Regular Action Admissions Update by Matt McGann '00
Updates about application numbers, application tracking, and more.
Here are some updates from the Admissions Office…
Applications: It has been reported that applications to MIT for this year have increased about 6%.
Midyear Report: The Midyear Report is on schedule to be released next week. The Midyear Report is to be filled out by all MIT applicants under consideration during Regular Action. You can read more at this blog entry.
Application tracking: This is the big update for today.
The Records Office has processed all application components received for Regular Action applicants; the current status of your application is now shown on your MyMIT application tracking.
This is a good time for you to check up on the status of your application components. The Application Tracking will show what materials we have processed for you. We should have the following: Application Part 1, Application Part 2, Secondary School Report and Transcript, Evaluation A (math or science teacher), Evaluation B (humanities teacher), Testing Requirements (except January scores, which will take a few more weeks to arrive), and, if applicable, Interview Report.
What happens if the tracking system is missing something?
First, do not worry. We do not assign blame on why we don’t have it, we just know that we have not processed it. We will not look at your application unfavorably because it is missing an application component at this time. We will wait a while longer before having it evaluated to give you time to send along another copy. Your complete application will be considered for Regular Action.
If the tracking system on MyMIT indicates that we are still missing parts of your application, fax your materials to 617-258-8304 as soon as possible. Please allow 48 hours to process your documents. Thank you for your patience.
If faxing a document, please keep retrying your fax until it goes through (we do not have unlimited fax capacity, so you may need to try multiple times before it goes through).
We are asking you to NOT send any missing documents through postal (snail) mail unless absolutely necessary. Please fax missing documents unless this is not possible.
If we are missing an evaluation, the teacher may fax a copy to us. If they need another copy of the evaluation form, you can get a PDF from the tracking system.
If you had an interview more than two weeks ago and we haven’t yet processed it, you should fill out the Conducted Interview form on the MyMIT Application Tracking Detail page. We will follow up with your Educational Counselor.
If we have not processed standardized test scores that that you had the testing agency send us, then you may fax us a copy of an official score report. We will follow up with the testing agency. If we are missing your TOEFL scores, make sure the name on your application is exactly the same as it is on your TOEFL registration. If it is not, please send us an email with your TOEFL registration name.
Bottom line: do not stress if we are missing pieces. It happens every year for reasons usually beyond your control. No worries.
Rankings: Not an admissions update, but I thought you might be interested in the following current national rankings of MIT teams:
- #5 Debate (American Parliamentary Debate Association)
- #6 Women’s Swimming & Diving (NCAA Division III)
- #5 Solar Car (2009 World Solar Challenge)
- #5 Men’s Swimming & Diving (NCAA Division III)
- #8 Men’s Basketball (NCAA Division III)
- #8 Women’s Indoor Track & Field (NCAA Division III)
- #14 Men’s Volleyball (NCAA Division III)
- #19 Men’s Indoor Track & Field (NCAA Division III)
Decisions: We have not yet determined on what date we will release Regular Action decisions. It will likely be sometime in mid-March, but you should wait for an official announcement from our office. We have not yet determined when the announcement will be made; it usually is about a week before decisions are released.
Super update, Thank you. I probably can see now that fusion between Matt and MIT. Lets praise great men!
Hello,
I have been deferred EA, and thought it would be helpful to submit a supplementary reference from my rugby coach. Will it show up in the application tracking when it arrives? It arrived Friday afternoon
Lol, last sentence at the end of the third paragraph under MyMIT Application Tracking says “Your complete application will be considered for Early Action“… typo?
Thank you for this information Matt, I was eager to know the overall increase of applicants this year.
I have two questions:
a)Can I still send an extra letter of recommendation? One from my piano instructor. If so, do/does I/he have/has to fax it to MIT, or can it be send to MIT via a mailing agency?
b)Will the renovation of building W1 into a new undergraduate residence hall affect the overall number of admitted students this year?
Thank you for your time and for the effort you put into reading our applications.
~Julio (’14?)
