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Decisions

Not Admitted by Decisions

A forum

There were a record number of applications for Early Action this year, which unfortunately means that we had to turn down a great number of incredible students. For those of you who fall into this category, this is an open forum for you to talk.

100 responses to “Not Admitted”

  1. dosoon('14?) says:

    Deferred, definitely disappointed. I’m at a loss for words, but I do understand my position amongst the thousands of more qualified applicants. I tried and I pray that I will have better luck come March.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Dosoon…If you can’t figure out which section to post, I don’t have high hopes for you in the Spring.

  3. Epic fail for me. I was hoping for the best, but apparently I just don’t stand up. Hats off to the deferred guys and the admits. Here’s hoping for other colleges.

  4. Joseph says:

    I was rejected from MIT and I thought that I had a shot at it even!!!!!

  5. Evan says:

    Well, I guess it’s off to CMU for me. Hopefully.

  6. A says:

    I am confused. I am a parent and thought that if you applied early admission, and were not accepted EA you automatically went back into the pool for a second review. Does anyone know for sure?

  7. Anonymous says:

    Georgia Tech. I really need that presidential scholarship now

  8. Josh says:

    Yay! Harvard is the way to go.

  9. '13 says:

    A: You are either Admitted, Deferred, or Not Admitted (denied)

  10. Snively says:

    @A
    There are three possible outcomes for an early applicant:

    Acceptance
    Deferral
    “Rejected”

    There are approximately equal numbers Accepted and “Rejected” with the majority of applicants being deferred (those aren’t quotas, just what typically happens)

  11. Anonymous says:

    School is going to be terrible tomorrow…

  12. Dad says:

    About the same number admitted will be denied. The vast majority will be in the middle and are deferred to the regular round.

  13. Jeanne '13 says:

    A: if you apply EA, you are either admitted, deferred, or not admitted. If you’re deferred (and only if you’re deferred), then your application will be kept in consideration and will be reviewed again come regular decision admissions time.

    Hope that clears things up.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Snively = Wrong. 1732 were rejected, 590 accepted. Hardly equal

  15. anon says:

    more than twice as many people were rejected as opposed to accepted this year

  16. A says:

    Thanks for the information. Disappointing, but luckily there is a full scholarship waiting at another school.

    Best to all.

  17. Nestor (14?) says:

    Yeah…
    This year was a killer in terms of EA rejections, but now I don’t have to worry about getting into MIT. Here’s hoping for TRANSFERS!!!!

    Ha
    HAHA
    HAHAHA

    I shall quote Schwarzenegger: “I will be back!” (add the Austrian accent as you please)

  18. Dad says:

    Ouch. Yes, there are many who are now out of the running. Guess that should make the deferred even happier.

  19. anon says:

    actually… 1201 were rejected.

  20. gep says:

    Happy that for every one rejected here like ten will take his spot come regular.

  21. anon says:

    I’m talking about this year’s stats -.-

  22. gayle says:

    The Admissions Committee has completed its review of your application and I am very sorry to tell you that we are unable to offer you admission to MIT.
    Okay so as a parent does this mean rejected or deferred?

  23. Jeanne '13 says:

    Snively, hate to burst your bubble, but that’s last year’s data.

    This year’s was just posted on the Admissions website (above the forums).

  24. Ryan says:

    Rejected :( I was hoping I would at least be defered, but no. Congrats to those who made it.

  25. anon says:

    @gayle
    it means rejected

  26. Actually, I don’t think anyone outside our office knows exactly how many students were not admitted, so it’s no use speculating on the blogs.

    If you weren’t admitted – relax! MIT isn’t Valhalla. It’s just a cool place to go to school. There are plenty of other cool places where you will be accepted and which you will attend.

    Best of luck in all that you do,

    – Chris
    MIT Admissions

  27. @gayle

    Sorry, that’s a rejection.

    I think I will defect to Caltech.

  28. Snively says:

    @Jeanne
    This year was an abnormality, note that in my original comment I said “those aren’t quotas, just what typically happens”

    It’s not really fair to share outliers with people. We’ve hit that critical point where SO many people are applying that more people have to be rejected, but in the past (and typically) it hasn’t been that way, and it’s been approximately equal.

  29. anon1 says:

    1201 rejected is the right number. If u got this number right you deserve to go atleast to the “deferred” list!

  30. Anonymous says:

    can anyone do math around here?

