Overview
As we all know Massachusetts Institute of Technology or MIT has become one of the best engineering universities in the world. A university with such high calibre and reputation puts them in a spot to become extremely selective while choosing any applicant for their institute. MIT has a very low acceptance rate of 6.7%, which decreases even more for international Indian applicants. The acceptance rate for masters for international students from India is a bit higher than this number. In this article, we will provide you with the best guide on how to get into MIT from India.
How to make the best profile for MIT?
MIT holds its reputation for being one of the best universities in the world. And we are all aware of the low acceptance rate for undergrad students. This number decreases even more, when you compare it with the undergrad applicants from India. The statistics show that only four to five students get accepted into MIT every year.
To stand a chance at this level of competitiveness, you need to build the best profile to stand out from the rest of the applications. To do this, here are some of the key factors that you should keep in mind while building up your profile:
- If you are an international student from India, you must know that the most basic requirement to get selected into MIT is your academic record. If you are taking an SAT exam, you should keep in mind that you must score 1500+. And 34+ in the ACT exam to make your profile look good amongst the other applicants.
- If you have any national or international level Olympiad, try to incorporate and mention it in your profile as this might help you get accepted into the university. The same goes for any sports event. Try and mention any notable achievements while sending out your application.
- You should try to show a keen interest in the field you want to pursue and express your work ethics and personality. This is because MIT tries to admit people based not only on their academics but also on their nature and beliefs.
- As an international student from India, you can bring uniqueness to your profile, which most domestic applicants can not. Try to get some awards while you are in school and showcase your strengths and skillsets. And at the end of the day, stay at the top of your class as it is a safe rule that you should follow.
- Try to do a lot of social work events and maintain a healthy relationship with your professors. This will earn you a good quality essay and a great letter of recommendation.
- The last and the most important piece of advice that will make your profile stand out and increase your chances of getting selected tremendously is writing an outstanding essay. Try to include all achievements that you have accomplished with your hard work and dedication. You should try to express your personality in the essay and make it as authentic and unique as possible. There is nothing more than a good quality essay that will make you stand out as all the applicants will have good grades, as it is the base minimum requirement.
What are your chances of getting selected?
Every year only four to five students from India get selected into MIT. The acceptance rate was slightly higher in previous years, but it has decreased due to the high competition. Many Indian applicants get confused while researching through the acceptance rate as it is relatively higher for domestic applications. But this number decreases when compared with the international applicants.
Such a level of competition makes it very hard for international students from India to get into MIT. It not only depends on your academic grades but your overall personality and what you mention about yourself in the essay to gain interest. Thus, making it a very big deal if you do get selected for the undergrad course. The acceptance rate is a bit higher for the Master’s programme, making it easier for college or university students to get accepted.
Challenges faced by Indian students to get into MIT
Some tough challenges are faced by Indian students while applying to MIT. This gives them a certain level of a disadvantage as compared to the rest of the applicants. Knowing about these challenges will help you develop ways to overcome them or adapt to them. Some of the challenges faced by Indian students are:
Many Indian students are unable to arrange for funds while applying for MIT. This creates some basic issues such as not paying the tuition fee or not being able to afford the living expenditure in a foreign country. Many government scholarships and education loans can help resolve some of these problems. Students should also keep an eye out for scholarships offered by the institute.
MIT can take advantage of various programs offered by the US government for its citizens. These programs do not include Indian or international students. Thus, making them more inclined to pick a domestic applicant than an international one.
- Many Indian students who do get accepted into the program find it hard to keep up with the culture. It also makes it hard for them to understand and communicate with the local students and teachers as they have different accents. The key factor in overcoming this drawback is to take various classes before getting admitted into the institute and be fluent in their English.
- As we all know, Indian students are great at performing well in exams and perform exceptionally well. Although they visibly fall behind when researching new projects. To overcome this challenge, they should consider including themselves in research-related fields and apply the knowledge they accumulated over the years.
