Open Thread: EA Deferred by Decisions
We had incredibly strong EA applicants this year, and unfortunately we could not take all of them. If your decision was deferred, then we will reconsider your application anew in Regular Action.
We'll have some additional advice and instructions for Deferred students shortly. In the meantime, please feel free to use this forum to chat.
Worst possible outcome for me (3 more months of waiting!) Full version: http://lifeofanomega.wordpress.com/2011/12/17/deferred/
First… although I wish I was in a different thread, of course. I’m looking forward to that advice and instructions, MIT! Thanks for all of your hard work on our applications, though, and may I just say that – regardless of the final decision – your application has been the most fun for me to work on, and made me feel more comfortable than any other application I’ve seen. I feel like you see more as a whole person. Thank you.
So, I’m just curious, does anybody know if there is actually any chance of getting admitted in RD if you were deferred in EA? I considered myself a fairly strong, but not exceptional candidate, and I expected this, but it was still hard, as MIT was my absolute dream school.
Ah, so I guess not first, after all.
Good luck with the waiting, Chris. I know how you feel – I’m going to go crazy over the next three months!
Even though I didn’t get admitted I’m pretty fine with being deferred. Although now I sort of feel like I’m in limbo. Hope the rest of you guys who got deferred feel okay with it and I hope that we all do well.
Darn! I was really hoping… What percentage of EA applicants get deferred?
this is the worst day of my life. If we didn’t look strong enough now.. I highly highly doubt we will get accepted during RD. Why don’t they just accept or reject and force us to accept reality that no matter what you do, it just isn’t good enough.
Dale, if you look at the stats from last year, they admitted 232 from EA during Regular Decision. Our chances of getting admitted went down, but we still definitely have a chance.
Oh well – at least were still in this! Good luck everyone and congrats to those admitted!
Not really too much of a surprise.
March is soooo far away.
> I considered myself a fairly strong, but not exceptional candidate
From what I gather reading @Chris Peterson’s posts, I think that’s all of us. Now we have a month to become exceptional
Good luck to all of us deferred people!
@Dale, there is totally a chance of being accepted RD. I don’t have the statistics on hand but I was accepted after being deferred and so were a few of my other friends. So keep your head up, spend some time on your midyear report and finish off senior year strong.
@Allison, again, don’t think that way! There’s still a chance. Here’s a great blog post by Matt McGann on the subject (https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/more_for_deferred_students)
Our chances went down to 5.7%. At least that is, the percent of those who were defered last year that eventualy got in. We still have a chance. We just have to stay positive.
Hey, everyone, I’m a ’14, and I got deferred. They can’t accept their whole class early action; this means that you are so strong that they can’t stand to let you go. Don’t give up hope because the admissions department is fighting for you.
Here are the stats (https://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/stats)
4042/6404 ~63% Deferred
232/4042 ~5.8% Deferred–> Accepted
Before I got my decision, I felt like my application was in a quantum superposition: it was accepted, deferred, and denied all at the same time, and it wouldn’t pick one state until I “observed” my decision. Now, I’m still in that same state–until I get a decision, I’m accepted and denied. Both. At once. I’ve never before appreciated the cruelty of the Schrodinger’s cat thought experiment.
I want college admissions (all colleges–not just MIT) to be more predictable. I want to be able to measure and predict the quality of my applications in a controlled, laboratory setting. But I can’t. I can only hope that I’ve done the best job I possibly can and hope that I person I’ve never met hundreds of miles away appreciates the .pdf version of me.
Having to wait for my decisions while my friends are getting their acceptances for other schools is the only bad part about being deferred. But knowing that I can still be admitted is certainly reassuring. Hopefully I will be posting on the “Admitted” thread on Pi day!
@Spencer
Most of them…don’t worry, less than 1000 of the 6000 or so EA applicants actually get in on the first go. The other 4000-5000 get deferred (check 2011 admission stats).
Great. Another 3 months. Thanks, MIT. Sorry if I sound angry or disappointed but I can’t help it.
On the up side, at least it’s not a flat denial.
What to do now? Should I keep trying? Do I give up?
I assumed this would happen and even expected it. But, it still hurts. Everyone wants to go to MIT. I was the same. It strange to see now that we are all different. Lines have been drawn between us. Only the select will be able to cross this line.
It hurts to see that I’m graded on a midyear report when all my school competitions are in the second semester. Only a few things will change for me.
It seems that this blow was the last.