  31. Vhiremath4 says:

    Rejected… I’m actually FINE with it! I knew what I was up against, and I tried not to get my hopes up TOO high, so I didn’t fall so hard. It’s been fun MIT! See you when I apply to grad school. grin

  32. Sergs says:

    Ahh, MIT. Sorry you had to miss out on me =P

  33. Anonymous says:

    How do you know whether you were deferred or denied?

  34. gayle says:

    thanks for the help everyone. now to burst her bubble….ugh!!!So sorry to all the rest of you also. I hope you all make it into other wonderful colleges.

  35. Anonymous says:

    Aww, man!

    I wanted to go to a school where I was less likely to get in trouble for building a giant slingshot in my dorm room window. :(

  36. Jeanne '13 says:

    @Snively
    Definitely true, but I kind of doubt that the admissions statistics will get any “better” from here on out.

    Or maybe the ’14s just have an abnormal love for MIT. That’s nice too smile

  37. Yaanu says:

    Denied. I was also denied entry into NYU, which bites. In MIT’s case, however, I suppose I expected being denied. In any case, it looks like it’s a second-rate college for me! =D

    The least that schools could do is give a bit of criteria as to WHY you weren’t accepted. It makes the denial a bit easier on a person, I suppose, instead of the generic “You were good, but not good enough” spiel.

  38. anon says:

    @anonymous

    the letter should say either you are NOT offered admission, in which case you were denied, or explicitly that you were deferred to the RA applicante pool…… in which case you are deferred xD

  39. gocrimson! says:

    GO HARVARD!!! GO HARVARD!!! <3

  40. anonymous says:

    Well, a few days ago, I’d have been sad, but seeing as I just got an admission offer from Oxford University, I’m not upset. At least the spot I might have received will go to someone who will actually attend.

  41. Fred says:

    Snively,

    Please don’t confuse everyone here with your wrong #:

    Following should be the correct #:
    5684 – 590 – 3893 = 1201

    http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_selection_process_application_reading_committee_and_decisions/ea_decisions.shtml

    “EA Decisions”
    In a year of record early action applications, 590 students have been admitted to the MIT Class of 2014.

    There were 5,684 Early Action applicants this year, representing a 13% increase over last year’s record. The deep applicant pool, combined with a commitment to maintaining equity between early and regular action admissions, meant that only 10.4% of applicants were admitted. An additional 3,893 applicants were deferred to regular action, where their applications will be reviewed anew.

  42. Vivian '12 says:

    @Yaanu: that’s really a lot of work you’re asking from all the admissions officers =( They literally read through thousands of applications, and to write comments on every single one would take them forever. In addition, a lot of times it’s really hard to pinpoint exactly why you were not accepted, and I find it a bit unreasonable to ask the admissions office to put into bulleted points why you weren’t “good enough”.

    That being said, many people who are rejected aren’t necessarily “not good enough” for MIT, it’s just admissions feels you may be better suited to another school. Don’t despair, there’s a ton of awesome colleges out there (with better financial aid, *coughcough*). And there’s always grad school. Good luck to everyone!

  43. Fred –

    No need to be snide to Snively. He was correct about the trend for most years and posted that before reading the new updated numbers for this year, which were only just posted.

  44. Well… it’s off to UMCP for me most likely. Hopefully I’ll have the chance to transfer when the 15ers come in.

    But yeah, one thing…

    BRING BACK THE FRIGGIN’ 500 WORD.

    I can’t express why I love this school in 250. xD

  45. Alex says:

    I’ve wanted to go to MIT since I was in 3rd grade, but oh well. I was denied but it was a privelage applying. There’s always the hope for transferring or grad school. Good luck to everyone on getting into other colleges and congratulations to everyone who got accepted.

  46. Anonymous says:

    When I was a young boy
    My father took me to MIT
    To see the science fair

    He said “Son, when you grow up,
    would you be the savior of the people
    the world and the universe”

    “Yes”

    “Good, because one day, I leave you,
    A phantom to lead you,
    To join the MIT students”

    Sometimes I get the feeling he’s watching over me,
    He offered me everything,
    and only asked for one thing in return
    And I can’t take it, now that I’ve failed

    I can’t carry on, I can’t carry on, I can’t carry on…

  47. Anon says:

    Can people post their SAT scores and their GPA so we would know what scores got denied?
    mines:
    SAT 1830
    GPA 3.827

  48. kelly says:

    The 590 admitted students come from 44 states and 445 different high schools. First generation college students comprise 14% of the admitted group, and 27% are members of underrepresented minority groups. Women comprise 47% of the admitted students.

