【分享】MIT 入取通知

[cj2340 10]

太厲害了!!!!

我可以請問一下你覺得你為什麼會進嗎?

例如:SAT高or..奧林匹亞冠軍之類的??

MIT is my dream school too!!!

我覺得我好像不是典型被入取的學生，所以我可能沒辦法給你你想要的答案

[Krislih 10]

我覺得我好像不是典型被入取的學生，所以我可能沒辦法給你你想要的答案

說真的,感覺名校現在想要的是... 奇怪的學生

[sally132435 10]

恭喜喔^^

[cj2340 10]

哈囉never19,

我把你的留言看了又看，總覺得你跟我以前好像，瘋狂想進MIT的樣子。所以我打算打一篇文章，看看可不可以提供你一些幫助。

我記得我去年也像你一樣一直在問人這些問題，覺得自己不夠好不夠強，卻一心一意想進MIT。

我的ACT跟SAT成績普普，托福有到標準以上，然後修了IB的課程。跟其他申請的人比起來，我覺得並沒有什麼突出的地方，因為大家的成績都是那個水準以上的程度。

可是，我覺得自己很喜歡科學，而且，很想進MIT。

我高一時來美國，一開始吃了很多苦，因為全年級只有我一個東方人，互動模式上有時候會受到欺負。為了讓英文變的好一點，我參加足球隊，增加自己跟人說英文的機會，暑假去大學修英文課，哲學課，然後到醫院做志工順練自己口說能力。

以前國中的時候，我最想加入的就是物理社，可是學校唯一的數理相關社團只有數學社，因此我便在十年級下學期開始在數學社活動。當時的數學社剛成立，數學社唯一的活動就是募款，毫無學術相關的課程。因此十年級後那個暑假我就邀一個朋友一起設計數學社的活動，課程，及募款的行程。暑假結束後被選上了社長，然後就帶學生參加學校史上第一個國際36小時的數學競賽，國內ＡＭＣ，ＡＭＩＥ競賽，設立數學家教的單位，然後經由募款設立了一個給數學傑出學生的獎學金。

當時，我最喜歡瀏覽的網站就是MIT的Admission Blog。其中有一篇文章是關於MIT建議學生參加的Summer Program。我當時申請了MIT Minority Enrichment Program，Stanford Mathematics Program，跟Summer Science Program。其中，SSP，為期時間最長，成立時間有五十年之久，還有許多物理相關的課程，所以我就選擇把我的暑假花在那個Program上。SSP對我來說是一種震撼，三十五個學生裡面，大家幾乎都是全校第一名，很多人都到實驗室做研究，有些人是全國西洋棋手，有人拿了在十年級就拿IMO銅牌+IChO金牌+世界文學競賽金牌，有些人是LHS(全世界最大的粒子加速器)的研究員…..等。老實說我一直是很沒有信心的人，也從來都不覺得自己很強或聰明，可是跟那些學生相處一個多月之後，突然發現大家其實都是平凡的，唯一的共同點就是，很愛科學，很愛思考，很努力。SSP的課程很重，教授每天做的就是把大學及研究所程度的數學物理天文宇宙學以最快速度填塞進我們的腦子裡。我們每天晚上都圍在宿舍二樓宿舍的會議廳狂解題，一邊談到自己的理想及我們夢想的大學。還沒去SSP之前，我總覺得自己可能只能去州立學校，因為幾乎是全校同學去的地方，我從來都沒有妄想過更好的學校。可能在會議廳的大方桌上，大家討論的都是Harvard, MIT, CalTech, Stanford, Princeton, Yale等等的學校。我記得自己當時很坦明的跟我那群朋友說我總覺得自己一定進不去那些學校。我還記得他們跟我擺擺手，說我真愛說笑，我一定是進那些學校的學生。當時我覺得自己激勵真大，覺得如果他們可以做得到並且要去實踐，為什麼我不可以呢？除了這個激勵之外，SSP逼著我挑戰自己的極限，在最後一周以整周共三小時的睡眠，寫完一個預測行星軌道的程式軟體，然後每個禮拜犧牲好幾晚的睡眠觀測剛剛被發現的supernova （我跟其他三個隊友是全世界前幾個觀測到SN2008a的人xD）。而我把這些經驗全告訴MIT跟我的interviewer（我一個SSP在Florida的朋友的MIT interviewer還剛好是SSP以前的學員ｘＤ）