Keep the faith guys! I got deferred, not too disappointed. I didn’t get denied. There’s still a chance. I’m trying not to get brought down by stats.
Relating to Heather’s post… I agree, the MIT application was/is BY FAR the best one I’ve worked on yet.
Fingers crossed for a better Pi Day
(Toes crossed too)
this year, they let in only about 10% of EA admits, compared to the ~13% they let in last year. know what that means? higher RA admit rate, and a higher chance for deferrals!
@Kathleen — I love your post…Schrodinger’s cat indeed.
I was (and am) optimistic about my application. It’s just annoying not to have definitive feedback — and have to worry about all my other applications. I mean, it’s not like I wasn’t planning on finishing them anyway, but it would have put me in a nice mood while working on them if I already had an MIT acceptance.
I like to think of it this way: it’s better to get deferred than denied! We all have a month now to do our best so we can get in! Does anyone know around how many EA applicants usually get deferred? If around 230 EA deferred got in last year, that’s still pretty good!
On the plus side: Neil DeGrasse Tyson is doing a reddit AMA: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/ngd5e/i_am_neil_degrasse_tyson_ama/
Got deferred eh?
Deferred is a self-serving mechanism MIT employs to keep you (us)
from going on Jihad or jumping off a bridge or something and casting
a poor light on MIT’s admission process.
Deferred mean you’re done pal. Don’t even bother with regular admission ’cause
the only way you might have a chance is if MIT admissions somehow overlooked
the fact that you ( your family) are really, really, really rich, or really, really, really Asian.
You’re done…
m_quinn
5.8%?! ouch. The thing here is that all of us are very similar, so it’s going to be pretty difficult. Oh well, thank goodness for backup schools, and still 2 weeks on the Common App.
@Kathleen
Completely agree with the Schrodinger’s cat analogy. I am still simultaneously believing I will be denied and admitted (deferred is gone now, wonder why…?)
@m_quinn
Please let us talk in peace. I disagree with you, by the way.
At least I’ll have some things to add to my application on the Midyear Report…
Not rejected, but not admitted (yet)…at least that’s how I see it.
The bright side: we get to improve our applications a little.
Good luck to all the deferred applicants and congrats to the accepted!
It could have been worse! I consider deferral to be a good thing (although not as good as acceptance obviously)
@m_quinn
Hey, whats a troll?
to everyone else, stay strong, there’s still a chance. And even if we get rejected later on, things will work out. As long as you stay positive they do. It may not be how we envision it at the start, but who can tell the future anyway?
Good luck to us all.
@Kathleen — I love that analogy with Schrodinger’s cat! For the few moments before the decision sank in, I think I was seeing three different outcomes at once! …it was actually kind of cool.
Good luck to everyone on the next round!
@Kathleen
With the limited number of spots, you could say we’re incompatible observables.
Ofc, I’m sure that this type of competitive paradigm is detrimental to us and it’s NOT what MIT wants in their applicants, but I’m a sucker for QM jokes.
Anyone want to make this a physics joke thread (to help us with that 3 month wait) ?
Ah well. Mine was the application that talked about stroking the interface cable. Good times. BTW, happy birthday Vishal!
Well guess I’ll actually do the musical supplement and hope for the best next round. Good luck to everyone else who got deferred.
Well, I’m not surprised. It’s unfortunate, but I’m not surprised. I’m not going to get in regular decision either, because the one applicant who got in at my school is going to go to MIT. Plus, she’s a girl, and won a science competition.
I’m sorry MIT that I don’t take Biology or that my Ski Team thought it would be funnier for the stoner to be captain. Perhaps you’ll look past that and chose me out of the thousands that were deferred like me.
Last year, according to https://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/stats, 772 applicants were admitted early action, but of those deferred, only 232 were admitted regular action. Indeed, less than 6% of deferred applicants were admitted. On the other hand, 63% of all early applicants were deferred. Please forgive me if I treat my deferral as a “polite rejection.”
To those of you who were deferred,
I know it’s rough. Although I didn’t apply to MIT EA, I was in your shoes a year ago when I got deferred from my top choice school.
Having been there, I know it’s easy to just be upset and want to give up. I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t a wreak for a couple days, but that’s probably the worst way to deal with these things. Don’t let it eat away at you. If you really want this, don’t give up.
“Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”- Randy Pausch [Inspirational in every sense, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo%5D
That being said, keep positive, keep working hard, and don’t forget to enjoy your last semester as a senior! You can do this!
