Being accepted at MIT is a dream of many people. And it is not for nothing, since the university was considered the best in the world in the QS World University Rankings of 2020. But do you know, for sure, what it takes to get there? We have brought here an overview of Massachusetts Institute of Technology approvals to help you prepare to make your application. Check out!

What is the way to be accepted at MIT?

MIT is one of the most selective universities in the world. Currently, the acceptance rate there is 6.7%, which means that it accepts only about 7 people for every 100 who apply for a vacancy.

An acceptance rate of 6.7% means that the institute is extremely competitive to enter. Therefore, you will need excellent grades, high scores on tests such as SAT and ACT, essays and letters of recommendation to be accepted at MIT.

Application deadlines and requirements for MIT

MIT has its own selection process. This means that it does not accept applications through Common Application, Coalition Application or Universal Application. Here are all the requirements for application at MIT:

• MIT requires all students to submit grades on SAT, ACT or TOEFL. Freshmen are also required to submit two grades for the SAT Subject Tests: one for Mathematics and one for Science.
• MIT requires all students to send five short essaysas part of the application.
• The university asks all students to send at least two letters of recommendation.
• There are no specific requirements for MIT courses.
• For some courses, however, portfolios are required.

The regular application deadline for the university is January 1st. Applicants are notified of approval (or not) in mid-March.

Is it possible to register as an early application or action?

Yes, the university allows applicants to apply as early action. This means that you can apply and be accepted to MIT months before other students, but you do not have to commit to the institute if you pass. The application deadline for this modality is until November 1st and students are notified of the result of the selection process in mid-December.

According to MIT’s admission statistics for the 2022 class, candidates who applied early did not have any significant advantage over students who applied on a regular basis. For both admission terms, just under 7% of applicants were accepted.

What GPA does it take to be accepted at MIT?

MIT does not specify a minimum GPA requirement and does not release the average GPA for admitted candidates. However, due to the caliber of students accepted by the institution, we can assume that the average GPA is quite high. This means that you should always try to get high marks, preferably the total of the discipline you are taking.

In addition to the notes themselves, MIT also pays attention to the workload and the difficulty of the subjects that the candidate has already taken. With that, they want to know if you are challenging yourself. Therefore, it is important that you participate in more advanced classes or even take isolated courses at another university (perhaps even here in Brazil) to show that you are not afraid of academic challenges.

Notes in American ENEMs

As we said earlier, in order to be accepted at MIT, you will need to submit notes on the SAT or ACT, the so-called “American ENEMs”. Let’s see what scores you need to be accepted at MIT:

SAT

The average of MIT candidates is between 1520 and 1580 on a scale of 1600 on the SAT. In other words, 75% of admitted students score above 1520 on this test. This means that you will need to get as close to a perfect score as possible to ensure that you stand a chance of being accepted at MIT.

Fortunately, MIT uses the “highest section” score (also known as ” superscore “). Basically, superscore means that MIT will consider the highest scores for each section in all editions of the SAT that you participated in (and submitted with the application). This scoring policy is good news for anyone looking to enter university, as it means that you can prepare and retake the exam without worrying about damaging your previous scores.

ACT

It is not surprising that admitted students also score high on the ACT. The top 75% admitted to the university get 34 or more points on the test. With so many candidates with grades at this level, a lower score will not be very impressive and will decrease your chances of being accepted at MIT. Fortunately, superscore is also used in this case.

Essays

MIT requires you to answer five questions in your essays, in a short way (about 250 words maximum). These questions relate to various aspects of your life, such as what you do for fun, what department of the institution you are interested in, a way to contribute to your community, a description of your background and a challenge you faced in your life.

These essays in the MIT selection process are specifically designed to get to know the candidate better and to learn more about his interests and history. Remember: MIT wants to admit interesting students with interesting stories. The university highly values ​​the fact that it has students with unique peculiarities and passions, and not just high marks on tests.

Here are the prompts for the 2019-2020 selection process essay:

• We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. (100 words or fewer) We know that you live a busy life, full of activities, many of which are necessary for you. Tell about something you do simply for pleasure. (100 words or less)
• Although you may not yet know what you want to major in, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? (100 words or fewer) As much as you still don’t know which course you want to take, which department or program at MIT appeals to you and why? (100 words or less)
• At MIT, we bring people together to better the lives of others. MIT students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc. (200-250 words)
  At MIT, we bring people together to improve other people’s lives. MIT students work to improve their communities in different ways, from facing the world’s greatest challenges to being a good friend. Describe a way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, in the classroom, in your neighborhood, etc. (200-250 words)
• Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations? (200-250 words) Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city or town. How did this world shape your dreams and aspirations? (200-250 words)
• Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? (200-250 words) Tell us about the most significant challenge you faced or something important that happened and did not go according to plan. How did you manage the situation? (200-250 words)