The Freshman Application

How To Apply

The 2009 freshman application will be available online and in a downloadable PDF format by the end of July. Please check back here at that time to access the downloadable PDF version of the application.

In order to apply online, you will need to create a MyMIT account. It only takes a few minutes - just be sure to make note of your username and password!

We encourage our applicants to apply online whenever possible, however you should choose the application method that is most comfortable for you.

In the meantime, we suggest you take a look at the Helpful Tips section below for information on the various application components and processes.

Helpful Tips

Below you will find advice and answers to commonly asked questions for each section of our application.

• Part 1: Biographical Information Form
• Part 2: Essays, Activities, and Tests Form
• Self-reported Coursework Form
• Interview
• Standardized Tests
• Teacher Evaluation Forms
• Secondary School Report Form
• Mid-year Grade Report Form
• Financial Aid Materials
• Contacting A Coach
• Submitting A Music Or Art Portfolio

Part 1: Biographical Information Form

Submitting this form and the $65 application fee initiates your application process. We encourage you to register for a MyMIT account which will enable you to easily submit this form online.

Deadline
This form must be submitted (or postmarked) no later than November 1 if you're applying Early Action (U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents only), or no later than January 1 if you're applying Regular Action. We prefer that you submit this form as soon as possible, so that we can get a head start on processing your application file; however, early submission does not advantage or disadvantage your application in any way.

Fee waiver
If the application fee presents a hardship for you and your family, you may qualify for a fee waiver. To request a fee waiver, ask your high school guidance counselor, principal, or other school official to fill out the SAT Request for Waiver of College Application Fee form or to submit an official letter on your behalf. The form, or official letter, should be mailed to: MIT Office of Admissions, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Rm. 3-108, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 by the application deadline.

Parent Information
If you're a member of a non-traditional family, please provide information about the persons whom you consider to be your mother and father, whether they are your biological parents, adoptive parents, or stepparents.

Field of Study
We're asking about your preferred field of study because we're curious about what interests you right now - not because we have any quotas. You won't declare your major until the end of your freshman year - there's a lot of time between now and then to explore, discover new things, change your mind. For this reason, approximately half of our students ultimately major in something entirely different from what they wrote on their application, so we couldn't use this data to predict anything even if we wanted to. Moral of the story: writing "underwater basket weaving" will not give you an edge in the admissions process, so just be honest!

Part 2: Essays, Activities, and Tests Form

Deadline
This form must be submitted (or postmarked) no later than November 1 if you're applying Early Action (U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents only), or no later than January 1 if you're applying Regular Action. We prefer that you submit this form as soon as possible, so that we can get a head start on processing your application file; however, early submission does not advantage or disadvantage your application in any way.

Short Essay B
As with "Field Of Study" above, we're asking only because we're curious about what interests you right now - not because we have any quotas.

Long Essay
The 500-word limit is a guideline, not a strict cut-off. Simply use good judgment - your readers won't mind if your essay is 550 words, but 1,000 words will likely be a different story. If you upload a file, please be aware that small formatting losses can occur. Don't worry about this - you certainly won't be penalized! But if precise formatting is essential to the meaning and impact of your essay, you'll want to mail it to us. In that case simply enter "will be mailed separately" in the online application, and be sure to include your full name and date of birth on your essay before sending it via postal mail. Remember that your essay is not a writing test. It's the place in the application where we look for your voice - who you are, what drives you, what's important to you, what makes you tick. Be honest, be open, be real - connect with us. That's all that matters.

Activities
Please use our form, not your resume, to list your activities. There is only enough space to list five things - please choose the five that mean the most to you and tell us a bit about them. This will tell us more about you than any "laundry list" of everything you've ever done in high school.

You are welcome to submit a resume, but submitting a resume in lieu of filling out our standard activity list can hurt you (so don't).

Self-reported Coursework Form

How you fill out this form will not make or break your application, so don't stress about it. Use your best judgment - we're simply trying to get a clear picture of your academic preparation by subject area. We see thousands of different transcripts, so it really helps us to view your coursework and grades in a consistent format.

Here are some tips and instructions to help you complete this section:

• To be completed by students in U.S. school systems only.
• The information you provide does not replace your official high school transcript, which must be sent to us from your school.
• It might help to have a copy of your high school transcript in front of you while completing this form. Consult your guidance counselor if you have questions.
• Avoiding abbreviations, if at all possible, enter the names of your school courses by subject area. Please include all classes you have taken and are currently taking.
• If there aren't enough spaces for all the courses you have taken, start with your most recent (current) class and work backwards. You can also use the "Additional courses" section as an overflow section for any of the subject areas.
• If your courses were taken outside of your high school (at a local junior college or university, for example), tell us where they were taken in the "Course Title" field.
• In the "Term and/or Final Grade(s)" field, list term and/or final grades for each class, as found on your school transcript (semester, trimester, quarter, final, etc.).
• Use one line only per class - for example, it's not necessary to use a separate line for each semester of the same class. Place all grades for a class in the same field, separating grades with commas.

