The 6 final steps

In this second part we discuss the 6 remaining steps that give you the highest probability to get into MIT. They are summarized in the following video:

These are:

*Author's Note: On March 20^th, 2020, MIT declared that it would no longer accept the SAT Subject Tests, that is, as of that date, step 7) is no longer relevant. However, you should keep in mind that this does not imply that you should no longer prepare for specific subjects. On the contrary, your preparation must be even greater because now you will only be able to show that you are good at specific subjects through academic competitions or the International Olympiads. On the other hand, other world-renowned universities continue to accept the SAT Subject Tests, so if your intention is to apply to another university, step 7) is still very important.

Let's go step by step, the fifth step is focused on knowing English, which is an essential requirement to succeed in today's world. You should keep this in mind because if you don't study English or leave it for later you will be digging your grave. In the first part of this article we already talked about this, but learning English doesn't mean that you have to study it at your school or that you need to go to a language institution. No, for you, learning English means that you have to read books, and you must do it even if it is very difficult for you because believe me over time you will start to see results as your vocabulary improves. With this I want to tell you that the fifth step: "Pass the TOEFL iBT with more than 90 points," should be irrelevant to you because it will come without thinking about it if you focus on the sixth step: "Pass the SAT General Test with a perfect score in the Math section and a satisfactory score in the Verbal section." The Math section will be very easy for you if you fulfilled the fourth step: "Be able to pass the UNI exam;" however, the Verbal section is where you will encounter difficulties, and this section is not about knowing English, it is about reading books. Think about it, who gets the best grades on the verbal reasoning tests, which are loaded with analogies, synonyms, antonyms, definitions, and text comprehension? Only the ones who read books or read the news every day will succeed on these tests. If you don't start reading books, you won't get a satisfactory score in the Verbal section of the MIT admission exam. Now, it should be said that if you are not even trying to read books in your mother tongue, then consider it delusional that you will be able to do it in English, that is, to pass the SAT General Test you must love reading books, and that's why I emphasize the fourth step: "Be able to pass the UNI exam." I'm not referring only to the Math section of this exam, but instead to the complete exam, which includes general knowledge and verbal reasoning. If you can pass the whole exam, it means that you read books and watch the news every day. Of course, the Verbal section of the UNI exam is relevant to those who speak Spanish. If your mother tongue is different, then just take the most difficult verbal reasoning exam in your country. If you pass it, it will be quite easy to do the same in English. With all this, I'm basically telling you to ignore the fifth step and focus on the sixth step, because if you do well on the SAT General Test, the TOEFL will be a piece of cake. Of course, I'm focusing on the written part, the TOEFL has a listening part and there you will need exclusive preparation that you can develop by watching movies or singing songs in English. I also recommend you to read my article: "The most efficient method to learn English: Cultural Exchange", because there I present additional tips that will allow you to increase further your chances to get into MIT.
The TOEFL is an in-person exam, you first need to create an account at ets.org. Then in your account, you will add your personal data, including your location. It is by giving your location that the organization will propose to you the available places where you can take the exam, for example, in the city of Lima the most common place is the Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano (ICPNA). You will choose the date on which you want to take the exam, you will make the payment online and then you will go to the institution to take it on the day that you have chosen. To take the SAT General Test, it is quite similar, you first create an account at collegeboard.org, then, because it is an in-person exam, you choose the location where you want to take it. In the city of Lima, for example, the most common places are the Markham and Roosevelt schools.

Let's discuss now the seventh step: "Pass the SAT Subject Tests with a perfect score." Again, if you have fulfilled the fourth step, the seventh will be a piece of cake. In the SAT Subject Tests, you must choose two of your interest. I suggest that you choose Math Level IIc & Physics. These exams are in-person exams. To register with them, follow the same steps that you took for the SAT General Test, that is, the website is the same. In general, what I recommend to every student who is interested in taking any of these exams, i.e., SAT General Test, SAT Subject Test, and TOEFL iBT, is to buy the preparation books that come with practice tests. These books will help you to set your times and create the best strategies. You can find these books at your local bookstore or at Amazon.com. With them, you will understand how the exam works and you will get the most out of it. if you don't do this and only trust in your ability, you may get very nervous on the test date and make a lot of mistakes. In case you tell me that you don't have money to buy these preparation books, I recommend you to read my article: "How to download programs in your PC using peer to peer applications". There you will realize that there are no excuses when you are targeting a goal.

