Evaluating Eligibility for MIT Transfer Program

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the eligibility and competitiveness of applying for the MIT transfer program, particularly from the perspective of a student currently studying at IT-BHU in India. Participants explore various aspects of the application process, including academic performance, research experience, and recommendation letters.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares their academic background, including a CGPA of 9.65, SAT scores, and extracurricular activities, questioning their competitiveness for the MIT transfer program.
  • Another participant notes that transfers to MIT are highly competitive, with only about 7 students from India admitted each year, suggesting that the transfer process is even more difficult than regular admissions.
  • Concerns are raised about the necessity of having strong recommendation letters from professors, with one participant stating that being well-liked by professors is crucial for a successful application.
  • There is a discussion about the significance of published papers versus essays, with one participant questioning the value of their informal knowledge and research presentations.
  • Some participants suggest focusing on completing the current degree and gaining research experience at other institutions as a potentially better strategy for future graduate school applications.
  • One participant emphasizes the extremely low acceptance rate for transfers, comparing the applicant's self-assessment of being in the top 2.5% to the actual transfer acceptance rate, which is significantly lower.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the transfer process to MIT is highly competitive and that the applicant may face challenges due to the need for strong recommendations and a more robust academic profile. However, there is no consensus on whether the applicant should proceed with the application or focus on other opportunities.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the applicant's self-reported academic and extracurricular achievements, which may not align with the expectations of the admissions committee. The discussion also highlights the importance of formal publications versus informal knowledge in the context of competitive applications.

d10
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Hi everyone!
I'm a student at IT-BHU,India.I've completed 2 semesters and i have a cgpa of 9.65.I'm a Mechanical Engineering student.I want to apply for the MIT transfer program.Since I have limited funds,I want to know about my chances before applying.I took the SAT 1(2240), SAT 2 (790 in physics,766 in math) and TOEFL(612) last year.However,I featured in the top 2.5% in my first attempt at IITJEE(not enough to get into IIT).So I took a second shot and landed at (I)IT-BHU.Also during that year(the year preceding the 2nd JEE) I wrote papers on Robotics(humanoid balance) and Electromagnetic Radiations and an essay on topological constraints on warping of space-time.Prior to that I've been in the school soccer team(playing at the national level),the school band,and held informal classes for juniors for physics.I've mostly worked in the school labs and so made a lot of rough essays on my experiments and projects(most of them apart from the textbook).I managed a meagre 82% in my class 12.At college I'm a part of the instructor team(from my freshman year itself)of the automotive engineering and robotics clubs,apart from the college sports teams.I'm not VERY popular with the professors due to my attendance record(due to the time I spend for sports,at the local hospital,unorthodox experiments and teaching a poor group of students outside the campus).
Am I a competitive candidate for the MIT transfer program?Also is it true that Caltech doesn't fund transfer students anymore?or is it just the un-updated site?!
 
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MIT admits 7 or so students from India per year in regular admissions. Transfers are more competitive still.
 
We should really make a sticky or something :/ There are about 4+ threads like this per week.

In short, I agree with Vanadium. It's INCREDIBLY competitive, so unless you tinker around with fusion reactors in your spare time or got a number of articles published, I wouldn't hang my hat on it.
 
@Vanadium,does it mean I don't stand a chance?
@MissSilvy,I got 2 papers and an essay as of now(see above).perhaps by the time i actually send my application(if at all)there may be time for 1 more(if i find something suitable)
beside, will my automotive engg,quantum physics(string theory) and astro physics informal knowledge not be a plus?so do you mean i shouldn't apply?(because $70 is really something for me..)also please comment on the CalTech issue.
more opinions would be welcome..
 
When you say "papers", do you mean published papers? In scientific journals? and what do you mean by "informal knowledge"?
 
No you are not a competitive candidate for the transfer program. Sorry.

I think you've got a much better shot if you focus on getting admitted as a graduate student either to MIT or some other US university.

Something that will serious hurt your chances is that you do need to by popular with at least three professors that will write excellent recommendation letters. Unless they are peer reviewed papers in an established journal, essays are not going to be useful.
 
IT-BHU is pretty good. Continue and finish your B.Tech there (I suppose that is what you are doing). Your CGPA is good, try to maintain it. Do some research, both in your institute and other institutes like IISc, TIFR, ... they have summer intern programmes. If these things go well, you should have a good shot at one of the top US univs for grad school.
 
i presented the papers at IIT,Delhi and Kanpur during the national CSIR recognized paper presentation conference.By informal knowledge ,I mean I've heard most lectures on the subjects on the internet and done a few books,plus worked in garages.
@twofish..what is exactly wrong with my candidature?my school record?or college record?I mean can I apply next year with a few more things up my sleeve?
 
d10 said:
i presented the papers at IIT,Delhi and Kanpur during the national CSIR recognized paper presentation conference.By informal knowledge ,I mean I've heard most lectures on the subjects on the internet and done a few books,plus worked in garages.
@twofish..what is exactly wrong with my candidature?my school record?or college record?I mean can I apply next year with a few more things up my sleeve?

Think about what vanadium said. Less than 7 people are accepted transferring from India in a year. Can you believe you are one of the top 7 people in your country that applied to MIT? Even if you think so, as twofish said, without recommendations, it's not going to happen.
 
  • #10
Put another way, at one point you said you were in the top 2.5%. The fraction who can transfer is closer to 0.00003%.
 

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