    Any one want to start breaking it down by how many middle class white males from midwest with parents who went to college were accepted?

  49. Iamthephage says:

    Looking at the few ml of Hawaiian punch bottom of my glass wondering what if. This has been fun, but the shows over. All that’s left for me to do now is just “watch the weather change.”

    10 pts to the one that names the song from which the quote is derived.

  50. kelly says:

    The 590 admitted students come from 44 states and 445 different high schools. First generation college students comprise 14% of the admitted group, and 27% are members of underrepresented minority groups. Women comprise 47% of the admitted students.

    That is fantastic! Kudos to the admissions team.

  51. Denied. But it’s OK. This is why you have a back up plan.

  52. Ryan says:

    @kelly: I want to know what high schools got more than one student admitted. Apparently I should have gone to one of those schools.

  53. @ anonymous
    The news is new, your perspective a little clouded. Leading comes from within, you have not lost that…..you have not failed. Take the reigns, you are someone to be proud of.

  54. Keri says:

    Anon at 9:59 –

    There won’t be a pattern to what SAT scores and GPAs show up for admitted, deferred, or denied students. The scores aren’t what determines your admission. Your application as a whole is.

  55. kelly says:

    Ryan
    Ask MIT. Those are their stats

  56. @ anon 9:50am – if you have not figured out by now that MIT does not admit students based on their numbers, you may not have read the enormous amount of information available on the website regarding the selection process.

    After qualifying numbers (700+ on SATs in Math, Critical Reading and such), the most important aspect considered in admission to MIT is the match between you and MIT. This portion of the website says it all:

    http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/pulse/the_match_between_you_and_mit/index.shtml

    Even some students with scores somewhat below that range are still admitted if the “match” is there. Students are so much more than test scores and GPAs.

  57. @ Anonymous poet –

    I’m sorry. I know this is hard. But you will be fine, wherever you go, and your father will be proud of that.

    @Ryan –

    Not sure I understand your question about schools “got more than one student admitted.”

  58. @Chris Peterson

    He means schools attended by more than one admitted student

  59. wait they admitted 590/1000 of the 2014 class in EARLY DECISIONS? what…

  60. oh oops. I forgot they admit way more than 1000
    my bad..

  61. Anonymous says:

    It’s only 50 more than last year…

  62. Anonymous says:

    That helps greatly rofl, can’t tell if you fully understand what it means.

    BTW, 590 students getting in from 445 high schools implies that at least one high school had multiple students admitted to tech. He wants to know what schools had 2+ students admitted.

  63. DWV says:

    to Iamthephage, it think them lyrics r from “Desolation” by Tool?

  64. Kristina '13 says:

    Heads up guys. Everything happens for a reason. I’m sure all of you are amazing people. Stay strong and keep fighting teh good fight.

  65. '13 says:

    I can say one thing about the best and worst moments in life:

    This too shall pass. -Abe Lincoln

  66. Ryan says:

    What anonymous said. 590 students from 445 high schools. I suppose some of them could have been homeschooled…

  67. Alec says:

    “Any one want to start breaking it down by how many middle class white males from midwest with parents who went to college were accepted?”

    Yeah, I’m curious about that too.

  68. Alec says:

    @Anon

    If you ever have some spare time and want to see something ridiculous make a profile on mychances.net.

    Check out your calculated chance of being admitted, then edit you profile and change your race to Black and look at them again.

  69. chazman says:

    I wouldn’t get too down because of this. When I was applying MIT in the early 80’s, I think there were about 6000 applicants TOTAL, and about 30% were accepted. Frankly, I don’t think I would have gotten in this year. Good luck to all of you. You’ll do great!

  70. Anonymous says:

    Racism at it’s finest.

  71. @Ryan –

    There were schools from which multiple students were accepted. However, the other students at your school have basically no bearing on you, at least in the sense you mean.

    Put another way, another kid being accepted from your school would not have negatively impacted you in any way, shape, or form. I hope that answers your question.

    @ everyone talking about race

    There’s only one way to get into MIT – the hard way. There are plenty of folks of all different colors and backgrounds here. Like Ryan’s school, your race doesn’t get you in or keep you out of MIT.

