Well, it was worth a shot, anyway, right?

Where can I download the Fall 2008 application materials?
:-)

just didnt get in

U know what, I honestly don't care. Well, logically I do a little bit, but screw them.

I got into the ivies anyhew.

:'(

Your loss.

*nods* It was very much worth the shot.

Alas, I didn't get in either, but I feel pretty good about my second choice (which I'm going to go confirm in a few minutes.) Congratulations to everyone that did get in, and I hope things go well for you!

oops

it's pretty sad

Waiting on Caltech.

I can't believe it! I'm trying not to be sore about it, but I at least expected to be waitlisted! Well, I guess they didn't want somebody who was better at arts and music...I'm not as strong in math and science...
To all the other nonadmittents- I'm sure there's other colleges that accepted you, as I was to the Ivys, so don't feel too bad...

Yeah... oh well.

=( oh man...

It was worth a shot. I still love this school with all my heart.

at least its over!!!

Well, seems I share the fate of everyone else who will be posting a comment here. I didn't go in with high hopes, and so I'm not too disappointed (just a bit ;).

I think I'm going to go celebrate St. Patty's day. That is, after I shovel all the snow that was dumped all over the place (I live in Erie, Pennsylvania).

PS - Still waiting on the Carnegie Mellon letter...anyone else know when those are coming out?

well, it was worth a shot, but who cares? I'll see you guys in four years for graduate.

I'm not checking my decision until it comes in the mail, but let me post here anyway =D

MIT's biggest loss ever. I am going to get into more than two Ivy Leagues anyway. So I don't care.

damn.

it would have been nice to get in
but oh well
at least it'll make choosing where i want to go a little easier later on... i think...

I can say that it was for the most part an incredible ride, despite the fact that it's been cut short. Having a taste of what MIT is like is truly rewarding and I probably expect to stop every now and then for another taste. Sincerely, I would like to thank all the bloggers and admissions staff members for considering me to the degree I believe they have.

@ other denied admissions students: I encourage you all to look towards other schools we've applied to [though we may have all fallen for MIT]. I've always been known in my school and my circle of friends as the student who had the great stats, grades, and was leader of clubs, a student who went through multiple heart failures and a heart transplant during his 11th grade year (but still managed to go to school 3 days a week prior to transplant and returning 3 months after, to finish both semesters with full course loads). I really feel I did everything in my power to show my drive and will to learn. I do feel crushed but it makes me happy that there is a school that could deny admission to me in the sense that it must truly offer admission to people who are truly remarkable.

Anyways, I'm as healthy as ever, and there's always gradschool ^-^.

Best Wishes In All Endeavors Everyone! (And thx again MIT)

-Justin Alexander Kim

If anyone would like to talk my email is birdwithoutwings89@hotmail.com

denied...well, i kinda expected it, as did a lot of you. it's ok though! i have a lot of great schools to choose from and i will survive

What does it take to get into this school?

well i tried, i know what killed me... they ddnt find my scores for the standardized tests in time, and they wernt able to hear how i was going to build an ir satilite this summer with nasa... Oh well, at least i know they didnt accept me for who i truly was... ill try next year ea, and maby then they will have some more insight to who i truly am.

best of luck everyone, and no matter where you get accepted;

Lets give MIT a run for its money.

dsiahvgoasbf

Oh, well... not going into debt now!

Even though not admitted, I want to thank Bryan for emailing me on Thanksgiving evening...that's right folks...THANKSGIVING EVENING with a clarification before my alumni interview the next day.

These guys do live and breath their jobs and the MIT application process was one of my more enjoyable. Thanks for the trip MIT even though my destination will be elsewhere!

I didn't get, but who cares. Who wants to be with a bunch of GEEKS anyway...I'll just be living it up at Georgia Tech in the fall.

hmmm, darn, oh well. I'm proud of myself for at least applying though, we all should. Heck, if you didn't apply, you wouldn't have even had a chance, so everyone take the time to grieve a little, then cheer up!

Well in four years I will hold the same number of MIT degrees that Ben does

I'm not admitted but I'm OK :) MIT for me is a dream, and applying is a part of the dream. I have many other dreams however, and I will keep going with my life.

Congrats for those who are admitted, and for those who aren't, like me, keep your hopes up :)

this is truly an MIT experience...

well, its really unfortunate and sad, especially for intwrnationals, especialy for indians.how many indians did you accept this year? and how many applied?

Hey Everyone!

I didn't get it, but I am not really sad. It just changed up my plans a little. I still got accepted into other really good schools. But now, I am stuck waiting for my second choice, CalTech, and its super hard to get in there.

Best of luck to everyone!
-Jamal

I didn't get in, but who wants to be with a big group of GEEKS for the next four years of their lives...I'll just be living it up at Georgia Tech in the fall!!!

I fully agree with Carly: It was worth a shot. I know its a weird sentence but: I was wondering whether anybody other than me was wondering whether we could be told of some specific examples of the "compelling reasons" that led to a student being admitted.

The worst part of the decision is that we are not even given a hint as to what led to our rejection!

Anyway, congratulations and good-luck to all the admitted students and thanks to Mr.Ben, Matt Sir and the entire admissions committee for doing a great job (no sarcasm!).

PS: Happy St.Patrick's Day!!!

So that's it. Well, I must say I'm very disappointed...>_

Even though not admitted, I want to thank Bryan for emailing me on Thanksgiving evening...that's right folks...THANKSGIVING EVENING with a clarification before my alumni interview the next day.

These guys do live and breath their jobs and the MIT application process was one of my more enjoyable. Thanks for the trip MIT even though my destination will be elsewhere!

well i tried, i know what killed me... they ddnt find my scores for the standardized tests in time, and they wernt able to hear how i was going to build an ir satilite this summer with nasa... Oh well, at least i know they didnt accept me for who i truly was... ill try next year ea, and maby then they will have some more insight to who i truly am.

best of luck everyone, and no matter where you get accepted;

Lets give MIT a run for its money.

Well in four years I will hold the same number of MIT degrees that Ben does

I wish I didn't know why I didn't get in.

This is truly an MIT experience...

They're gonna wish they had me!! I'm gonna go far.

I'm used to failure... But I'm not down.
I'll be back as a transfer, I promise you that!!

Love you all.

Thanks!

whatever

hmmm, darn, oh well. I'm proud of myself for at least applying though, we all should. Heck, if you didn't apply, you wouldn't have even had a chance, so everyone take the time to grieve a little, then cheer up!

I'm used to failure... But I'm not down.
I'll be back as a transfer, I promise you that!!

Love you all.

Thanks!

Does this mean I lose my MyMIT account?

I'm used to failure... But I'm not down.
I'll be back as a transfer, I promise you that!!

Love you all.

Thanks!

there's always grad school?

Failed. However, it worth a try right?

If anyone want a talk with me, add fantastictea@msn.com please

Anyway, thank you MIT, at least you once gave me a dream and gave me the chance to pursue it.

Damn....It hurts a bit not getting in....:(
My friend didn't get in either..
so that hurts more....
Oh well....I already got into somewhere else...
So I'll just apply again for grad school...heh

hey ppl!!! as we say in our class, in hindi...
"HOTA HAI". this means "it happens" and oy yes everything does. Being rejected is n experience in itself...savour it...it is a part of ur life.
enjoy it da best u can.move forward and do ur best.

ouch.

it wouldnt be as bad if i didnt have to wait another two weeks for ALLL the other decisions...

Didn't get in. Oh well, I was kinda expecting it!

Congratulations to everyone that did get in, and I hope things go well for you!

Thanks, Daniel. I wish the same to everyone. MIT has rejected me for the second time. I don't know which college I would attend.

I will achieve my goals without a brand name.

Even though not admitted, I want to thank Bryan for emailing me on Thanksgiving evening...that's right folks...THANKSGIVING EVENING with a clarification before my alumni interview the next day.

These guys do live and breathe their jobs and the MIT application process was one of my more enjoyable. Thanks for the trip, MIT, even though my destination will be elsewhere!

