Help with graduate ChemE application

[absurdist]

Help with graduate ChemE application!

I really want to apply to MIT for the ChemE Phd program and apparently they look at your class rank quite a bit...I might not have a very good class rank, let alone be the top student!
What are my chances going to be if I spend about 2.5 doing research and get a publication or 2?
Did anyone actually get into mit with not so stellar grades? If so what did they/you do?
On average how many publications should I aim for?

 

[Highway]

i don't think you have a chance without really good grades, and most people applying will have at least 1 publication. . .

 

[absurdist]

Well thanks Highway! Atleast 1? What's the most you've seen an applicant publish/have accepted?

Do you have any other recommendations from me? I take it I would probably need perfect GRE scores ( Quant.) and LORs but what about the extra stuff like Volunteering and other jobs? A minor perhaps? Anything to give myself an edge compared to others?

 

[Highway]

Well thanks Highway! Atleast 1? What's the most you've seen an applicant publish/have accepted?

i know of a girl who took time off between undergrad and worked in a lab for a few years before starting her phd. she had ~20 publications, most of them being co-authors, due to her heavy involvement in the lab. she pretty much wrote her ticket to the grad program of her choice.i don't think you realize that a lot of kids who get into programs like that have (marshall) scholarships, 2+ majors, numerous awards, many ECs, etc. it's not like they all do just one or two things and get accepted, they do almost everything, and do them all well.

i know of someone who got into stanford, pton, etc for engineering as a marshall scholar, and to even get that award he was rejected with one publication, applied again with 3 publications and won it. he was a 4.0 student.

this might not be what you want to hear, but it's the truth. . .

see if you can find some grad student web pages at mit and if they have their cv / work posted. . . make sure you're wearing a diaper though.