Junior時我修了一堂IB Chemistry，全班只有六個人，我一個女生。因為人數實在太少了，所以我們就跟Honor class三十幾個學生倂班，然後我們在後半部分的教室自學化學。那間化學教室裡面還有一個老師專用的超小房間，我們就常常圍著圓桌寫化學以外的作業ｘＤ，討論科學議題之類的。我跟一個朋友就打算利用溫室氣體原理來改進太陽能熱水器。我們寫了無數封信給當地的大學教授尋找幫助，我打了幾十通電話給美國各地提供溫室氣體的工廠找尋材料，然後每天花六小時以上的時間泡在我同學家的車庫製作改良的熱能板。完工後的熱能板不能算完美，可是卻增進了普通熱能板百分之二十以上的效能。

十二年級，我也想同其他SSP同學一樣去實驗室工作，因此我就email一百多個在ASU的教授，詢問工作機會。後來我就去ASU的BioDesign Institute工作，我做的是疫苗混合的實驗。當時我跟我的指導員聊到他們的工作時數，發現一些很簡單不需要那些擁有博士學位的學員進行的測試需要他們三小時以上的時間執行，所以我就把自己實驗室production line有效利用人力資源，替代高學位人員的的理念計劃也寫進MIT的申請資料裡。

在申請MIT時我送了三封推薦信，一封是在SSP指導我的教授，一封英文老師，一封物理老師。來美國後，我發現跟老師有頻繁且良好的互動非常重要。在SSP時，我跟教授要求做另一個課程之外的supernova觀測研究。在餐桌上能問教授們多少問題就問多少問題，因為他們對於專業知識的闡述和分析永遠比教科書好。然後更重要的是作業不論多困難，管他是研究所的題目還是瘋狂的宇宙學計算，一定要做超乎標準的表現，解出全班沒人能解出的數學題之類的（這是那個教授對我印象深刻的原因之一xD）。那個教授幫十一個SSP學員寫推薦信到MIT，可是當你跟教授有比別人多的在研究上的交流，他幫你寫的信就會跟別人不一樣，更加突出。

物理老師也是同樣的情況。我IB Physics的物理老師是一個新來任職的數學教授(根本不是教物理的人xD)。當時在做第一份實驗報告時，特別花多一點的時間去寫，把所有實驗跟公式的連結，演變過程，都分析出來，當同學寫了五頁的報告，我寫了二十二頁。老師就說那是他在大學和研究所教書以來寫的最好的實驗報告，他並以那份報告在IB課程訓練時在其他老師面前出了風頭。老實說一開始我只是想把東西寫得好一點，完全沒有預料到後面的影響，所以，做研究時別人做一百分努力你就做一百二十分，或許表面上看起來很傻沒有回報，有時候果實常常在後頭。也是自那次開始，我交出去的研究報告老師都不會去改就給我滿分了(這點其實不太好)。而他幫我寫的推薦信，是所有老師中寫的最好最令人印象深刻的。

我在IB English HL的表現上當然沒有其他同學突出，可是我常常早上特別早到學校去跟老師討論如何改進我的文章，然後讓他指導我寫作的方法。可能是因為我很積極，老師特別喜歡我，在寫推薦信時，他雖然沒有辦法寫 “Morgan’s writing skill is the most exceptional among all the students”可是他在推薦信裡寫了一段我怎麼努力的小故事，讓整封信變得非常強悍，完全把我的人格特質跟我所接受到的困境過程經由一分信傳達給學校。

除此之外，我提到自己很喜歡寫中文現代詩，然後自己有時候怎麼把非常理性的科學以文字的方式表現。然後我也提到了攝影，在申請MIT時我把自己的一個攝影集當作supplement送到MIT去。