By the way, you probably made the right decision ;o)

I can't believe I didn't get in. My dream was to study at MIT. I'm the best student at my school... perhaps the fact of being a Colombian...
Anyway I'll not give up!!!
I'll be back

well i have joined the list too. i knew i wouldnt get in but still i think it was worth trying for mit. maybe still have a chance to apply to mit for masters :) but though i know it wont be same as undergrad life.dejected :( congrats to all the ppl who got in. have fun in college. i will too in another college though. to those who didnt get in..........there are many things in life worth more value than a college admission :) good luck for other admissions and everything in ur life ahead :)

cAN WE ANYHOW KNOW WHAT LED TO OUR REJECTION??

THE CUTTING EDGE WE DIDNT HAVE???

IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET IN???

Hey... it hapeens, congrats to all who got in. As for us here, let's take this as an experience; we've all obviously been tops or damn near the top of our classes, with only success to bask in. But here is a new experience, so let's just learn with it... however... moping is alright for today... but ONLY today. : D

So that's it. Well, I must say I'm very disappointed...>_

Yep, a deferred deny. Well, I suppose life will be easier now. I will get more free time. ^_^

To those of you who were not accepted: Thank you for trying. I am sure you will make your stand in the world in your own special way. Just be sure to not let your dreams escape you. Best of luck in your futures, meaning: do not die early.

To those of you who were accepted and just wanted to see what is on this page: Congratulations on your admission; Best of luck to you as well. Make it a goal to improve the world with the resources presented to you. Thank you.

To those of you who were waitlisted and just wanted to see what is on this page: I am sorry that you have to wait even longer to see if you will get into the school. I hope that you make the decision accurately and quickly. Best of luck in your future as well.

I wonder if the courses MIT offers will be updated well in OCW, then those not attending will be able to get the resource material also. Just a thought, but I do not know too much about OCW. :P

a word of warning to everyone...dont visit/read the admitted blog...it's quite painful :(

:( game over...

O well, it was worth a shot...

lot's of dreams broken.
:'-(

i honestly didnt expect to get in. but i gave it a shot anyways. now i know. congrats to those who made it! and the ones that didnt make it: life goes on. there are a lot of other schools out there. hope for the best. best wishes you all.

hi
CONGRATS to all that made it.

Its not the end of the road for those who didn't.

I'm just glad I was considered and NB. its not the last you've heard of me.

Best wishes to ya'll wherever you go.

merely a bump in
the road.

but it was cool
to apply.

Even though not admitted, I want to thank Bryan for emailing me on Thanksgiving evening...that's right folks...THANKSGIVING EVENING with a clarification before my alumni interview the next day.

These guys do live and breathe their jobs and the MIT application process was one of my more enjoyable. Thanks for the trip, MIT, even though my destination will be an elsewhere yet to be determined!

And everyone else who is in my position? Six months to a year from now you will be so happy to be where you will then be but, then again, life is what YOU make it.

Why on earth didn't I get in? Why wasn't I admitted??? What more were you looking for? Your loss!

This is what's going through my mind right now. I know that I said I would be mature and handle the decision well, but I have to admit that I am finding that very hard to do at the moment. I was so shocked I burst into tears. I feel like screaming and crying myself into an sleep, but that won't do me much good, will it? I really didn't expect to be so angry and upset.

Anyway, I'm not crying right now, and I will sign off saying that I did have hope, and that I am crushed, but not dead. :)

merely a bump in
the road.

but it was cool
to apply.

To Mrinal and others,
This isn't the end of your dreams, this is just a closed door. You are all bright, talented, and wonderful young people. There will be many other open doors along your future path.
Best regards to everyone here.

Do you know what's more stressful than waiting for an MIT decision?

:(

I hope my letter contains something more sincere than this generic letter: The Admissions Committee has completed its review of your application, and I am so sorry to tell you that we are unable to offer you admission to MIT.

Please understand that this is in no way a judgment of you as a student or as a person, since our decision has more to do with the applicant pool than anything else. Most of our applicants, who like you are among the best in the world, are not admitted because we simply do not have enough space in our entering class. This year we had over 12,000 applications for less than 1500 offers of admission, from which will come our 1000 freshmen. Since all of our decisions are made at one time and all available spaces have been committed, all decisions are final.

Despite what you might think, the admissions process is not an exact science. Our applicant pool is more self-selected than most, with a very high percentage of top students, virtually all of whom have distinction in demanding academic programs as well as outstanding achievement in their lives outside of the classroom. We evaluate each applicant’s materials carefully and select those we judge to be the best match for our community.

I am very sorry to bring you such disappointing news when you have worked so hard. You are a terrific student, and I do wish you the very best as you continue with your education.

Thats pretty much all i can ask for now..
Chin up guys + girls :)

-Justin Alexander Kim

Hey everyone........ :(
It feels pretty bad I had to join this list...though was kinda expecting it since I am an international and only 1 person gets admitted from my country each year. Oh well, life goes on I guess......
Goodbye to everyone in this blogging community, I had a great time reading the blogs and responses and I hope to meet some of you later in life.

Like I said up there ^ (do you know what's worse than waiting on an MIT decision?)...

Getting your decision on backwards day.

At the end of my alumni interview, my interviewer gave me a talk about how "it doesn't matter which school you go to," "you can be happy anywhere," etc. Basically, the whole pampered rejection talk. I can't say that what he said makes the rejection softer, but when you're told in November that you'll probably be rejected, you can't be very disappointed when decisions come out months later.

Hey everyone........ :(
It feels pretty bad I had to join this list...though was kinda expecting it since I am an international and only 1 person gets admitted from my country each year. Oh well, life goes on I guess......
Goodbye to everyone in this blogging community, I had a great time reading the blogs and responses and I hope to meet some of you later in life.

I was denied, I expected it, and I don't think it's a big deal. All I can do is echo what the rejected letter said. Getting into MIT (or whatever your dream school is) isn't a particularly important thing in life. Being denied admission isn't a judgment on your character, nor is it some kind of "huge mistake" or "big loss" on MIT's part. Lots of very very capable people apply to MIT, so if you're in my boat, and didn't get in, just take it in stride, and keep doing what you're doing. Kudos to those who made it, and kudos to those who are good sports about their rejections. My only raspberries go to people who are sour about their rejections, such as

"I didn't get in, but who wants to be with a big group of GEEKS for the next four years of their lives...I'll just be living it up at Georgia Tech in the fall!!!"

Please folks, keep it positive. That's all.

Hey everyone........ :(
It feels pretty bad I had to join this list...though was kinda expecting it since I am an international and only 1 person gets admitted from my country each year. Oh well, life goes on I guess......
Goodbye to everyone in this blogging community, I had a great time reading the blogs and responses and I hope to meet some of you later in life.

well...was expecting it.... I dun know why do I run out of luck only for this case when it comes to college...anyways MIT you're not gonna get freedom from me so soon....I'll try agan for TRANSFER...and if u wudnt let me in from there, then may be POST GRAD....OR Ph.D. or may be R&D...anything!!! but u'll need me one day for sure....

I got rejected last year, so this isn't really a place for me, but whatever. I promised Ben last year that I would keep him updated, and I have, and he encouraged me to write something to all of you about how being rejected to MIT was a good thing (like I claimed last year). I had a whole long letter written about it, going point by point about the benefits of not attending MIT. Well, I decided that was worthless as it didn't really say anything and I'm sure someone would dismiss it anyway. Instead, let me say this:

MIT can't be the best at everything. It's not the end all, be all school. You will all be able to go somewhere where you learn a lot and have fun doing it. Your life isn't ruined by not being accepted.

It's ok to get upset. You don't have to hide your emotions and say "Oh well, I was accepted to 2 Ivy's" or anything. It's ok to be upset. Just realize that there's so much more to come.

Therefore, I encourage all of you to go celebrate the day when everyone's Irish as best you legally can. I will be tailgating at my friend's rugby game with other friends, despite the freak snowstorm we got.

Good luck to all!