The admission process itself starts with the eighth step: "Write outstanding essays." Once these essays are written, I recommend you to share them with your English teacher, or even better, share them with foreigners whose mother tongue is English, because they are the ones who will correct your grammar and make your essays more interesting to read. You must put aside the shame and start looking for help, because the more help you get, the more impact you will create... You may be wondering: "What essays is he talking about?" To apply to MIT, you must create an account at mitadmissions.org. This is similar to what you did with the TOEFL and the SAT. Your MIT account will allow you to have total control of your application. You will have to fill out some forms online and then send your school transcripts by post. These transcripts must be official; therefore, they must be sealed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country. The whole process is cumbersome but once you get there, it will be very exciting. Online, besides filling in your personal data, you will have to write essays answering the following questions:

Don't you think that the essay questions are quite interesting? Indeed they are, that's why your answers will make the difference. These questions also give you a clear idea of ​​the profile that MIT is looking for. That's why you must show them that you are very passionate about the things that you like to do and that you are a persevering person with powerful goals. For example, if in your essay you say that you like robotics, then you should tell them that after school you spend hours programming machine learning codes, or that at your young age, you already have created a company that focuses on teaching robotics to children under 12 years old, or even better, that on weekends you go to the nursing homes to visit the elderly and show them your robots. There are different things that you can do, but they will be special only if they are based on your passion. Keep in mind that if you find your passion, you must take it to a level that will cause admiration. It is not enough to say that you do something every day, because for MIT to believe you, you must compete and stand out as the best. For example, if your passion is dancing, you must win an international dance competition, if you like chess or yo-yo, you must reach the international championship. The truth is that it doesn't matter much what you like, what matters is that you are the best at it and you can only reach this by competing. If you are poor, keep in mind that if you manage to compete and win, you will definitely have a better essay than most of the applicants, because you will be able to describe to them the world where you come from, a world of many obstacles that have not stopped you from becoming the best.

When you apply to MIT, you'll not only mention your passion in your essays, but also you will do so in the section of the competitions you've won. Precisely! MIT will ask you this; therefore, don't waste your time and compete. If you are thinking of applying to MIT, it is likely because you like science and/or engineering, that is, you have aptitudes for mathematics, physics, and/or programming, so answer the following question: "In which of those three, do you think you are the best? Or which one do you like more?" If your answer is mathematics, then you should try to compete in the International Mathematical Olympiad, if your answer is physics, then you should compete in the International Physics Olympiad , and if your answer is programming, then you should compete in the International Informatics Olympiad. Believe me, if you do it, you're not only securing your admission to MIT but also its financial support. You will find all this information online, so don't waste your time and start looking for regional, national, and international competitions... But not reaching an international competition does not mean that you won't get into MIT, because if you put a lot of effort into all the steps that I discuss in this article, you will still have great chances to be admitted.

The ninth step is the personal interview. In this interview, you will have a pleasant conversation with a former MIT student. You may think that hardly a former MIT student will be living in your city, but you will be surprised to know that there will be one there waiting for you. Personal interviews do not have a pattern, if I tell you that it will be in one way, it is likely that yours will be totally different. That's why instead of focusing on how it will be, I will give you some tips to excel in it. To begin with, you should go to web.mit.edu and read all that seems interesting to you. For example, if you like computer science, then you should read all the articles that they have published about it, you should dive into the research groups they have and ask yourself many questions, questions that you will ask in your personal interview. Your interviewer may not be able to answer them, but he or she will notice that you have a strong interest in studying at MIT. With this, I want to tell you that you should come to the interview with many interesting questions that will lead to a pleasant discussion with your interviewer. Of course, you may not be able to ask all your questions because your interviewer may end up asking you instead. If your interviewer asks you a question, you should keep 3 things in mind: 1) you should be able to formulate your own answers and not copy your parents' answers, that is, you should have a solid and personal opinion of a topic, and this can only be developed at your age by reading books and watching the news every day, 2) you must know why you want to study at MIT, and 3) you must know why you want to study the field of your choice. It is worth mentioning that point 3) should not be so exact because MIT is not looking for someone who is sure about his or her field. Nowadays many fields are multidisciplinary and therefore once you are admitted it may happen that you will shift into a different path, you should keep this in mind.

The last step to get into MIT with the highest probability is: "Get the best letters of recommendation from your teachers." MIT will ask you for letters of recommendation and for this you must choose those who you know will give the best opinion of you. It may be true that your math teacher has a very good opinion of you because in his classes you are the best student, but here you must be very picky because being the best student in his class doesn't mean that you are the best he has encountered throughout his life. Probably it is your tutor that considers you the best in his entire life, and therefore he will write something more spectacular about you. You have to choose those who say that you are the best student that he (or she) has had in his (or her) entire life, and I repeat it again, in his (or her) entire life, therefore, I suggest that you are honest with them and tell them what you are looking for, only then they will be honest with you and you can choose the best possible letters for you.

With all this I assure you that your chances are very high to get into MIT, the pending question is: How much does it cost to study there? And how could you pay the tuition fee? In this article I won't answer this; however, you should know that every country has an institution that gives financial support to bright students. In Peru for example it is called Pronabec. I suggest that you visit institutions like Pronabec... but not only that, I suggest that you do your best in the admission process itself without worrying too much about the money because if you put a lot of attention to all that you have to pay, you will be truncating your dreams and limiting yourself without even taking the first step.