@Julio
Fax them as soon as possible! so that they get attached to your file before the review.
Thanks Matt!!
I have a question: My school uses a quarter-based system and I will not be able to get my grades until March 30th. I guess the decision would have been made at that time. What should I do?
One more question..
Is there a deadline for the Midyear report??
@Kenneth (’14?):
well yeah you are right bout that but strangely they are pretty fast up in replying, probably they empathies to what we will be feeling now–
But they might also have developed some Super-Secret Artificial Intelligence that they use to get us all satisfied, u never know??
Matt,
Thank you for all of the information! I just have three quick questions for you, if you don’t mind answering them.
1. If we were to submit more relevant information to the office of admissions (such as an essay) that was not needed for the completion of the application, should we send it in via snail mail or some other form?
2. Relating to question #1, should we wait to send the extra info in until the midyear report is out, or does it not matter when we send it in?
3. If we were to get an extra recommendation from a teacher, say, a science teacher, would it need to be on an evaluation sheet provided by MIT?
Thank you for your time!
Hello Matt,
I also want to know if I can send another letter of recommendation, and if so, how should I send it (mail or fax)?
Two of the teams I am interested in competing for if I get in next year are ranked! (Debate and track :D)
Hi!
I m wondering about how to keep track of the additional recommendation letters and documents which are sent before Jan 1. In My MIT account, all necessary application components are updated as “processed”. How about additional materials?
Thank you very much for the post sir. Here are my questions.
1) Same question about additional materials.
2) If a student has got A+ in all his subjects with an A in literature and poetry, will they go against him/her? I know it might sound silly but I am really curious. I could afford to take SAT-2 tests only once (in December) but because of my exams the same month, I didn’t study much on the SAT. I got 720 in math level 2 and 730 in physics. I am personally not satisfied with them. However, do my scores support with my grades?
Although this happens every year, but I’m really impressed how you (and the whole admissions) handled so many applications!
For supplementary materials, I guess we just can hope they have received it. *sigh*
@ Anonymous on January 26, 2010 10:10 AM:
Yep. They’re MIT. They really have developed this AI by a 99% chance.
@Those who want to check in bout additional material: e-mail the admission office, thats what i did and they helped me out..
oh n yeah i thought i will maintain blog silence this year but there goes tat
@Anonymous on January 26, 2010 07:11 AM:
The MIT Admissions Office is going to receive tons (even though emails are weightless) of emails
@Kenneth (’14?):
hope i will get a chance to get up there n make tat 100%
It is really very good news for it but seeming to be very competitive too. MIT has been covered No.1 ranking since last many times for Computer Science. Everyone who is scholar can at least try for admission. It’s degree and study is very precious.
@another deferee
If you have extra documents (eg Essays) what i would recommend is that you print it out and fax it in.
Can essays be sent in the body of an email, since MIT won’t open attachments, or is that too unprofessional / messy to print out?
Um I emailed the admissions office and they refused to answer my question about how they wanted additional essays sent. The first reply basically reiterated the blog post and the second reply told me to try and fit my essay along with all other updates in 250 words on the MYR (ok not that exact wording but that is what they meant).
@Protoform XY: I was wondering the same thing about SAT2 scores. I’m worried about the contrast between my math/science class scores and my standardized test scores–I’ve had top marks school/district wide in my classes since freshman year, but I hardly studied for my SATs at all and went into them dry…so, naturally, things like the reading and writing which are super-super easy to me came out with much higher scores. I.e., Critical Reading SAT1=800, Math 1 SAT2=500 (cringes in horror!) And THAT, if anything, may kill me in admissions…Not to mention that timed math tests make me freak out. I worry about this a lot. Will they think I’m not techy/math-y enough for MIT? Or will my high grade in Calculus AP BC weight it out a bit?
*sighs*
We’ll see.
Thanks a lot Matt for the update. I cannot believe the number of applicants went up by 6%. Like Kenneth, I am vey much impressed at how you handle all of us. Do you guys sometimes worry that in the near future, you will have to read like 40,000 applications each year?