Interview

Interviews are conducted by Educational Counselors, or ECs - MIT alumni volunteers who meet with prospective students in their home communities. You'll find your interviewer's name and contact information in your MyMIT account. Though an interview is not required, it's a very effective way for us to learn more about you and for you to introduce yourself as a real live individual. Last year, of eligible applicants, we admitted 16% of those who had an interview (or who had their interview waived) but only 6% of those who chose not to interview. Schedule your interview by October 20 if you are applying Early Action, or by December 1 if you are applying Regular Action. For more information, click here.

Standardized Tests

Testing must be completed by the November test date for Early Action and by the December test date for Regular Action. These dates change each year and are set by the testing agency. Click here for specifics on our testing requirements.

Teacher Evaluations

We require two teacher evaluations - please give them to your teachers early! One ("Evaluation A") should be from a math or science teacher and one ("Evaluation B") should be from a humanities teacher. We find that the best recommendations are written by teachers who know an applicant well as both a student and a person - please choose accordingly. We prefer that teachers use our forms, but it's okay if your high school has its own form. It's okay too for a teacher to submit a letter; we just ask that he/she attach it to our form - with your name and date of birth clearly indicated - and that the letter address the questions on our form.

Secondary School Report Form

Your guidance counselor or principal should complete this form and return it to us along with your transcript and a letter of summary/recommendation. We prefer that schools use our form, but it's ok if your school has a policy to use its own form. Give your guidance counselor (or principal) this form early so that he/she has time to fully consider the best way to present your accomplishments.

Mid-year Grade Report Form

This form is to be completed by a guidance counselor or principal. It is required for all applicants (including Early Action admitted students) who currently attend a U.S. high school or who currently attend a school located abroad that follows the U.S. high school curriculum. If you do not attend a U.S. high school or a U.S.-based school system abroad, you are not required to submit this form.

The Mid-year grade report form should be returned to us as soon as possible after completion of the fall semester (or after completion of the second quarter, if your school uses a quarter-based system). If your school uses a trimester schedule, please return this form to us following completion of the first trimester. We realize that most Early Action applicants will not have first term grades by November 1; if you apply Early Action, return this form to us as soon as these grades are available.

Early Action applicants on quarter-based systems often ask if it is okay to send in their first-quarter grades. This is not required, but it's certainly okay. Please note, however, that you must still send in the mid-year report after the second quarter grades have been released.

For Regular Action applicants, the mid-year grade report form should be returned as soon as your first semester grades are available. We realize that for some of you, your mid-year grades will not be released until after January 1st - this is not a problem. Please just be sure to send the form in as soon as they are available.

Financial Aid

Student Financial Aid must receive your Financial Aid materials by February 15 (please note that this is a receipt deadline, not a postmark deadline). The admissions process at MIT is need-blind, so a Financial Aid application (or lack thereof) will not affect your chances of being admitted to MIT. Financial aid at MIT is entirely need-based and we are committed to meeting 100% of every student's demonstrated financial need.

Contacting A Coach

If you are an accomplished athlete and you plan to participate at the varsity level in college, we encourage you to contact the MIT coach for your sport(s). You'll find a complete staff directory here.

Submitting A Music Portfolio

Advanced musicians who are interested in continuing their music activity at MIT are encouraged to submit a music supplement via email addressed to auditions@mit.edu. If you are thinking about submitting a music portfolio, please try to submit it by November 1 if you are an Early Action applicant or by January 1 if you are an Regular Action applicant. Please see instructions below for supplements and emails.

Please note:

• If you play two instruments equally well, please submit a separate supplement for each instrument.
• Formats requested are to ensure compatibility with Mac Platform

For Performers:

1. Mp3 recording attachments of two pieces of contrasting styles, of about 10 minutes total duration. They may be solo or with accompaniment but not in an ensemble.
2. A one-page Music Resume attached in pdf format
3. One letter of recommendation from a Music teacher attached in pdf format

For Composers:

1. One recent composition score attached in pdf format.
2. A one-page Music Resume attached in pdf format
3. One letter of recommendation from a Music teacher attached in pdf format

For all applicants submitting a music supplement, in the body of the email, please be sure to include:

1. Your Name
2. Your Date of Birth
3. Your Instrument
4. Composer and Title of the recorded works submitted

Submitting An Art Portfolio

Students who are interested in architecture or art are welcome to submit a portfolio containing any art, photography, or architectural work for evaluation by the architecture faculty. If you are thinking about submitting an art portfolio, please try to submit it by November 1 if you are an Early Action applicant or by January 1 if you are an Regular Action applicant.

Format: Simple, 8" x 10" hard copies are preferred. Submissions in CD format are permitted but not preferred. Please note that slides are not encouraged - they may be difficult to view and thus may put you at a disadvantage.

Please include:

1. Your full name
2. Your date of birth
3. "Undergraduate Application Materials" on the envelope

Please send submissions to: Jan Wampler, Director Of Design - Undergraduate Program, MIT Department of Architecture, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Building 9-213, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307.