J. Clark Poland
Truman State University '09
Rejected MIT '10
jcarkeys.deviantart.com

Yeah... Whatever. My credentials exceeded MIT's average admissions statistics, and I got rejected. I guess its because my Dad's not a billionaire or a rich aristocrat. If I learned anything, its that things are not what they seem, and you will be judged not by your merit, but by your background and ability to pay (why else would I get bullied in to sending in my parents tax forms). To sum it up, don't be too hard on yourselves. Chances are, you have what it takes, but just aren't a part of the establishment. To get in, you must either be the next Newton, or filthy rich. Good luck to all of you who did not get accepted, and remember, MIT isn't the sole shining pillar of education it implies it is. Just another rich geek school.

Hey everyone........ :(
It feels pretty bad I had to join this list...though was kinda expecting it since I am an international and only 1 person gets admitted from my country each year. Oh well, life goes on I guess......
Goodbye to everyone in this blogging community, I had a great time reading the blogs and responses and I hope to meet some of you later in life.

MIT U turned down my app!
SAD!

I hope Caltech and Stanford give some more respect to my application

okay .there is one thing i really hold against the office.

why dont u simply put up on the international page site that you will admit only 5 indians or near that every year. in short if youre indian and dont have internaitonal olympiads dont apply and waste you time.i think the office can be frank about such issues, becaus application costs money and for mortals like us 70 dollars is a lot of money and three days is a lot of time.
I mean come on matt or ben can you tell me how many indians you accepted this year WHO DID NOT HAVE OLYMPIADS (INTERNATIONAL )?? i know you rejected a lot of them with olympiads (my freind for example ..who had three diffferent olympiads at the ntional level. )
i am sorry for being harsh matt, but it is just an opinion, because a lot of my freinds andi wasted a lot of time on our applications after looking at the encouraging words on your website(like:we view everything in context)

If you did veiw everything in context, dont tell me you dint find indians who matched MIT. I am sure you did. you just din want too many indians or chinese for that matter.
I mean in an application pool for international i am sure that 80-90% are indians and chinese. Doesnt this mean they desreve atleast 50 seats out of the 100 for intnls. or atleast 30? 5? that is ridiculous matt, really ridiculous.

Looks like I get to prank on the other team :D

REJECTED!! But I guess it was expected :(

I still remember someone's post at CollegeConfidential about how heartless MIT decision (rejection) letter are from last year, and it was even then that I felt that I would be having the same feelings as those of the author of that post, and indeed there are bits and pieces of these feelings especially at the text of the decision..alas!

Anyway, Ben, and/or whoever read my application, thanks for your time in reading (and reviewing, if i made it to that level) my application. Thanks!

I guess that was as close to MIT I will get. The application was Dream>Fervour>Hope>Expectation>Tension>Reality :(
And here it ends!

Again, thanks to all of you, and my regards!

I'd posted this on CC, but I thought I'd cross post this here. It's the first time I'm posting here, and probably the last, but this is my way of saying 'thank you'.

I'm posting this at least in part because I think a few MIT Admissions officers read this forum, and in part just for CC in general.

I'm an applicant to the class of 2011, I've just been rejected, as I suppose have most people , but I still can't help feeling what I feel, so I'm posting this thread.

Like most of the applicants here, I'd fallen in love with MIT early in the application, (the blogs had much to do with that). Here's to Matt, Mollie, Bryan, Jessie, Mitra, Sam, Melis, Anthony, Laura, Lulu, Jess, Keri and all the others. You've made all of our journeys magical, wondrous occasions.

You've helped each of us in some way, made us laugh, cry, and just enjoy the application process a little more.

Thanks for the jokes, for the insane stories, and most importantly, thanks for making us, just numbers in the applicant pool, feel like part of MIT.

To the Admissions Officers, all of you, (on behalf of my twin Kaushik (k_twin) and myself):

We know you're probably resting right now from the roller coaster that the past few months have been for all of us, but we'd just like to thank you as well. We know that regardless of the outcome, you've read our applications with dedication and perseverance, and we thank you for that. (We also thank you for MIT Idol, but that's another story )

To those who've been accepted, congratulations. Treasure what you've received, and just well freak out a bit, you're going to MIT!

As for us, well, we'll live. The 29th and the 1st still await.

P.S: There's always Grad School!

Regards, from an MIT Applicant.

continued. from"ridiculous..really ridiculous"

Ok matt here goes. What if i was from Namibia? wouldnt i be a sure admit? with the qualifications that i posted above, if I was from the arctic circle, i would have been a sure admit. Thats the point. you simply dont want asians. why not matt? If you truly aim towards high class education and building leaders of the world, you wouldnt bother about the kind of people who applied.

I'm really sad that I wasn't accepted at MIT, and I must say that I was quite despondent upon first hearing of it.

But in retrospect I'm glad I applied - it helped me to understand myself better (reading my essay on finding value in the negative just raised my spirits); and, more importantly, it helped me make some new friends.

I'd call that a silver lining.... ;-)

dissapointed but expected it. Why don't you reject 70% of the EA's rather than keep them stressed out with no chance of acceptance?

Be that as it may, this is the best admission department of any of my son's choices.

Thanks

OH Well....
SH*T happens....
My whole process wasnt so ceremonial anyway.
all rushed and stuff (SATs were good though)
I guess it was never meant to happen.
mm.....
Glassy dreams lie shattered in my eyes,
Now and again, the shards sting.
:'(

kinda expected...but still stings a bit...this is the first decision i've gotten and its a rejection. oh well...my heart goes out to all the others on the thread..

You know how they deal with those kind of things.
They try to coat it with a sincere apology,
then they wrap it up with layers of tissue papers, soft and fluffy,
then they put it into a little box,
and, finally, they put it under your pillow.
For days and nights, you sleep on it, and you dream about it.
Sometimes your dream looks happy, sometimes sad,but always fuzzy.
You don't know what's in that box, you are obsecessed with it, but you don't want to know.
It feels like that the little box has been there forever.
Its content is an eternal speck of dust, insignificant but unchangeable:
whether you open the box or not will never change the thing inside.
When you, with trembling hands, decide to unwrap the box,the air you breath thins out.
At last, when you see that speck of dust,like thousands of people before you,you let out a little cry.
You know it is just dust.
You stare at it and the dreams you've had for days and nights all burst at once.
Their corpse flow upstream to gather at one point in your throat so it becomes swollen and itchy.
And, at the same time, the weight of your soul diminushes.
Not much, it only loses a tiny speck of dust,
a little dust who dies with the thought that it isn't wanted.

Anonyomous @ 01:01 PM -
Man! You're unhappy with 4-5 Indians! From most other countries (including mine) They admit only 1 person. So what if most of the applicants are indians or Chinese? People from other countries deserve a fair chance. How could you think so selfishly?
By the way, it costs money to apply from all other countries as well and there are many other poor/middle-class applicants out there too!

Rejected... but thanks for the experience... I'll definitely try again at some other time in life... maybe for something totally different... all the best to everyone else who didn't get in... best of luck with all your other pursuits!!

They're gonna wish they had me!!

unfortunate...yes

end of the world...no

its ok.. Life will go on!!!

Oh well, I really worked hard to get the missing application fee and other materials in. A lot of $$$ went into it. So I am feeling slightly bad but at the same time hoping the other schools I applied to accept me. The whole process of sending credentials over and confirming them, and getting in missing materials half across the world whereas my parents were totally short on finances was very hard and frustrating. I just maintained a degree of optimism and didn't react much, hoping for daylight.

Anyways, congrats to those who got in.

i think i like the california weather better anyways

o well, it was a good try

grad school perhaps

That was selfish indeed Anonymous, I am an international indian here at MIT, Class of 2010, I didnt have any of those olympiad stuff, its very true that they look at your application based on your circumstances, and trust me its not the end of the world to not get in at the first shot.