@Kirungi: Hi. I could not help noticing that your name sounds rather ugandan….or maybe east African. I’m kind of excited to read a post from another East African.
Hi,
can somebody please tell me if we can also fax revised app essays?
@D: As written by Anonymous on January 26, 2010 10:10 AM, they’ll by then have a Super-human Artificial Intelligence system, software, or whatever.
Yet another praise to the MIT admissions here.
Nice… I have everything submitted except my January SAT & Mid Year report =] There is only one thing left: the College Board website said I didn’t sent my SAT2 scores, but in my MIT dashboard, it shows that all my materials are in so… that is kind of confusing…
@solar cars~
Neat, another way to make use of natural energy, like the wind turbines. Come to think about it, we can now use energy from water, wind, fire and earth (earth = bad way… destroying mother nature)!!
@Amethyst & Protoform XY
Protoform XY, I suggest you to check your percentiles (%) on your Physics and math; they are the things that really counts. Take a look at this year, a lot of people do very good on science because my friend got 740 in physics and it is 75% (top 25% nationa!), I got 710 in Chemistry and it is only 67% (hurts my heart). It is even crazier in math, 730 in math level 2 is ONLY 65% and 710 in level 1 math is a big fat 89%… Therefore, a higher mark in level 2 doesn’t mean it is better than a lower mark in level 1, in percentiles.
Wow, Amethyst, you must be very good at English (800 at critical reading…). If you are worrying about that low mark on Math level 1, try to think of it this way, MIT likes unique people, like you, crazy English master~! It is what they call diversity =]
I hope the people who already got accepted can tell us what they got in the SAT…
VERIFICATION: Bouck Amstertiam (are these words?)
@C2
It breaks my heart too. (68% in math level 2 and 70% in physics). In fact I was very late in arranging money for that. But I have set my alternatives now. I have my interests, goals, commitments and some scholarship offers. So in case of rejection, I will have enough money to take tests again and reapply as a transfer applicant. By the way, it was a wonderful experience applying to MIT…. gained a lot of knowledge about admissions to US universities. I hope all of you get admission with financial aid.
Best of luck friends!
@Protoform XY
Six months ago, before I knew what MIT is, I was just a student with a goal of getting to a good university in Canada and graduate,dull. Now, I know what competition feels like and what stress feels like. Luckily, my parents support me on the part of taking tests and stuff. Also, I am aiming to transfer to MIT, if I don’t get in this time. (WE GOT THE SAME GOAL XD)
One more thing, through the SAT & SAT2, I notice where I am standing at right now. I learned a lot, both knowledge and experience.
Now, all we need to do is relax and enjoy every second of our life, before 2012 (<LOL, do you believe? <<<LOL!!!)
P.S. If you want to know why I am browsing this site like crazy… Because I got bored from studying for the Exams…
VERIFICATION: flats new
@D
lol spot on; but do you want to share our diversity and resilience with MIT? be my colleague in shaping the new world order from these two values. will meet at MIT!
@ Everyone talking about SAT II scores
You have to realize that the group of students who take the SAT IIs is much more intelligent on average than the group taking the SAT Is. Mostly because the only universities that require or recommend taking them are exclusive universities such as MIT.
Because of this, the College Board doesn’t base SAT II scores on percentiles. Instead, it’s designed so that a score is equally as hard (or easy) to achieve as a similar score on one of the SAT I tests. MIT and other schools know and understand this and most likely put little stock in the percentile rankings of the SAT IIs.
Hope this eases your nerves a bit.
In further support of my previous statement, over 2 million college-bound seniors take the SAT I every year, but only 100,000 take the Math Level 2 SAT II. It’s pretty safe to say you’re competing almost exclusively against the top 5-10% of students for percentile ranking when you take the SAT IIs.
Sir i have one big confusion – I have decided to take the SAT I n II this year (a 2011 hopeful, resident of republic of INDIA)and I want to know whether it is necessary to give the TOEFL for me – I have been educated in schools where the medium of instruction is English – n above all in INDIA – English is very much the official working language.