Best of luck to all of you!
Does anyone know how much/what exactly we’re allowed to add to our application if we were deferred?
@Heather
Don’t be silly.
All that you midyear report will do is cost you the price of a stamp. The only additional info that will help you now is news of a massive inheritance or something.
When Pi day comes, and you are rejected, you’ll fully understand…
m_quinn
And so, welcome to the place in which you are stuck between two rocks: MIT regular admissions and all of the other college applications.
Winter break. Time to stress and relax. What an ironic state of being. :O
It’s so hard to be amazingly unique when everyone else is amazing too. Yeah I agree with Killian: forgive me if I treat this as a polite rejection.
I wish MIT wouldn’t defer so many :(
Unfortunate but it could be worse, time to register for the January SAT and see if I can improve on my scores. Honestly with a 650 chemistry score I’m blown away by the fact that I was deferred rather than straight-up rejected. Looks like they weren’t kidding when they said that test scores are not extremely important. That must be where I need to improve then if my application was good enough to be deferred.
Was admitted to my 2nd choice school yesterday though so no stressing out about applying elsewhere. Good luck to you my fellow deferees
Definitely not the worst possible outcome. I guess now its time to just hunker down and wait ’til Pi Day for Regular Decision admissions to be announced. I am just excited for the opportunity to compete for a spot at MIT, and being deferred by such an institution is not an end-all scenario. Good luck to all my fellow deferred students, and congratulations to all those admitted EA! I hope to join you in Cambridge this coming September.
Second deferral -__-
Its sooo anticlimactic. Months of waiting only to be told to wait more months. Ugh.
Then again, it could be worse. Could be denied flat out. At least this is more polite.
On a different not, why can’t MIT accept most of its applicant during the EA period. We’re the students who want to be there the most, not the students who are applying simply because they were rejected at their number 1. For most of us, this is our number 1.
I thought I had unique ECs (2 technical papers, worked on top 100 iPod app). I guess not -_-.
Well, guess I have to STRESS with school for another 3 months. GREAT!
I was deferred when I applied EA 11 years ago. Then I was waitlisted come March. But I got in from the waitlist on May 11, 2001 — so if you want to go to MIT, don’t give up! Make sure to let the admissions office know about any new accomplishments you have.
@m_quinn
Really? The chances are low for we the deferred, but your comments really aren’t helping.
I empathize with all you others who are deferred. There’s still a chance, and I wish all of us the best of luck. At least we’re still in the running.
@Adrian Tasistro-Hart
You must have misunderstood me: as a deferred, your chances of getting in RD are not merely low, they are nonexistent. Time to hang it up and appreciate MIT for what it really is…
m_quinn
@m_quinn
it is absolutely not true when you say that deferred applicants have no chance of being admitted during RA rounds.
MIT STATISTICS FALL 2011:
Deferred: 4042
Total considered during RA: 15547
Percent deferred: 25.999%
Deferred accepted: 232
Total accepted during RA: 943
Percent deferred accepted: 24.602%
With only a 2% difference, it can be said that we are essentially weighed the same as those who applied regular.
@Bohr Hew
On Pi day I want you to review your math …
m_quinn
@m_quinn
umm… my math is correct. Check it as you please, and if there is any sort of error within it, please do not hesitate to explain my inadequacy.
By the way, I seriously rather not engage in a flame war upon this page which is SUPPOSED to be a page to alleviate the stress and concerns of those who were deferred.
If we are deferred and our applications are looked at anew, are they re-summarized before committee or are the same summaries written during EA used?
AHHH! I knew it was going to happen but it still hurts. Oh well. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger right? Keep holding on everyone! This is the time to make our RD applications as amazing as we wanted our MIT app to be.
>If we are deferred and our applications are looked at anew, are they
>re-summarized before committee or are the same summaries written >during EAused?
I’d like this answered too.
Is it possible to find out why our applications were deferred? I am wondering if I should retake my standardized tests to get that 2400 everyone seems to need, or if I should allocate my financial resources elsewhere.
@m_quinn there is never an absolute. If you honestly just enjoy putting people down, then there are other places for that. I don’t know who you are or what you really want, but to make people feel even worse isn’t needed at this time.
I wasn’t surprised that I was deferred and actually had a dream about the night before (no joke here). Even if my chance of acceptance is now around 5% I still won’t give up hope and who knows because this year isn’t last year.