""okay .there is one thing i really hold against the office.
why dont u simply put up on the international page site that you will admit only 5 indians or near that every year. in short if youre indian and dont have internaitonal olympiads dont apply and waste you time.i think the office can be frank about such issues, becaus application costs money and for mortals like us 70 dollars is a lot of money and three days is a lot of time.
I mean come on matt or ben can you tell me how many indians you accepted this year WHO DID NOT HAVE OLYMPIADS (INTERNATIONAL )?? i know you rejected a lot of them with olympiads (my freind for example ..who had three diffferent olympiads at the ntional level. )
i am sorry for being harsh matt, but it is just an opinion, because a lot of my freinds andi wasted a lot of time on our applications after looking at the encouraging words on your website(like:we view everything in context)
If you did veiw everything in context, dont tell me you dint find indians who matched MIT. I am sure you did. you just din want too many indians or chinese for that matter.
I mean in an application pool for international i am sure that 80-90% are indians and chinese. Doesnt this mean they desreve atleast 50 seats out of the 100 for intnls. or atleast 30? 5? that is ridiculous matt, really ridiculous. ""

--you are correct, there are restrictions on how many international students they accept. but how are you so sure that 80-90% of intl applicants are indian or chinese?

and if you think you wasted your time applying, why did you bother? you knew only 5 people got in last year.

""Yeah... Whatever. My credentials exceeded MIT's average admissions statistics, and I got rejected. I guess its because my Dad's not a billionaire or a rich aristocrat. If I learned anything, its that things are not what they seem, and you will be judged not by your merit, but by your background and ability to pay (why else would I get bullied in to sending in my parents tax forms). To sum it up, don't be too hard on yourselves. Chances are, you have what it takes, but just aren't a part of the establishment. To get in, you must either be the next Newton, or filthy rich. Good luck to all of you who did not get accepted, and remember, MIT isn't the sole shining pillar of education it implies it is. Just another rich geek school.""

-- a WHOLE LOT of people have credentials that "[exceed] MIT's average admissions statistics". it's not just you. it's not about the SAT scores and grades.

""I hope my letter contains something more sincere than this generic letter: The Admissions Committee has completed its review of your application, and I am so sorry to tell you that we are unable to offer you admission to MIT.""

-- They don't have time to go over with every applicant what went wrong.

""cAN WE ANYHOW KNOW WHAT LED TO OUR REJECTION??
THE CUTTING EDGE WE DIDNT HAVE???
IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET IN???""

--Sorry, hope you calm down!

what a waste of time i should have applied to caltech, since about 2 years nothing good had happened to me, all my dreams or aspirations had not come true, but why? i dont belive in destiny but i would want to belive to make this easier

well i know why I did not get in.......I'm too poor (that's why u ask me to apply for scholarship/submit my parents tax return....). To all of u rich people....who said money is not about everything????ha ha ha...

I have to give props to all of you who have taken this rejection with grace, as I am trying to do right now. Too often, when things don't go our way, we try to justify our own positions by belittling others (in this case, the MIT admissions office). Like many of you, I honestly believed that I had a great chance of getting in, and quess what? I did have a chance. But so did thousands of others, and therein lies the difficulty with which MIT dealt with while choosing their next class.

If any of you are truly as amazing as you thought you were before reading your decision (and I'm sure you are), take pride in the fact that you will be successful anywhere. Be appreciative of the fact that you CAN go to college, when most of the U.S. population cannot.

A big thanks goes out to the admissions personnel for considering me.

P.S. Anonymous @ 1:14 pm- I'm African-American and a female =]

Well this rejection has charged me up greater than ever, I will work EVEN harder in the next four years. Though my rejection has a lot to do with the meagre 110 International Quota...but nevatheless I'll make sure the next time I apply to a top school, I am at the top of my trade.I'll see then how they come up with lame reasons and pathetic stories of being a good match.

I admire your positive attitude Janice. I believe all those things too, but I'm still pretty disappointed.

I'm out.

Well, I'm in the same boat as you all.
I'd just like to say that I respect MIT's admissions staff. It has been very classy the whole way through, especially in giving us rejected students a forum to express our own concerns, even if I personally don't have much else to say.
Anyways, thanks MIT and good luck to all!

Well, i didnt get in. I guess my 113 in AP Calculus didnt matter at all. oh well.

to others: If you are interested in an AP Calculus Study guide I'm making, click the link on my name.

Yaar mujhay rejection aaa gaye hai. I will not be erased after all (main mit nahi jaoonga). What are my chances of getting in as a transfer if I get into any of the ivies? (i've already got a likely letter from Cornell).
And yes, I STILL LOVE MIT!!!

Thanks Guyomar, and trust me, I'm disappointed too. :)

Thanks for the study guide Evan. Haha!

wow evan, your study guide rox

It s cool, take it easy... you can go and watch naruto or do something u like , remember their is school on monday.Thanx to admission they had a lot of work...So yeah every1 take care.:-)
Ps:u can apply as transfer or take a gap year and try again.

life sucks, sigh...

I will get gold at IMO 2007 and IOI 2007 :)

people's true characters really do emerge in times of defeat...

although "defeat" isn't really the right connotation for this situation.

chins up, everyone

It's like something I had looked forward to has just disappeared. Just like a mirage, it vanished once I got there. Now I know how it feels like to get a rejection letter from a college but that's all. This will not affect my goal in life. Thanks for all the admissions officers and fellow applicants for helping me have a great experience on this board. :D Best of luck to you all!!

Hey all,

I'd like to share how I read my decision in case it helps someone else deal with this event or any others.

I woke up kind of late, since I was volunteering at the phones for my local TV station with my school's JCL (funny how the admissions process makes you think to drop specific names...). I'm based on the west coast, so the decisions came out at 9am for me but I didn't check until 9:33am. Checked my email first, then I turned on Gavin Rosdale's "Adrenalin" [great workout music], then I checked the website and got to that wonderfully calming "are you sure you want to know" page. Then I stopped. "make sure you want to find out online". That made me pause: why wouldn't I?

I lifted Amelia (my macbook pro) off my lap and took some deep breaths. I don't usually go in for breathing to reduce stress (baking and karate work better for me) but after about 20 breaths the static in my head started to clear. I found there were about 3 important things that could come out of me checking my decision. 1) I would fin out if I got into MIT [the basic fact of the matter]. 2) it would tell me how I measured up. When I heard myself think this I grinned at my silliness. Every communication I've had from admissions officers has told me that there are tons of amazing, fantastic students who don;t get accepted and it's as much a numbers game as anything else. Therefore judging my worth on the College Yardstick (which probably goes Ivies, 2nd tear, Cal university system, state systems, JC, refrigerator college) was futile. The final thing I would see is how the decision effected me. Would I regret busting my butt in O Chem or Calc? Would I feel bitter about all of the time I dedicated to college applications which could have been better spent writing or singing?

I signed in. I don't know if anyone else did this, but even after the meditation and breathing I was still too wired to read English I scanned for--something--on the page and found it "sorry" on the 3rd to last line. Something clicked and I settled into the knowledge I would not be going to MIT. I still liked myself, I still respected MIT and I didn't regret busting my butt for O Chem because I didn't do it for MIT.

Just remember: breathing is good, you are special and life goes on.

From Jessica

Oh well.... as many have already said...it was worth a shot!...Although I was a bit disappointed, because all the numerous blogs by everyone from MIT, especially Matt and Ben, made MIT seem so near that I guess I sort of forgot that there was still a decision to be made....anyways I'm really glad that I applied...It was one of the most important and memorable experiences of my life.
And the funny thing is that MIT was actually the one college that I had really tried for....my whole application package got lost by the admissions office and I had to get it together all over again and believe me, it wasn't easy. Countless phonecalls to the MIT Admissions Office and Financial aid office, spending half the night trying to get my grandfather's old fax machine to send dozens of documents to MIT..but I really have to say one thing: MIT has DEFINITELY been the most helpful college that I know of... and so what if they didnt accept me atleast I was good enough to be able to apply.... as one last thing... I would really like to thank Miss Diane Stillman of the MIT Admissions Office for bearing with my incessant emails and phonecalls and eventually getting every bit and piece of my application back in my file all over again. Matt, Ben or anyone from MIT if you're reading this please tell her that Anoushe Hassan is extremely grateful for everything that she has done.
And now that this has become my biggest blog entry ever, I would like to say one last BYE to MIT. Thanks a lot.