在做interview之前，一定要做你的interviewer的背景調查。我SSP那群朋友的MIT interviewer不是經濟學家就是科學相關研究者，而我所唯一能在google上找到我interviewer 的資料只有她是一個女性，然後在Phoenix Art Museum做過義工。當時我帶了自己的resume，成績單，然後因為她在美術館做過義工的經驗，想必她也非常喜歡藝術，所以我就把自己的攝影集帶著了。在面試過程，她不看我的resume和成績單(這會因人而異所以帶著比較好)，然後就進行普通談話。我告訴她自己的家庭背景，來美國跟一個自己十年沒有相處在一起母親相處的過程。談到台灣和美國教育的不同，我所做過的天文觀測研究，projects，SSP經驗。其中，我跟她談到了OCW (Open Course Ware)，一個你可以線上觀看MIT課程的系統，然後跟她提到我七年級發現這個系統就開始看MIT一些簡單的課程，然後近期來要幫OCW就的中文翻譯工作。然後我跟她談到UROP，一個MIT undergraduate 學生可以參加的研究機會，然後我想進行的計畫。UROP和OCW的話題都是我自己帶上來的，所以當你主動一點，表現你對MIT的了解，會有很大的助益。面試過程中輕鬆的話題我們也有聊到，像是MIT有最醜的大學生(這她自己說的XD)，大家衣服都亂穿，然後還有惡作劇的經驗等（MIT是全美國最會惡作劇的的大學，CalTech沒有MIT強（私心））。然後我就把自己SSP經驗跟上上個暑假去MIT參觀時做連結，聊到我有同學六個禮拜穿同樣的衣服，然後我們怎麼惡作劇對方之類的經驗。

老實說，我到現在還半信半疑自己真的進了MIT。不過追求夢想有時候臉皮就是要厚一點，管別人覺得你聰不聰明可不可以，夢想是不是笑話。當你一心一意努力的去追求，他最終究會是你的。我的學校沒有奧林匹亞的培訓，也沒有特好的師資，而我卻能以一個平凡人單純喜愛科學的身分進MIT。因此永遠不要放棄自己的夢想，當別人做一百分努力，你就做一百二十分，當別人把你的夢想當笑話，你就埋頭苦幹，並記得永遠跟老師有良好互動並不斷追求知識。不知道這篇文章對你有沒有幫助，如果有需要的話你可以用msn問我問題之類的。希望你以後也能經驗到收到入取通知時大叫狂哭跳來跳去的經驗xD。一起加油吧！

[cj2340 10]

下面這封是一個被入取學生給MIT的信，希望這個可以給你一些鼓勵

So, some context: Mikey received an email from a student who had been admitted to MIT and was concerned that everyone else would be much better prepared than she. Recognizing her concern as a very common one, Mikey asked her if we could publish their correspondence. Here it is:

So, mainly at this point I am very excited for MIT, but I am having some second thoughts. Concerning my peers. When I applied, I was well aware of the fact that MIT attracts the best and brightest... and I'm a bit worried that I'm not as bright and shiny as the others. For example, almost all the people I've talked to have been to the IMO or at least the USAMO or have won some science competition or another (Westinghouse, YES, Intel, take your pick) or have patented something, or have taken their school's science club to nationals. And I've never done any of that... I'm basically a kid who likes math, cats, plants and some plumbing and thought MIT seemed like a cool place because everyone was always building one thing or another, all the time.

But now I'm worried that I won't be able to catch up to these kids and as a result, coming in with no research experience or major math competition experience or etc. will pull me far behind my classmates and I'll struggle to get good grades (I know grades aren't everything, but I'd like to get decent enough grades to apply for graduate school) or find research opportunities or basically show professors that I have something to offer... when in fact I'm not sure I have anything to offer in comparison to the rest of the class of 2011.