To anyone who is sad and worried, try not to dwell on it and don’t give up hope. Also, ignore m_quinn because he seems like a troll. Remember, life still goes on
^Thanks.
@Samuel ’13
I don’t think that’s really an appropriate comment to post here.
I disagree with your implication that we can’t handle MIT-level course work – many of us could, I’m sure. MIT has said that around 70% of the applicants it gets are academically qualified to be at MIT, and so we could handle the coursework.
Also, this is a thread for us to chat and console each other and commiserate. Your comment comes off (perhaps unintentionally) as a bit snobbish and arrogant, and hurts us at a point when we are already fragile.
I’m happy for this thread.
It feels like a support group.
I part of me died inside when I read that I got deferred.
However, there is still that part of me that still believes.
To those deferred, our time will come.
@Billy
All the information the admissions office gives out, and has given out in the past can tell you that no specific factor of your application can tell you “what was wrong” with it. As with the rest of us who are now stuck in limbo, you submitted a very strong application that they did not want to reject. As with all institutions, MIT cannot fill their freshman class in early action alone, and they make sure they leave room for all the best applicants who first apply RA, as well as those of us who applied EA.
The only thing you can really do is update them on what you’ve done so far this year. If you play a sport, maybe your team won a championship since you sent in your application.
Maybe you went to some sort of event or competition with a club or class and did really well.
Other than that they check our midyear scores like they do for every other RA applicant, and then make a final decision.
Source: https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/more_for_deferred_students
Like everyone else here, I know I’m disappointed, but going into the application process I think most of us knew this was the most likely outcome. Obviously the wait is going to be tough, but i’m sure we’ll make it. For those responding to m_quinn, he’s been doing this since the EA process began. The best think we can all do is try to ignore him and go out and have some fun in January and February. I really recommend reading that blog post that i left up there ^, and that a few people left earlier in the thread. It really helps to understand what deferral means for us, and what we should and shouldn’t be doing for the mid-year report.
Good luck everyone.
@ Kevin
Hey, I had a similar dream last night… :p I sort of expected/enthusiastically hoped I would be accepted, but last night I dreamed that I was denied (it was essentially a nightmare). Then I found out this morning that I was deferred. It was at least better than my dream, but worse than my hopes of being accepted early!
Lets post some stats.
i have a 34 act, 780 chem, 800 math sat, run triathlons, play a varsity sport, have a 4.13 gpa, wrote my essays very articulately and still got defered..
m_quinn, please stop trolling before I personally purchase an airline ticket to make you and your “statistics” nonexistent. Thanks.
Anyway, I just read that I was deferred. So what? At least I wasn’t denied like the third poster on the denied thread. We share the SAME EXACT STATISTICS. So what’s the difference? Who know? But at least I know I have a great midyear report that will trudge into Cambridge in January. And, there are always changes I can make to the application, and I know SEVERAL areas where I may have fallen short. I know there’s hope, and, although my ego might have been shot out of this universe, I’m still here to apply and read the letter I get back on Pi Day.
I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas! And send me some snow! There isn’t much in Mississippi! HAHA!
@Mason
Oh premonitions… what they can tell us.
@Samuel
you need to realize competition has improved drastically. In consecutive years MIT has needed to expand dorms in order to support incoming freshman as more freshman are applying.
Note to self: Make sure my English typed comes out correctly….
how i feel
http://www.paulohsms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/fred-mercury-queen-meme-so-close-150×150.png
@m_quinn
You’ve already stated your comments and gotten your point across, so please refrain from dragging others down needlessly. I like everyone else here got deferred and I do wish the results had been different. But that does not mean I start channeling my negative feelings towards others. Please do not respond to my, or anyone else’s, post. If you are really as rational as you seem to claim to be, understand that your comments are neither constructive nor wanted. Please leave this thread.
@Heather,
Ignore @Samuel ’13. Agree with you totally that his comments came across as mean spirited and totally uncalled for.
All the best to EA deferred applicants. Happy holidays.
I have a few points to bring up.
1) m_quinn is a horrible troll. Look at his posts in the other threads.
2) @Samuel. That’s not a fair assumption to make. I’m pretty sure that a decent amount of people here have similar stats to you and could handle the coursework. Not to be rude, but your post is on the edge of being extremely condescending.
3) My fellow EA-ers. RELAX. We have time. We have work ahead of us. But, most importantly, we have a goal.