Yes, Im out!
However, let me take this opportunity to thank the MIT admissions office for taking us through the application process so smoothly! These blogs have been a part of my last couple of months, and although I'm not a frequent commentor, I have been a regular reader.
I'm not as down as I thought I'd be, for I realize that MIT was probably just not the right fit. Though i've fallen in love with the school, as someone before me mentioned, the 29th and 1st remain! Moreover, grad school remains too;)

Once again, thank you Matt, Ben and the others for your fantastic blogs!

Very sad.

-- a WHOLE LOT of people have credentials that "[exceed] MIT's average admissions statistics". it's not just you. it's not about the SAT scores and grades. "Arthur"

Thanks for making my point. MIT lies. I am dually enrolled taking quantum physics and higher math, got perfect scores on SAT subject tests, and above average (MIT) SAT 1 scores, my GPA is well above a 4 point, and MIT decided that I'm not good enough. Looks like the biggest factor, being rich an famous, is missing. Well, its their loss. Life goes on for me. Just because US news says MIT is good, doesn't mean it is. There are other, better schools out there.

I'm still online, reading the comments from others like me, who are disappointed, sad, and trying to make sense of the rejection. I think though, that it's time for me to say goodbye. It's time for me to move on. :) Take care everyone, congratulations to those of you were admitted (if you are reading this) and good luck to all.

sighh i reallllllly wanted to get in... :(

but thanks to all the staff at MIT for giving us a chance, and thanks to all the bloggers who've made me laugh out loud countless times...God, i'm gonna miss these blogs, its gonna be so weird reading them knowing i was rejected...

anyway best of luck to everyone

Like I had promised, I checked my decision on my PDA :)

It was expected. I don't think anyone out there was certain for an offer of admission. My EC told me very frankly the grim reality for applicants back in November.

Anyway, Good luck to all.

Ayman J. Singh

*hugs* for everyone

To all of you that were rejected, CALM DOWN. There are a lot of good schools in the nation. You just have to suck it up and be proud of what you have done. If you decided to apply to MIT, then you know you are just not the average student. Don't be posting offensive messages in this blog because you never know if you will find yourself in the situation of transferring or applying for grad school here. And to many of you that posted that MIT lies, that you have to be rich to get in. THat's a lie. I am really poor and I got in early action because of what I am really. I admit I had good SAT scores and a 4.0 GPA, but many of you have that. What makes the difference is how you present yourself. Do you think by having all this competitions and excellent SAT scores, you are going to get in? That's not enough. MIT is looking for someone who cares about the community, about themselves, not a robot who the only thing that did in high school was studying.

:((((((((((((((( end of world... can i apply again for next year's intake?

I really think you all should step back and think about this decision. I realize as an MIT student it's a bit easier for me to say this, but I'm sure you'll be happy with wherever you end up. In a year, you won't care that you didn't get into MIT, you'll only care that you're happy at whatever academic insitution you're at. And as far as having famous/rich parents, it just isn't true. I only know a handful of kids here who are actually filthy rich, and you know what they're still brilliant. Anyone who wants to talk can feel free to IM me at juiceboxgang88 (AIM).

Rejected from MIT...

But hey! Likely letter from Cornell came in the mail today, including scholarship finalist notification.

Life really couldn't get better than that. :D

Didnt get in, but admissions have been rough this year and sometimes the schools have to get tough regarding who they have space for and such. I guess one can try to look at this as an oppertunity rather than a setback- there are many great schools out there, and from what Ive heard college truly is what you make of it, not where you go.

Thanks MIT for considering my application, the admissions process was very smooth and well administered. Good luck to everyone else on their other college desisions!

To all of you that were rejected, CALM DOWN. There are a lot of good schools in the nation. You just have to suck it up and be proud of what you have done. If you decided to apply to MIT, then you know you are just not the average student. Don't be posting offensive messages in this blog because you never know if you will find yourself in the situation of transferring or applying for grad school here. And to many of you that posted that MIT lies, that you have to be rich to get in. THat's a lie. I am really poor and I got in early action because of what I am really. I admit I had good SAT scores and a 4.0 GPA, but many of you have that. What makes the difference is how you present yourself. Do you think by having all this competitions and excellent SAT scores, you are going to get in? That's not enough. MIT is looking for someone who cares about the community, about themselves, not a robot who the only thing that did in high school was studying.

Posted by: Jose on March 17, 2007 02:17 PM

MIT does lie. You are either 1. an admissions officer trying to convince everyone that MIT loves poor people, and doesn't care if you can pay or not. 2. You are a mascot. All schools must make a good image for themselves by pretending that they accept poor people, and just to show it, will admit a few to "make a statement" and "show good will", or 3. You are a genius and far surpass everyone here who was rejected.

lol thanks eileen, this sounds weird but i actually felt better cos of ur virtual hug!

For some reason I had this thought in my head that I would get accepted. I thought it was a fixed deal for me. Now, after reading my "denied" letter, I realize how stupid I was to think this. Nothing is fixed. Everything can change, and it will. I am moving on with the fact that whatever had to happen did happen. But I am still very disappointed. I know I can make a good future somewhere else, and I will. To everyone else out there who were denied: I know it has been said before but you have to forget and move on. You will not gain anything by keeping your mind on the disappointment, because you just will be wasting time. And the time will not come back. Good luck to all with whatever lies in your future, and goodbye.

Was it worth it?
The answer is NO!

If you did not get admitted then you:
* Wasted money applying, take the extra tests MIT requires, etc...

* Lost a lot of time. You will never get back that time.
Also, you could have used that time to get ready for other collages that accepted you. Giving you an advantage over the other students in the school you were accepted.

Everyone likes to sugar coat everything, if you know you did not get accepted then answer this: Why was it worth your time and money? Was it the the sweet sense of rejection?

Who has your spot?
Your spot is not always taking by some one better then you. The spot taken up could have been taken by someone just as good, or worse then you.

Why the admissions lottery MIT?
What exactly limits MIT from accepting more students? They have the money to expand the school and the resources to get more then enough over qualified staff to teach everyone. Why not accept students qualified for acceptance?

My personal thoughts
I will go to another high level school that costs less, then transfer later. If you want something enough then you can eventually get it as long as you have the time. Although, it would be nice to go to MIT right away first year.

Ego mos peto MIT nonnullus dies! ( I will go to MIT some day! )

i really cant believe you accepted a girl that just has good grades and likes to go party and didnt accpeted a guy who is makin good projects like nuclear fusion ¬¬ thats very sad i cant believe richard feynman studied at mit i think those days admission office selected the most promising students (if party is the future of the science i apologize)

Yeah I didn't get in either. But at least it was worth a shot. Thanks Ben and the rest of the admissions staff for putting so much effort into the application process. Thanks for wording the letter so nicely too. McGill in Canada simply said: "Rejected - Below Admissions Minima" :| Congrats to all the people that got in, Good luck to all those wait listed and thanks to the admish pplz for all your hard work time and care.
Anonym 4rm Jamaica

P.S. to Anonymous.
Yeh its kinda sad for us arts pplz isnt it. I at least thought my essay would have weighted something more.

hii you all
I'm Shaima.. from Saudi Arabia..
and I got rejected..
honestly I thought I would react a little bit better but I was laughing at the beginning but now I feel disappointed now..
oh, well..
I guess I'll be going to another University which will welcome me..
good luck you all in your studies..

Bebye :)

REJECTED WITH A CAPITAL R___well you get the idea...

Just noticed a few mistakes in my spelling. I wounder why there is no edit button?

well, I guess I'll have to go to a school with dorms that don't allow cats...

I'm very sad because I couldn't make it.
I live in Iran, I'm leader of a big council in meddle east
but I have no choice more than MIT
I wish I live in America maybe I could make it.
I'm very disappointed
because I don't like to waste my next year to waite for MIT response.
Our new year is on wednesday
I don't know What is the best to wish?????
I just hope
MIT tell me why I turn away??????

"MIT lies. I am dually enrolled taking quantum physics and higher math, got perfect scores on SAT subject tests, and above average (MIT) SAT 1 scores, my GPA is well above a 4 point, and MIT decided that I'm not good enough. Looks like the biggest factor, being rich an famous, is missing."

