How to get accepted at MIT/Physics? Help

[deathnote93]

MIT says that they have more than 50% international students, if I wasn't wrong!

http://mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/admissions_statistics/index.shtml

You can clearly see that only 131 internationals were admitted, as opposed to 1545 domestic applicants.

---

The above was admission statistics. For students studying there, see http://mitadmissions.org/topics/pulse/incoming_freshman_class_profile/index.shtml

92% are domestic, which means only 8% international.

---Don't let that discourage you from applying to MIT though. But be a little pragmatic and apply to a few more colleges also.

Edit: Going by previous replies, you can't apply anywzy.

 

[twofish-quant]

I smell troll.

 

[Pyrrhus]

I think there is a general trend of misguided new students into physics.

First, there's a difference between learning about a topic, and a learning a topic. For example, you can learn about physics by reading Michio Kaku or Stephen Hawkins books, or you can learn about economics by reading The Economist. However, you perhaps only gathered a small intuition on the whole subject. You did not learn any of the underlying axioms, lemmas and theorems in physics or economics, and definitely have no idea about the level of mathematical sophistication (i.e. tools) required to solve physics or economics problems at different levels.

Second, remember your objective is learning physics. Your objective is not getting into MIT. It will definitely be nice to go to the "best" places in physics, but again "best" depends on the ranking criteria you assign. For some students, it is better to learn in small personalized environments such as a small colleges rather than big state school or private schools. In addition, schools like MIT or CalTech may become to high paced for you, while in a State School you could go at your own speed and still be able to achieve your objective. Remember, your diploma might say Bachelor (or PhD) in Physics from MIT, but still that does not mean success in your field. That is entirely dependent on you, given some external factors.

Third, I think as you should know that if you're not passionate about your pursuit, you'll not succeed. I am not a physicist, but also as a Ph.D. in sciences (social sciences to be exact) I know there's a lot of TEDIOUS and BORING calculations in your mathematical models. And to be honest, if you can't keep interest, you won't get past them, and eventually might even drop out. I am sure that the way Science is done is not as it is presented in Hollywood films, TV series or even some books.

Given all these points, please do reconsider again if you truly want to follow through

 

[BONHEAD]

Bear in mind that although your chances to get to MIT as undergrad are negligible, you can go there for graduate school after you finish your physics undergraduate studies somewhere else.

if that is true, then don't constrain yourself to MIT, there are lot of other good places where you can study physics.

ya, I guess that's what going to happen if I didn't get accepted at MIT, I can't tell how much I want to study physics, but I know that if I ever wanted to learn something; I do my best to learn it the right way, and we all know that MIT is considered one of the top universities that teaches physics in the best ways possible, especially if you want to learn about quantum mechanics. Thats my opinion, I don't know!

I think that my options now are limited! bomer

 

[BONHEAD]

I think there is a general trend of misguided new students into physics.

Second, remember your objective is learning physics. Your objective is not getting into MIT. It will definitely be nice to go to the "best" places in physics, but again "best" depends on the ranking criteria you assign. For some students, it is better to learn in small personalized environments such as a small colleges rather than big state school or private schools. In addition, schools like MIT or CalTech may become to high paced for you, while in a State School you could go at your own speed and still be able to achieve your objective. Remember, your diploma might say Bachelor (or PhD) in Physics from MIT, but still that does not mean success in your field. That is entirely dependent on you, given some external factors.

Third, I think as you should know that if you're not passionate about your pursuit, you'll not succeed. I am not a physicist, but also as a Ph.D. in sciences (social sciences to be exact) I know there's a lot of TEDIOUS and BORING calculations in your mathematical models. And to be honest, if you can't keep interest, you won't get past them, and eventually might even drop out. I am sure that the way Science is done is not as it is presented in Hollywood films, TV series or even some books.

Given all these points, please do reconsider again if you truly want to follow through

I really like your advice, and you gave a good point of view here. The good thing is that i realize what awaits for me in physics and I know that there is theories that can kill many of your brain cells just by trying to understand them, and that's what I like about physics.
I can't see the all the way ahead of me, but I have an idea of what could come across my way, just a slight idea, and it's okay, life is already hard enough for me, so why not let it be hard while I'm doing the thing I love?
And why MIT? well, just to learn what I love with passion and learn it the right way.

 

[Angry Citizen]

For undergrad, it's accepted wisdom that the material covered is largely the same across the top fifty ranked programs. Pick a state school like Texas A&M or UCLA and go study physics. It won't kill you to associate with us non-MIT common folk. If you have the brains to go to MIT, you can go there for grad school. If you don't.. well, what the hell's so special about MIT anyway? Only reason I'm even looking at MIT for grad school is because they do research (and offer a specialized degree) in plasma-based rocketry.