^ Actually what she said was correct. The majority of the applicants can handle the work. It’s all comes down to fit. Most people can do the work definitely are intellectually up to par but the adcoms believe that other factors (personality, background, etc) may make the applicant better for a different school.
This is your captain speaking, welcome aboard the USS Deferred.
@ Samuel ’13
The post I just made to @m_quinn also applies to you to. Please leave this thread. I’m sure everyone reading this agrees with me that we are reading this after a time when most of us are severely disappointed, and your comments aren’t helpful. Please go away.
I’m hoping that if I keep opening the decision, eventually it will change.
:(
@Samuel
We’re all well aware of it. We will trust MIT’s final decision when admissions are completely over. Until then it’s best not to give up hope and burst into tears or dwell on that fact. I understand that you think we’re incapable of handling MIT’s course work. And I also understand you don’t want us to have false hope. However, using your free time and blatantly telling us off that we’re unfit for MIT and alluding to the fact that we’re some levels below you because you were accepted just shows us how immature you are. Now if you would, please kindly leave us be. We can handle ourselves perfectly fine thank you.
@Brian
…. I don’t think violence is in anyway an appropriate coping mechanism.
I have a 2340 SAT, 800 in both Math II and chem, and I’m in the top 2% of my class. And I still got deferred. Stats like these are meaningless because MIT, (really one of the only schools that truly does this) looks at more than that. If you are excellent at rote memorization, replication of material that’s already been done, you’ll have excellent stats. But if on top of that you have that spark of innovation, the stuff that officers read and keep reading, that’s something more. We can’t keep whining that we got deferred just because we have nice numbers. It’s the point of the essays.
“^ Actually what she said was correct. The majority of the applicants can handle the work. It’s all comes down to fit. Most people can do the work definitely are intellectually up to par but the adcoms believe that other factors (personality, background, etc) may make the applicant better for a different school.”
Posted by: Anonymous on December 17, 2011
The other important thing to remember is that the stated goal of the admissions office is to select the best possible MIT community. That means accepting a diverse group of students from many different backgrounds, and with many different interests. They can’t accept 1700 electrical engineers, and they can’t accept 1700 baseball players.
Throwing around stats from standardized tests isn’t going to help us work out “why we were deferred,” nor will it help us in the wait for RD notification. Just sit back, relax, finish your other applications if you haven’t already (Even if MIT is “the only school you can see yourself attending.” I’m sure it’s a first choice for most if not all of us), and enjoy the holidays.
take some advice for Douglas Adams
“DON’T PANIC”
There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
MIT was the dream for a long time. And it probably won’t happen now. Yes, there is a small chance of getting in RA, but I’m not betting on it. So time to move on, to dream other dreams. And, to admitted students: have fun with psets.
Now I get to write essays all Christmas break. Yay?
@Samuel ’13
It’s not about competing with your intellectual peers. It’s about learning all you can, because you love to learn. It’s about taking everything you learn and using it to better the world. It’s about cooperating so that everybody gets the most from their education, and so that diverse people and ideas can be brought together and percolate into fantastic ideas and inventions to make this world a better place to be.
I agree that MIT isn’t here to coddle me or anyone else. If it was, I wouldn’t want to go there. I want to be blasted with information, and go home with a headache from learning so much every single day. I want to finally struggle in a class, and feel rewarded for doing well in it – or, if not doing well, learning a TON. After all, in the end, school isn’t about the grades, and I don’t particularly care about them. What I care about is whether or not I come out knowing a lot more than I went in knowing, and if I tried my absolute best at everything I did, even if I failed at it.
Of course, that said, don’t think I’m deferred because I can’t handle the work. I fully believe I can. After all… I do OCW psets in my spare time for fun.
Now, I think I’m going to try and take
‘s advice.
“You probably aren’t a good fit for MIT. We only accept those people who can handle MIT-level course work. We’re informing you that you aren’t up to the MIT standard so you have plenty of time to prepare your applications for other schools.”-Samuel ’13
This is just plain rude. When I first started calculus and was interested in seeing the general intensity of MIT’s exams, I went on the MIT open course ware, took the first exam for single variable calculus 18.01 exam and scored a 100%. The test was easier than the tests in my calculus class. The first classical mechanics (8.01) was also not bad at all.
My first deferral from Caltech stunned me quite a bit, but then deferral from MIT just absolutely broke my heart T.T Reading some of these posts comfort me and encourage me to keep pushing on until midyear reports are due. Until then, I’ve got to continue working on more college applications because now I can’t purely rely on getting in at my top two choices. Good luck to us all who were deferred! XD
@Brian
We could use quite a bit of snow in Mississippi! Where are you from?