I'm devastated that I don't get to live across the hall from you :(

guess they are globalizing education now too

good luck in whatever you may choose to pursue, everyone!

Ahh, deferred and then rejected. As my friend George Hotz once sang, "When a girl rejects you there are more fish in the sea, but I can assure you there's only one MIT". Hahah what a wicked rhyme. Anyway, it's all good, I got into all of my safeties and I still have about a 65% chance of getting into at least 1 of my other top 7 schools. Plus this gives me an opportunity to beat MIT at next years ACM ICPC :)

Cheers and no hard feelings,
Val Karpov

I checked my decision at work today. they could not offer me a spot in the class of 2011...I was angry at first. Then my anger turned to plain disappointment. Something weird happened on the way home. I couldn't help but feel glad that I was rejected- not because I don't want to go to MIT, but because by facing rejection from my number1 school I'm no longer scared of checking decisions from my (6) other schools. Heh interesting thoughts from other reject-ees. Finally, what if I had gotten admitted, but someone who was more qualified than me was denied a spot? Onward with college decisions!

ahhh... i dunno exactly dissappointed am i... but doesn't feel that bad...!!! my life is still the same... my friends still love me... my enemies still hate me... i still want to get into a good university where i might reach great heights... i am still upbeat... usually, it takes more than just a rejection to knock me out...!!! although i must admit that it indeed came as a shock... i was really expecting that i would get through... moreover, i am not that used to rejection... i have studied in one of the best schools in india after clearing the admissions process in my first attemt...!!! but it's not the end of the road... life goes on... i've got so much more happening... MIT is one place i thought i would be able to connect with... but... maybe that wasn't meant to be...!!! i dunno if its true or not... but i would really like to believe that there's proabably something better in store for me... i mean... maybe i am destined for bigger and better things...!!! and u noe wat??? i aint gonna battle destiny...

i didnt even get an interview

Well-such is life-we can't always have what we want-or sometimes, what we think we want.

My child has so much to offer--incredible intelligience and work ethic, notable leadership abilities, intellectual curiosity, an insatiable appetite for knowledge, and musical talent and creativity as well. But rejected--truly MIT's loss--not his. He will be fabulously successful and will impact the world with or without an MIT education.

Good luck to all admitted.

everything i did and i tried.....

i was a bit disappointed, but no biggie. thanks for keeping us so well informed about everything about mit and admissions. i'll try back for grad school!!

I guess that's what some people call "life with ups and downs..." I feel emotionally deprived , but I will soon recover because that's what smart people do. That has been a good lesson to me...

After all it was quite a interesting experience to go through the US application process. Of course getting admitted to MIT whould have been awesome but i think if you guys really love what you do, you can become successful anywhere.

Whish you all good luck!

Please do not be clouded by anger or frustration of not getting accepted. Criticizing the decisions of the Admissions Committee only shows insecurity. Please refrain from writing lies about accepting only rich kids and some poor people to show that MIT cares. Do not let anger speak, for it will only hurt you. Think deeply within your minds, if you were accepted what would you be saying about MIT and the Admissions Committee?- In stead of writing MIT does lie, would you be writing MIT speaks truth?? Instead of Writing There are other, better schools out there would you be writing MIT is the best??
Only think before writing and know that the truth will always be the truth.
One last thing working hard at anything will not guarantee success; however, not working at all will guarantee failure. To work extensively at anything will not bring applauses or successes in life; it will only satisfy the I. Thus, live life to help others, and do not be hampered or degraded by not getting what it is wanted and acting foolishly.

Oh well, It was defiantly worth the shot and now all of us can go on to be the top of the class at every other school.

i woman told me once that sometimes god tells her things about people and sudently she told me, "you are not gonna be what you wanna be, but you are gonna save a lot of people" well i dont believe in god or anything that cant use scientific method to demostrate itself, but im starting to think she was right or its just a coincidence because i didnt get into mit and thats was what i wanted to be a mit student,

I shall have my revenge!

Well I am sorry for myself and the fact that MIT rowing will continue to the only Div III team in Div 1

Congratulations all for passing through a rite of adulthood! and you all passed with flying colors....because you are all going to influence your world, even if you didn't go to MIT.

Where will you be 10, 20, 30 years from now? That is the question. You are all capable, and loveable, and the world will be affected by your presence in it.

Our generation defers to you (eventually). What will you do? That is where your focus lies!

How exciting! Embrace it!

I really hate how subjective the whole admissions process is. I know for a fact I am qualified for MIT, just as many of you are. It's terrible that instead of expanding, MIT has chosen to decrease it class size. I'd just like to know who thought it would be better to deny more students based on superficial characteristics, but who still have obviously shown that they are as capable as anyone admitted. I am so frustrated right now.

I am glad that MIT has prided itself on having a diverse community. But, just because of the superficial facts, (I'm a white male from a homogenous suburbia) doesn't make me less likely to add my own unique experiences and encounters in life to a diverse community shaded ultimately not by color of skin, but by experiences in life.

Anyways, no hard feelings to anyone because that's not the way I live my life. Congratulations to everyone who applied because I know for a fact everyone who applied was without a doubt an amazing, amazing student. I am moving on with the acceptances I have and the ones I will get in the coming weeks and I hope everyone is. I am sorry that this had to happen and as much as it's a "sore loser" type of thing to say, I really do believe that I am a great applicant & MIT is at a loss for denying me.

Joshua

P.S.:
"You know... I'll bet those golden tickets make the chocolate taste terrible."
-Charlie Bucket

I already said goodbye before but I just wanted to add something incase it makes someone out there feel better. Being rejected does not mean you lost to yourself. It does not mean you are not intelligent, or creative, or a good person. You are brilliant. For many people, being rejected by MIT means losing to numbers, losing to statistics, and losing to not having enough space in the entering class.

**********************************
holy crap
this is so dull!!!!!!
what!!! did you do a RUFFLE or sth???....
i just wish that i can know what i LACK...
but just for the record i really worked super super super hard to get to MIT (particulary to MIT), and even though i really don't care. well it's absolutely the worst news i ever heard since 1989 but i really don't care now.... good job for all the admitted students.
and thank you for rejecting me!!!!!
that's really crap i GOT rejected. not even waitlisted.......

i really should be lacking just everything ACCORDING to MIT admission officers!

am hoping you just feel that this is FAIR....
it's your loss anyways!

yeah, and I have one advice for students
DON'T APPLY TO MIT PEOPLE, cause you'll be 100% rejected!!!! it's just a matter of disappointment and we don't need no disappointment.

i know i might sound rude, arrogant, or whatever...but i just believe in myself so i'm not bragging..

I LOVE YOU "A PARENT"

Getting rejected did make my college decision much easier. Now I know where I am going by default and I don't have to worry about it anymore. This is actually a platinum lining of the cloud for me.

And so I finally join the masses of people rejected. I only wish the best for those who got accepted, and would like to exten my support to those who got waitlisted and cut out. No amount of paper defines you. =)

I was initially disappointed, but relieved to find that I no longer have to follow in my brother's footsteps. Not having that choice takes a load off my shoulders and tells me that, whatever happens, I'll be doing something new and original.

Thanks to all at MIT and those reading (yes, YOU!) for supporting us.

Now I can only hope my friend got in...

karen

Got into Harvard anyway... Yay!

Yeah, silver lining can be so odd at times...
Now I don't have to make a huge decision about where to go, since MIT doesn't actually offer a program in what I want to study (although I might change, I know), and, even though I grew up in Silicon Valley, living right in the middle of Boston (Cambridge is the same thing, pah) isn't exactly something I'd like right after high school.

I wish, though, that I hadn't reminded myself about how great MIT is after they sent that "you can check.." email... heh. oh well. ^_^

I also wish, somehow, that the admissions weren't as great. I truly don't mind if I get into Stanford or not because they treated me like a disgusting bit of slime throughout the entire process: here, though, their kindness just makes it impossible to whine and complain.

Apparently that doesn't hold true for everyone, though. ^^

Curiously enough, I can't even remember what I wrote for this essay. Odd.

