reasons rather than remunerations ?? passion is something that everyone can show whether it is in there or not…… SAT is something which any head srong fello can acheive … hence i believe that the real selection lies in the essay and your extra cirrucular activities……
these are nill in India… not that the studetns aren’t good enough but it is that they don’t have enough oppurtunity to display them….
so what do you consider while adimittin these students…. coz in future i assure you that my application will end up there but i want to know its fate with this background of mine…..
your truly,
anudeep