@Aaron: I have a 2220 on my SAT, an 800 on math I and math II (submitted both but made them count math II as my math subject test), and a 790 on the physics subject test. I am in a good amount of extracurriculars, including Science Olympiad, Battle of the Books, and Business Professionals of America. I tutor students at my school just to help, since I’m great at math. I have a 4.31 GPA that will increase on January 3rd (when my school puts 1st semester grades on my transcript). This GPA also just so happens to be the highest there ever was in the history of my school. I took Calculus AB last year, but I took the BC test even though my school didn’t offer the BC class, and I got a 5 on the test and the AB subtest. I was also the first in my school to ever do this, or anything near this (second place goes to a girl who took AB junior year and BC senior year). My essays were read and enjoyed by multiple people before I submitted them. With these stats, I was still deferred. The only two things that I can think of that brought my app down were the 660 critical reading score (English is my second language) and interview. The only time my interviewer could meet me was on a school day I had two tests on (during school hours) and I would have to get a ride to a city 50 miles away to do so, so we scheduled a phone interview. My interviewer had a heavy accent and was hard to understand over the phone. I didn’t mess anything up with the interview despite these things, but the interview could have been better for sure, under better circumstances. Even with these two minor faults, I believe I should have been accepted. I’m starting to lose faith in the admissions processes of every major college/university.
Also, I strongly disagree with the arrogant person who said that those who were deferred could not handle the hard work. I dominate in every math and science class here. I’m sure I can at least pass classes from MIT, even if they are supposedly almost impossibly difficult.
I have to say, I’m not a fan of all the dejectedness and putdowns that seem to be floating around on here. Bear in mind that over 1000 of the EA applicants were flat out rejected. I will say I was more than a little upset at the extremely anticlimactic response I received, but, contrary to m_quinn there is still hope. And even if we don’t get accepted we will find happiness elsewhere. This isn’t the end of the world even though it seems like it.
And Samuel ’13, it is a sorry sight to see a current student treat prospective students with such disdain. I do hope you’ll do some thinking about the pretentious manner in which you seem to conduct yourself. It is quite unbecoming of a student at an institution whose main focus is making the world a better place to try and discourage those who share your goal.
Daniel, close to 70% of Calc BC takers get a score of 5. It’s not an exceptional score. From your post you come across as someone who is overly focused on grades (read: things that don’t matter.)
If you can demonstrate to the admissions committee that you’re more than a machine that cranks out good marks, you might have a chance of getting selected during RA.
We’re looking for people here at MIT that are comprised of more than one dimension.
I thought I had a shot.
“I thought I had a shot.”
Posted by: Brent on December 17, 2011
If you were deferred you still do.
A long shot? Yes. But it was a long shot to begin with.
Check out the admitted thread, and you’ll see how surprised most of the admitted applicants were. It’s always a long shot, but keep your chin up.
Samuel, would you mind sharing how YOU showed the admissions committee that you weren’t just a try-hard/machine? Thank you.
To be honest, I’m not upset at all about being deferred. In terms of academics, I guess you could say okay?– but the way I see it, high school life is high school– take what you can and leave everything behind
I spent this morning figuring out some songs and dancing around my room doing the vector dance xD I’m not going to hug myself and assume the best, but I’m not buckle down and assume Murphy’s law to hold in all cases, either. Isn’t it better, after all, to at least maintain a dynamic equilibrium? 
It’s kind of cool to think that some of us will meet each other someday! Any mechanical engineers? Anyone working on anything cool?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LanCLS_hIo4
@Samuel ’13 When I visited MIT, they said that most applicants (those accepted as well as those deferred) have the credentials and accomplishments necessary to fit in at MIT, handle MIT’s course work, and use an MIT education to better the international community. So far, you are only worsening the international community with your feelings of superiority. However, I do agree with you on one thing: Yes, clearly MIT does make admissions mistakes.
My scores are not the greatest (1920 SAT, 800 Math Level II, 780 Physics, 33 ACT), but I thought that these would be good enough for MIT. What I was really hoping that would get me admitted was what I have done outside of class. I have participated in several math and science activities, such as Science Bowl, Science Olympiad, and Mu Alpha Theta. I have placed well in many math and science competitions (1st place State Trigonometry, 2nd place Regional Science Bowl, 3rd place Regional Science Olympiad). I also play the violin, tennis, and more recently I have tried fencing. What I thought might have really stood out was that I took the opportunity to participate in research at a state university. I am currently working with a professor that is helping to design a collimator for the super high momentum spectrometer at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia.