Getting rejected was a little easier when I had a 50,000 dollar scholarship waiting in the mail from my safety.

hey have u guys heard about hess's law. you probablky did use it when writing ur Chem Sat subject test. Ok now let's ride on and see how it applies in real life. The las: The same energy change occurs no matter the route taken for a chemical reaction to go to completion. Same thing in life, there are several ways in which you can accomplsih something. For those who did not get in as freshmen maybe transfer would do, maybe graduate, maybe phd might be the time u'll make it. u just have to work very hard so u could make ur dreams no matter what. Hey do not think i'm an MIT sutdent right now i've always dreamt of being one and i hope one day God would help me get it. If i never get in there is not much I can do apart from doing what I know how to do as well as i can. You just have to bear it not everyone can get in. Even if MIT takes in 4000 students not everyone would still make it so better stop the curses and damning the institute but live by ur dreams and work for it. Have a good time hope you get admitted into ur toher schools. (Take note SAT scores never tell who you really are. So even if you get perfects in both tests it does not guarantee MIT admission. You got to step up and tlak abt urself in the essays like someone who reasons.)And for those who think MIt takes only rich students those are lies i have a couple of friends who are in there on good scholarship and are also very brilliant. Stop the curses guys and get something to do.

I'm only disappointed because I know I could have done better. I've been betrayed by so many factors: myself, my teachers, the school system in general. Everything.

I've been a gifted student from a young age - and that was one of my downfalls. I live in a third-world country, where extracurricular opportunities are limited; therefore, I cruised through school at an A-grade, and there was nothing to help expand my horizons.

The egalitarian schooling system through which we all pass has been designed to cater to the mediocre. I've never had to work, and as a result I am now unable to - yes, it sounds as though I'm playing the blame game, but it's something I have noticed: my peers who I'd class as 'average' have the ability to work hard, the most intelligent, however, do not.

It's a cruel irony that what attempts to be fair to all, that is, the education system, culminates in the ultimate meritocratic institution: university.

The most gifted are held back in school, the least gifted suffer from being forced to learn what they do not love and what may be beyond their scope. The mediocre are those who benefit the most.

In attempt to be non-discriminatory, schools, ironically do just the opposite. Is an intelligent student who is mocked by his classmates being served well by the system? How about a remedial student who is likewise mocked? In England, they chose to make schools 'comprehensive', eliminating the different levels: Grammar Schools, Secondary-Moderns, etc. Why? To prevent students from feeling that they go to an 'inferior' school? Instead they are collected together with the brightest of students and as a result, feel even more inadequate. Any dunce knows people don't have equal abilities, why try to avoid the fact? You don't when it comes to university level.

My application was lacking. I had few extra-curriculars, and no interview. The interview was, of course, my fault. However, I was never given opportunities for many extra-curriculars; no way MIT could have known though.

Now, I won't talk go into detail about how those around me could have helped but didn't. How no teacher ever tried to push me to my limit; how my parents focused fully on my brother. Or perhaps, worst of all, how I let if all happen - the primary fault, of course, does lie with me.

Nevertheless, if my physics teacher hadn't skipped lessons; if I had just once had the same physics teacher two years in a row - all those little things may have made a difference.

Now, I have classmates who have made it into a whole host of universities (Harvard and such). Not to be immodest, but I'm still regarded as the most intelligent of them (even they think so). Yet, due to a flawed education system, an imperfect admissions system and my own personal failings, I have, for the first time, been harmed - and this time, there is no easy fix.

But hey, they say undergraduate studies ain't that big a deal.

Haha..after some chocolate and a long nap, I feel much better now :) Thanks to the admissions office for giving my application a thorough read (which I'm sure it did). And thanks to all the bloggers on this blog! I guess I wouldn't be hanging around here too much anymore..Good luck to everyone!

*shrugs*

I was actually feeling okay/meh about it until I read this page.. eh.

Hmm... funny. Now that I think about it, I don't even remember what it said...

Mmm.. MIT, if only..

Hi guys....I feel so sorry that I have to write my comment in this blog...JUST DO NOT CARE AND GO AHEAD BECAUSE IT IS NOT END OF THE WORLD....I hope we all will reach better targets....BYE FOR SOME TIME....

It was worth a shot. Just like the transfer application and graduate applications will be!

to all of you who got rejected and DARE say that only the rich and famous get into mit...or that you are so fabulous...but mit didnt accept you:get over yourselves!!! people from all backgrounds and socio-economic levels come to mit...if you need financial aid, mit will provide it (they ask for your tax forms to start the financial aid process early...from mit directly "As with US citizens and permanent residents, we consider every student for admission without regard to his or her financial need. ")....so you did not get in because you are not wealthy...as for being "way above mit standards"...have you ever considered that having pure talent is just not enough? here at mit, education is a team effort...we all work together...and if you really think that you are that good...you will not be a good part of the team...and probably not be very successful in life, since who wants to work with arrogent folk? maybe you are qualified in respect to intelligence...but nothing else...so please! to all those reject...take it as it is...it stings, yes, but if you are really as good as you think you are...youll find success everywhere!

to all those rejected who are taking it in good grace: i congratulate you for taking it as a proper adult would. im sorry that you did not get it...but i am sure that with your maturity and intelligence, you will succeed wherever you go...never forget to dream, since that is where the power of humanity comes from!

Damn, my rant above was much longer and whinier than I expected. It's just that everyone's always expected so much of me...

Quote:
"I didn't get, but who cares. Who wants to be with a bunch of GEEKS anyway...I'll just be living it up at Georgia Tech in the fall."

@ Anonymous:

I like geeks. I think they're sexy.

And as a Georgia resident, I don't think that going to Georgia Tech is a very good way to avoid geekiness, if you know what I mean.

Ah well, doesn't feel as bad as I thought.

Hey everyone:
For all the brothers and sisters who cried or shared their joys in this blog, you must have experienced a lot since this noon. All thoughts had come in to my mind after reading the posts. You guys must have cared about MIT so much that even if rejected, there still remained pains or disappointments. To me, an superficial person in life, none of you had lost your life in this battle. Still, you cared, and that's what mattered. You hope that you will continuously working hard to show that you worth the school's decision before and hereon. MIT had no longer been a school, it's a spirit, and everyone wanted to have it. For those of us who never had the chance, it's a spirit to be worshiping on-- the consistent of hard work and generous mind. And for those of us who had been rejected, we should also remember: Mens et Manus.
Good luck everyone to your rest of college careers.

Why do MIT applicants think so highly of themselves? It said it black on white on the decision letter that they had very few spots to offer and many many great applicants. Frankly, you should have been aware of the odds all along the application process. Plus, getting rejected at the undergraduate level isn't a big deal.

Yes, you got rejected, but you got rejected by the best in the world.

wow i think my dad took the news better than me...

anyway before we all start beating up ourselves just remember to live in the present and plan for the future before you whine about the past

I thought I was the perfect student for MIT. I pore over science mags and websites and books everyday. I finished reading the physics textbook by the second week of school. Last year I often stayed after school just to hang in the chem lab and work on cool experiments I found in an old book my teacher had. I have beakers scales and all sorts of flasks in my garage. After wrestling practice, I would literally run to the metal shop to work on our FIRST robot until late at night, and then come home and read and do my homework and work on my debate cases. My reading SAT score was in the highest 25% of those accepted last year and my math score was in the middle 50. I really thought I had a good chance.

Was it the essay? I thought mine was pretty good.
Did I not have enough volunteer work? How much was enough? Should I have compromised some of my other activities and volunteered at the clinic?

I suppose that there are lots of people like me who applied and were rejected, and for that reason I shouldn't be bitter or too disappointed.

One of my friends was actually admitted in December. I know I'm more qualified than her. I have higher SATs, grades. I'm literally the president of the clubs that she’s a member in. I tutored her in Calc. She doesn't really pay attention in class. But she’s a Hispanic girl.

Sure, affirmative action or quotas or other methods of increasing diversity in a white washed system work on a macro scale. But I thought admissions were supposed to be a personal process. On average, being a Hispanic female may be a disadvantage, but it wasn't for her. She lives two blocks away from me, and drives a more expensive car than I do.