    And I’ll be watching race-related comments very closely. There is a fine line between being disappointed, and being disappointed and taking it out on someone else for imagined slights.

  72. Benjamin says:

    Anyone know how many students from Thomas Jefferson High School were admitted early?

  73. John Harvard says:

    Harvard is the way to go!

    GO CRIMSON!

  74. Anonymous says:

    too lazy to find it myself, but I think this guy who used to work here(ben?) wrote a really good blog saying how he sympathizes with the people who didnt get in…..

  75. anonymous says:

    I wish I knew why I was rejected…

  76. Fred says:

    Chris,

    Agreed. But you can not use the wrong # to defend your wrong statement (wrong after wrong)if you don’t verify it first. That is a basic lesson to give and learn.

    OK. I will stop it from here.

  77. For all the applicants posting here, and especially @Anonymous 9:58 PM:

    Is this disappointing? Absolutely. Does it hurt? Definitely. Will it take a while to get over? Indubitably.

    Will you do so? Yes. Will you get an incredible education somewhere else? Yes. With memories to last a lifetime? Yes. Even if you never transfer to MIT or go there for graduate school? Yes.

    I know how you feel; I got accepted to MIT off the wait list. In a way, getting turned down would have been easier, as that would have put an end to the uncertainty and anxiety, and I could have put it behind me and moved on. Not to mention losing a sizable non-refundable deposit to another school!

    Since then, I’ve studied at other top-notch universities in my graduate studies and postdoctoral work, worked as a professor at the Canadian equivalent of a U.S. Research I university (of which MIT is one), and currently hold an endowed chair at yet another university. I’ve also been on the Educational Council for years, and have interviewed many applicants (although none for Early Action this year).

    So I’ve seen a lot of academia. And I can definitely say that you can get a top-notch education that’ll be well respected worldwide at many universities, as long as you put your energy and drive into it, as you did in working your heart out in high school to reach this point, and to applying for colleges.

    Every place has its ups and downs. Even MIT. Nothing against the place, but I couldn’t wait to leave after 5 years (I stayed for my master’s) and go to a “real school” to see what that was like (you know, with a Division I football team and traditional spirit, that kind of stuff). And yes, I’d do it all over again.

    So hold your head high! Not being admitted to MIT is not the end of the world, and nothing to be ashamed of. The pain will pass, but the world is still your oyster, as long as you apply yourself and work hard.

  78. kelly says:

    @Chris
    The 590 admitted students come from 44 states and 445 different high schools. First generation college students comprise 14% of the admitted group, and 27% are members of underrepresented minority groups. Women comprise 47% of the admitted students.
    No doubt all these students are exceptional, so why does MIT even feel the need to point out stats that are clearly meant to show the school is progressive in its admissions policy. It only makes the “other” 36% of the population suspicious. Especially when they do not represent 36% of the early admitted students.

  79. I would like to hear from anonymous 9:58 again if you are there….we are forging our paths together, none of us know at this point where the roads may lead.

  80. Anonymous says:

    I’m here. How long? Who knows.

  81. Sam says:

    I dont know about you guys, but being rejected has motivated me to prove MIT wrong. does anyone agree?

  82. Jesse Weaver says:

    Blurgh, denied. MIT was my first choice, but guess it’s time to fill out some more college applications.

    Best of luck to those that were deferred and accepted (no matter how jealous I am!).

  83. Ibrahim says:

    lame birthday present. i really gave them no reason to reject me. im disappointed

  84. anonymous says:

    im scared i won’t be accepted anywhere else too. doesn’t anybody feel that?

  85. anon says:

    @Iamthephage
    MCR. Black Parade.
    It saddens me that I know this….

  86. Raff says:

    Why would I get rejected and not deferred?

  87. Iamthephage says:

    @ anon 12:52

    Oh wow LOL!
    wrong guy.
    you mean 09:58 PM!
    seriously? no one has got it yet?
    these 10 pts. are burning a hole in my pocket.

  88. Anon at 12:47 AM

    Grief is contagious. Don’t let it cloud your other aspirations. I’m more than certain you will be accepted elsewhere. This one time will not account for the rest of your life blah blah blah. Who am I to talk. I had dreams of finding a place I fit in. I thought that could be MIT. Now I’m stuck going to a state university that supports drunkards and pseudo nationalism. Doubt isn’t my issue. It’s anger.