I’ll be really grateful for your guidance!
Cheers
Harsh Vardhan
@Harsh Vardhan
Though I am not supposed to answer your question yet I would suggest you to take the tests you have already planned. Prepare well for them, and yeah summer holidays will be very useful for the preparation. Take them in July or August while the material will be fresh in your mind. After you take the tests, you will be able to evaluate yourself easily and in case you are dissatisfied with any of your scores, you will have time to take them again. As you have a lot of time, I would personally suggest to take the SAT 1, and don’t worry you can always take the TOEFL till January 31/30 2011.
And since I am familiar with your education, I would strongly recommend you to try to finish the HSSC-2 courses during summer for mathematics and physics (if you are planning to take the physics test on SAT 2). For SAT 2 Math Level 2, you should have the relatively fundamental knowledge of Calculus (like limits, functions, differentiation and integration is excluded) and analytical geometry (parabola, hyperbola, circle and ellipse). Trigonometry is very important and some questions related to statistics (mean, median, mode, deviation, variance, and some other topics) also appear on the test. “Barrons Guide” and “Princeton Review” will prove useful.
For SAT 2 Math Level 1, you need to know the basics of high school algebra, trigonometry, geometry (it also includes euclidean geometry) and statistics (mean, median, mode, deviation, variance).
For SAT 1, I would say take the diagnostic test and note your weak points. Critical reading section may need much attention and time. While vocabulary is very important, you should read books or excerpts and learn the meanings of the words you don’t know. This will be much better. Don’t worry MUCH about mathematics section of SAT 1; if you can do well on the SAT 2, SAT 1 math will be a lot easier. Hope it helps.
If you have any other questions, I will be more than glad to help you out. Best of luck!
@C2
I am glad to see you here for your case resembles mine (to a certain degree). Don’t have to worry anymore.
@Alec
Thank you so much for the info. It is not that I am not hopeful but the fact is a large number of intelligent and hard working students are rejected every year. So its better to be prepared for it.
@Harsh Vardhan
You don’t have to waste time in speculating things. Just do it as planned!
Can we send photos of our national and international distinctions in additional materials?
The Regular Action decisions should be released on Sunday, March 14th — PI DAY! :D
(at 1:59!)
@Matto: But then I’ll have to stay up to 0159 and I’ve got school the following day. (I’m @ GMT+8)
Hi
Can any one solve my problem. i applied in MIT this year as freshman applicant but i could not take my SAT tests due to certain circumstances which means that i will not be able to get admission in MIT this year.My question is can i apply in MIT next year with same application and registration or i have to submit the application again ?
@Matto
Wow, thanks, just one month and 15 days to go, HURRAY~! Oh, I am EST, know what time it would be here? And what is a PI DAY?
PS: At my previous post at January 28, 2010 03:49 PM, My second last sentence was not completed… It was suppose to be this: Now, all we need to do is relax and enjoy every second of our life, before 2012 (LOL, Do you believe, LOLLLLLLL!!!)
EXAM ON MONDAY~ STUDY TIME ~
I really really regret not applying to MIT. My counselor refused to let me apply. Apparently my school gets a list of rejected students which is then forwarded to the principal, and this is (again, apparently) embarrassing for my counselor. So I couldn’t apply.
I’m so irritated right now. So very irritated.
@Kenneth (’14?): It’ll just be like staying up on the Saturday night. However, the 0 might introduce some problems because pi is 3.14159 and not 3.140159. It could be interpreted as 15:92 but then that’s thirty-two minutes into the NEXT hour; i.e., 4:32pm.
@C2: I wasn’t stating the date as a fact! MIT has yet determined on what date they will release Regular Action decisions. I was just making a fun suggestion; it’d be cool if they released decisions on pi day, because pi is 3.14 and March 14th is the 14th day of the 3rd month.
Cool, thanks Matoo xD Pi Day xD