Maybe I'm snapping to judgment. Maybe her essay was awesome. But I have no idea how a last name can cause an admissions department to overlook 'B's in math and science subjects.

Who knows. Maybe if I would have taken that multivar calc class or joined boy scouts or won the science fair or studied just a little harder for the SAT or rewritten my essay, I would be writing a decidedly different post in a different forum right about now.

I don't even know what I'll do with that picture my mom hung on the wall with me standing in front of MIT when I was in middle school.

Anyone know where I can apply as Janitor?

In all honesty, I was anticipating getting that rejection. I kept trying to tell myself that I wouldn't get in so that it wouldn't hurt as much.

this morning, i woke up early and tried to go back to bed. i couldn't. so i showered, dressed (in green of course), and took a seat my my desk in fornt of my laptop. as i checked decisions.mit.edu, i felt like i was going to throw up. i entered in my name and password and for a split second, i paused before i hit that button. despite what I was preparing myself for, the last thing that popped into my mind was single ray of hope...that perhaps when i opened my eyes to read the following screen, a big congratulations would meet my eyes. i clicked the button, and i opened my eyes. it felt like the little light in my heart burned out. i read the letter and i realized that i was not admitted into the mit class of 2011.

it was just like getting my mites rejection letter, but (as i said in an earlier post) like 1000 times worse. i closed my laptop and i went upstairs to eat breakfast. my parents still do not know that i have been rejected. what keeps flashing through my mind is me having to go to school on monday and having to tell everyone that i did not get in, since practically everyone knows decisions came out today and that i applied. i feel like i've let all those people--those who were rooting for me--down.

did i cry? honestly? no. am i upset? definitely. i don't know, but i guess it is just really hard for me to accept that the road end for me here. i find myself not knowing what to do with myself.

with so many talented students applying and everyone saying that there just weren't enough spots, but you-re all amazing students, i can honestly say that i still feel like it was because I was not good enough for mit, i did not meet their standards as a good enough person (which is really what "the match" sounds like to me), that I was not accepted. was i good enough, really? am i really a good student? for mit, i'll never know (maybe not never, but you know).

and it is true that we all need to move on with our lives and start thinking about our other colleges, but don't you think (those of you telling us that) that we need at least a little bit of time to "grieve" and come to terms with rejection? of course we do. duh. but for me, now, I don't think i can handle another rejection. i am not praying that columbia seas will accept me, but truthfully, i don't think that will happen. and so what do i have for myself now? UW which is 20 mins away? (granted its still a good school) I really thought that i was meant to leave seattle. now i don't know.

i wanted to do great things with my life and i thought that undergrad at mit would be the best way for me to do so. i'm not going to stop hoping and working towards my dream. no. that is one thing that i know will never happen.

i thought that i was capable of making it at mit. I knew i was. thats was what i was hoping mit would give to me though. i obviously knew that i was no where on the same level academically as the kids who got admitted, but i did not think that i was far off. i hoped to mit would help bring me up to their level. in return i felt that the atmosphere and community at mit, that the students who i would have met, would have seriously benefitted from my personality (i guess mit didn't see that in my essays). and when the numerous people i talked to about mit told me that it was not about the test scores, i hoestly felt that my decent grades and my massive personality would get me through. apparently not.

ok, so i've rambled on for quite a bit now. i'm almost done--prosime...

i dont know. inevitably, all of us can't help but feel horrible about not getting in. this decision probably changed the life plans of many of you (esp those who only applied here). i myself and praying to God that Columbia SEAS accepts me. if not, then i don't know what i will do.

i guess i'm just naiive. i was always the kid who got everything. I applied to contest and programs and i always got them. I always strove for the best, and i succeeded in conquering it. now though (as with last spring and mites) i strove for the best and i did not get it. and its just the harsh reality of life that we won't always get everything and that our paths will not always be carved out on stone.

i will leave this blog (at least for a while) with this that i just could not help but remember as i got my rejection notice. it is the first part of "a ream deferred" by langsotn hughes...

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?

i know mine won't. you will hear great things from me as i continue my intellectual endeavors (wherever they may lead me...hopefully to columbia). mark my words...i will make significant contributions to the scientific community. and even if i don't get credit for anything or do not manage to follow through on this promise, know that i will spend my life working towards this goal (as well as my goal to have an amazing family). so until then, keep it real.

and to the some 11,000 of you who did not make it, work hard in this world to make mit regret their decision.

to the some 1500 of you who did make it, work hard at mit to justify mit's decision and so that each and every one of us 11,000 knows that it is because you truly deserve it that you took our spot.

i see great things from the entire class of 2011. no matter what you do, just remember to work hard and work to contribute to the world. and remember...money and fame come after service.

peace mit.

to anon @ 5:16 pm: box it until grad school?

As a random note, did anyone have the foresight to capitalize on this rejection?

I'm top in my class, one of the top (classical) brass players in the state, and people thought I had the best chance of anyone in my town.... but I still had my doubts, so I bet money that I wouldn't get in. It worked - so I'm somewhat sad, but I have some nice cash. And, had I gotten in, I would've been so overjoyed it wouldn't have mattered.

*sheepish grin* Always make sure the worst possible outcome still benefits you in some way!

Anonymous who thought she was a perfect choice........can i talk to u? plz post ur email addy here. i really think it was unfair to reject you. I am talking of the anonymous who posted a couple of posts before me and posted at5:14 PM

This is my first post...I'm not going to lie I feel pretty worthless right now; I've never been good with self esteem...but right now I'm just waiting to hear from Yale and Georgetown...I've always been afraid that I'm just like everyone else and I just didn't want to admit it to myself. I feel like that's what MIT was saying to me...even though I know it wasn't meant like that. An admit from Yale or Georgetown would probably make me feel better though :P

Ah well, better to have tried and gotten rejected than not applying and spending the rest of my life wondering what if...

HI, everyone,
As someone who has been rejected in the past, I can only imagine how much this might hurt. It probably feels awful, no getting around it. But here's a thought, for what it's worth. My Irish mother used to say, "when the door closes, the window opens. So look for the open window, Girl." And I have found this to be true.
Things always have a way of working out, sometimes in the most unlikely of ways. Hold faith that the Universe has a plan and that everything always works out for you. And it will.
All the best,
Marilee Jones

If the person who posted at 5:14 has good judgment, which I feel they do, then that is quite a testament to a flawed admissions system and the failures of affirmative action.

The only basis for skewing a decision in one's favour should be socio-economic status (as to assess the opportunity they had), not some arbitrary quota for admitting certain numbers of certain races. That, if anything, is racism. Even if not intended in a malicious manner.

For those of you who are being mature about not getting in, congratulations.

For those of you who are criticizing the race of your friends, criticizing your teachers, etc. maybe think twice about why MIT rejected you. Look at your attitude. It's not a positive one if this is what you're saying. I can see why MIT wouldn't want to admit you.

Well I suddenly realized why most of you here didn't make it. You fit perfectly in the category "nerd". And what do you do when MiT rejects you? You whine like some 10-year old kid. Be a man. (or a woman ;)) and suck it up.

MiT does not want nerds. They want people with a social life as well.

Guess what, GoGoGO and ACurrentStudent, you are making unnecessary generalizations regarding the applicants.

For all of you out there saying, "it's destiny", "move on with life", "rejections are a part of life". That's so much easier said than done.

Some of us have been rejected all our lives despite being more than qualified. If this is your first rejection in life, be happy. For those who are continually being rejected and had MIT as one of their last hopes to make it big and don't get that either, it's much more devastating than you can imagine.

Though for me it's more like, heh, Story of my Life. My destiny - to fail.

@ACurrentStudent - is it a good thing to turn a blind eye at what may be the truth? If someone truly has received the short end of the stick, then they should not ignore it. If being positive is ignoring what may be a very real issue, then being positive is a highly counter-productive.

Some have undoubtedly been wronged by the system; after all, no system is ideal.

Another thing to note: MIT is not losing out of anything when it rejects you. It's not our loss; MIT made no mistake when it tossed you out. You may be full of yourself, but the finest research institution in the world will not miss yet another