I have dreamed of working as a theoretical physicist or an astrophysicist since I have been little, and I get to work with one much sooner than I anticipated. If I had to guess a reason on why I might have been deferred, my guess would be because I didn’t express enough emotion in my application and/or my interview. I participated in all of these activities not just to put them on my resume but because of the fact that I love and am passionate about all the things that I do!
I guess whether or not I will be accepted, I have accomplished something in life, but I was hoping that I could be a much greater help in the world if I could have the education provided at MIT.
Thanks, Ian! :D
Yeah, I’ve commented on here already, but it’s nice to commiserate a bit. But all hope is not yet lost …
@ Anonymous – Yea I know, this doesn’t help as a username
I’m working on a paper on using fractals in disaster prevention engineering.
Hi everyone —
I don’t want to intrude on what is mostly a healthy conversation, but I did want to note that the commenter posting as “Samuel ’13” is not an MIT student. I’m sorry he portrayed himself that way.
— Matt
Dear Matt,
Thank you so much for the update. I was starting to worry about the type of students at MIT.
However, since I now know that the admissions officers are somewhat glancing at these threads and moderating them, I have 2 quick questions for them and my peers.
1) I have 730 on MathII and 710 on Physics. Re-take or not worth it?
2) Why MIT?
Personally, I love the people that go there and the less-pure, more help-people research they do.
Thanks, Matt!
I have a question, too. When will the information and advice for deferred students be posted, do you know?
Again, thanks very much, Matt!
I saw this coming from a mile away, but it still sort of sucks. I generally think regret is one of the most consuming and counterproductive emotions out there, but I can’t help but look back and think, “What could I have done better?” Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally happy to be deferred – it’s an honor to know that one of the best universities in the world considered me thoroughly enough to not reject me outright.
Still, I can’t help but be disappointed. I’ve visited this website almost every day for the past four years. I spent three days on campus just immersing myself in its sights, its sounds, its people and its energy. Sort of strange to think that all of those hopes can be changed with something as cold, simple and impersonal as an online decision letter, but I digress. I know I have another shot in March, but it’s probably not a very good one.
To everyone that was accepted, I congratulate you – it’s definitely a huge achievement, and I know that you all deserve it. Hopefully I’ll see some of you in September, but it’s unlikely.
@Samuel: I agree with you that the admitted students are extremely bright, impressive individuals that are definitely capable of handling the work at MIT. However, I find it a bit appalling, but mostly just sad that you’re sitting around poking fun at stressed out high school seniors that didn’t get into the same college as you. I’m sure you’re correct that some of those that were deferred (myself possibly included) are applicants that are not as good a fit for MIT as those that were accepted. From my understanding though, being a good fit has little to do with your ability to handle the work, it’s mostly about matching MIT’s culture and community. I’m sure that many deferred applicants are capable of performing academically at MIT, and your comments demonstrate how little you know about your own school’s admissions process – the fact is that 1. Many applicants that are deferred and rejected can do the work 2. When there are just shy of 18,000 applications coming in for a freshman class of 1100 students, there are simply just not enough spots for every candidate that would be a great match for the Institute and 3. Academics, while a large part of the admissions process, AREN’T EVERYTHING – it’s about how you’ll make the campus a more vibrant, engaging and diverse learning environment. It seems that Chris, Matt and Ben have all said similar things in the past and I’m confident they would back me up here. You’re right to say that MIT shouldn’t accept applicants that aren’t academically qualified, but I think you’re wrong to insinuate that every applicant who wasn’t admitted early isn’t qualified. I’m not sure if you meant to come off as pretentious and condescending, but if you’d like to continue belittling deferred students who may be just as intelligent, talented, hard-working and creative as you are, be my guest. Just know that MIT, while a great school, is not the end-all-be-all of colleges, and it definitely seems to have gone to your head.
@Edward
Forget it buddy, your done …
Let me clear this up for the rest of you: It’s not about merit – your grades, your recommendations, your SAT scores – rather it’s about money and race. Time, and time again in this very forum, MIT admissions have admitted that their process is both unfair and discriminatory. Fact is: THEY DO NOT CARE …
m_quinn