- We are all aware that Indian students tend to perform well under pressure. However, this last-minute cramming strategy does not work in an MIT environment as MIT courses are designed to be learnt and practised over time and not at the very last minute. Thus, Indian students need to prepare themselves for such a drastic change in learning pattern and adapt to it before it is too late.
Guide to getting selected into MIT
As we all know, MIT is a tough institute to get into, especially if you’re an Indian or an international student. Many Indian students try to get into MIT after completing their 12th, but many do not realise that it takes much more than scoring good grades and applying to MIT.
You should be aware of all the steps and procedures that an applicant needs to follow to stand a chance against all the other domestic and international students. Here is a complete guide as to what all you need to do if you are trying to apply to MIT after completing 12th:
- Express yourself- The first part of your application should include a description of your background and personality. As an international applicant, you will have to summarise where you come from in 250 words. This essay question mainly focuses on asking the applicant to express themselves about the culture and background that they come from and how it made them who they are.
- Application and deadlines- In this stage, you should decide if you want to be an early applicant or apply in the regular slot. Being an early applicant has no such advantage presented. The only mere advantage is that they get to know before any regular applicant. This allows them to pick and choose which university they want to join and make a rational decision. The deadline for early applications is 1st November and for regular applicants 1st January.
- Choose your field- Try to be clear about the field you are interested in joining if you get selected. This question is asked in the essay. MIT allows its applicants to express their interested fields. This section of your application should be written in under 100 words and project your passion and interest in the chosen field.
- School report- As we all know, MIT is an engineering college and likes to crosscheck when you attend your science and maths subjects. This information is asked to see your basic academic potential.
- Academic Performance- The most basic part that all the students should be aware of before applying to MIT is their academic performance. This is the most primary criteria that is looked upon while selecting any applicant. Thus, making it very important to focus on your academic grades and score well in your SAT/ACT exams and have a GPA of 4.17+.
- Activities and Achievements- In this section, you have to list down at most four activities that hold a lot of value to you. This part can also include mentions of any recent notable achievements. You should make a mental note to write all of the activities and achievements in no more than 250 words.
- Writing great essays- MIT selection procedure does not solely depend on your academic grades but also on your personality and the values you hold. MIT tries to learn all about you through the three questions asked in the essay section of your application. This involves you writing three short responses of 250 words on the questions asked. These questions ask you about your hobbies, how you contribute to society, and any of the struggles that you have faced while growing up.
- Letter of recommendation- Many Indian students, might not realise the importance of a letter of recommendation. However, MIT loves to go through these letters to know about your personality. This letter involves choosing a teacher from the science or maths field and another teacher from a language field. It is very important what your teachers have to say about you in these letters of recommendations. Thus, building a strong and healthy relationship with your teachers is very important.
FAQs
1- On what criteria MIT accepts Indian students?
MIT will select your application if you have performed outstandingly in your academics and have a list of notable achievements in any extracurricular activities. This helps MIT understand your interests and strengths. If you are an Indian student, you should focus on your academics and writing in your essays. This helps MIT understand your personality and nature. And lastly, you should have a fabulous letter of recommendation to get MIT interested and stand out from the rest of the applicants.
2- Is MIT MBA good?
The short answer is Yes, an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management is very good. Getting selected into this program is once in a lifetime opportunity. The MBA program from MIT Sloan is ranked 9th according to global standards. Thus, making it one of the best institutes to pursue your studies.
3- Can an Indian get a scholarship at MIT?
Yes, a student from India or any international student can get a scholarship at MIT. A student can get a full scholarship after getting admitted into the institute. You can do this by applying for full financial aid. If this system does not work out for you, you can even try and apply for any national-based scholarship systems where the Indian government will help you pursue further studies. If none of this works out, you should try and apply for an education loan that any bank would be more than happy to grant after realising that you have been accepted into MIT.