  89. @Kelly –

    MIT values diversity of all types, be it racial, economic, geographic, political, or otherwise. I say this to point out that there is no “other” 36% of the population. Adding up those numbers does not leave a chunk of “regular people” in our pool, because some of those women are FGC, and some of those underrepresented minorities have parents with graduate degrees, and so on and so forth. These forms of diversity cut across all individuals. In your example, for instance, the midwest is underrepresented in our applicant pool, and thus applicants from the midwest offer a desirable diversity that we look upon favorably. It’s just another piece in the puzzle.

    More than anything else, I can assure you that while there are many reasons that a student might fail to be offered admission into MIT, not being “diverse” enough is emphatically not one of them.

    I have removed posts which personally attacked you because they are not appropriate for this forum. I did think they were good points that further illustrated my argument, however, so if “a mom” and “Philosoraptor” would like to post their anecdotes again then I think that would help alleviate any misunderstandings that may persist.

  90. @ Chris Peterson And all of MIT Admissions

    After I drink a soda, I wash out the bottle, peel off the label (keep sake), and recycle it. What I do with the label is put it in a box where I keep all the labels of sodas I see are delicious, different and colorful. I’ve grown quit a large diverse collection of these tiny excerpts of what the sodas represent. However! if the label is something I really don’t appreciate (polar bears drinking soda, that’s just inhumane) I will not collect it. What I definitely don’t do is look at where it was bottled. The way I see it is that where ever it was bottled, thought went into that. Lots of time with the artists, recipe makers, and bottlers went into its construction. If a soda came from Cambodia, and was Okay, it satisfied my thirst, and had a mediocre label it probably would not enter my library of sticky paper labels soley on the fact it’s Cambodia (I have not tried Cambodian soda, but I am up for it if anyone sends P.O. Box 516 =D) . To disregard other equally (and even more)deserving labels based upon their location of manufacturing would seem.. well discriminatory. For it is the overall presentation that is exhibited that makes the soda shine. If there is an interesting quirk, obvious shiny part, even a mislabel (intentional, and non intentional)it will enter my box. What I’m getting at is, I don’t put labels in my box because they’re foreign, but because their cool. In fact now I’m tearing off the label to a jolt cola electric blue (I need the caffeine for finals, it’s my second favorite soda) and I have over 20 of them. I love it’s flavor and presentation. Anyways, I just thought you might want to know that. Sorry for the gramatical errors, I’m kind twitchy from the energy spike (glucose + caffeine = bad writer).

  91. OH and another quote for these mountains of quotes

    “If this song sounds bitter, it is and I am”
    James Maynard Kyenen
    A Perfect Circle (Intro to the live performance to “three Libras”)

  92. @ Philosoraptor et al

    We happen to think that choosing between meritocracy and diversity is bad, too. Fortunately with the astounding group of students that apply to MIT we can instead choose both, because we think that both are vitally important to the culture and community of the Institvte. True meritocracy breeds diversity. No one is admitted to MIT without earning that place, and no one is turned away simply because of who they are. We work very, very hard to balance every part of an application and choose the best class. That’s often difficult and always painful given the small admit rate.

    As an admissions officer I sincerely hope you don’t take our decision as a sign that you somehow failed, but rather that MIT might not be the best place for you (for many reasons that may have little to do with how brilliant or gifted you are). But never for a moment think that the only reason we would or wouldn’t admit someone to MIT is because of race, gender, religion, economics, culture, address or any of the hundreds of small-minded thorns that spring from prejudice. We simply don’t work that way, and our past admissions statistics demonstrate it.

  93. The Angler fish is a beautiful specimen. In the deepest parts of the ocean it extends a light from the curtains of a cold dark heavily pressured world. As a curious organism approaches that beacon a hypnosis of safety and warmth lures it further. Ultimately it’s impaled by the jagged teeth of the Angler. The victim is then reverted back into darkness.

    Good night, the show is over. *takes off fashionable top hat and bows*

  94. Fred says:

    One ture story to those who were not admitted – One international student who won 2005 IChO gold medal was rejected by MIT in 2006. 3 years later, he graduated from Rice and was admitted to MIT this fall (2009) as a PhD student in Chemistry. So, this is just a beginning, not a final yet. Good luck….

  95. anon says:

    admissions people were here at 2:40 am
    that’s some dedication