I was really psyched to go despite the notoriously huge workload because I was pretty sure that I'd love doing the work, no matter how much there was (I really enjoyed, for example, doing stoichiometry problems and math problems... they're fun for me, but I don't have any true talent for them... I'm a "peasant" of a student, not a "poet" if that makes any sense at all), but now I'm more worried than anything. Please feel free to be honest... if you think that my sort of person can still do well at MIT, that's great... but if not, be as brutally honest as necessary!

So how was your experience at MIT? If you don't mind, can you tell me a bit about yourself? Like, were you one of those USAMO kids?

Thanks again for your time, and I hope I don't sound too hysterical :)

And here's Mikey's response, which I love:

Don't worry.

I had never heard of "Intel", "Westinghouse", or "IMO" before coming to MIT. I did not know a USABO, USNCO, or USPhO existed. I didn't even know science fairs and research competitions existed. No joke. I took the "pre-AMC" (back then it was called the AJHSME, and the AMC was called the AHSME - American (Junior) High School Math Exam), did okay on it, and never went any farther (I had heard of the AIME but wasn't even close to being considered for that test). And I felt exactly like you even before I applied to MIT. "MIT students are way smarter than me... I must've gotten in by accident... I'll be like the dumbest one there" is what I seriously told myself. And I totally get your "poet" vs "peasant" analogy... people would talk about how "elegant" a math proof was, or how "neat and interesting" the solution was to that physics problem, while I would just sit there and say "heck, did I at least get the units right?" or use brute force to solve the problem in a way that took 20x longer than it should have and said "hey, I still got it right in the end, who cares if it took 2 hours instead of 2 minutes?" Haha.

But anyways, back to the original point. I came to MIT, and seriously, I probably had way more fun than I was supposed to. (Hanging out with friends in my living group, going on road trips, having spontaneous parties, watching TV shows and movies, playing video games... Not all the time, but most of the time. Don't tell my parents.) Over my four years, I sang with an a cappella group, helped record and produce 2 CDs, sang in a classical group, was part of a religious club, did a UROP, and made many lifelong friends and memories.

But wait... what about the academics?? I graduated with a 4.8 GPA (out of 5.0) - and I honestly had a blast. (I hope that didn't come off as arrogant - I just wanted to let you know that you can have a lot of fun and still get good grades in your classes!)

Believe me, there was definitely hard work involved (it was not ALL fun and games) but really, you wouldn't have been admitted if you we didn't think you could not only survive but THRIVE here academically, socially, emotionally, physically, mentally (and every other "lly" way). MIT is about educating the entire student, not *just* the academics, and the college experience is not *just* the classes - it's EVERYTHING. You literally passed through *at LEAST* 5 different rounds of screening before you were definitively admitted to MIT; we said "not only can she do the work, but she's going to have fun, she'll add to the campus community, she'll be able to make great friends, and above all, she's a great match for MIT." Or something to that extent.

Yes, there are geniuses at MIT, even for MIT standards. I met plenty of them throughout my four years. But you know what? I couldn't even tell for most of them - I had plenty of friends where I didn't learn about their special and unique talents until after having known them for 2-3 years (examples: I didn't learn until junior or senior year that some of my friends consisted of: California State Nintendo Champion... a child TV show star... placed in the Putnam for more than one year... went to Africa to help vision-impaired children... worked on the Human Genome project... owned his own design company... etc... etc... etc...). But when people get here, everyone pretty much leaves a lot of that at the door (unless it comes up specifically). They're all students just like anyone, eager to meet new people... and it was incredibly exciting to have friends like them.

So don't worry. I know exactly what you're going through, and as someone who's been through it all and is on the other side now, I know you'll be juuuuust fine. :)

[cj2340 10]

然後下面這則是ＭＩＴ想找的學生的人格特質

The Match Between You And MIT

Ask any admissions officer at MIT, and he or she will tell you that grades and scores are important but it's really the match between applicant and Institute that drives our selection process. Understandably, we're often asked what is meant by "the match." Here are the key components.

• Alignment with MIT's mission to make the world a better place. Remember that there are many ways to make the world better - we're not looking for applicants to have cured all infectious disease in the world by the time they're fifteen. Tutoring a single kid in math changes the world. Lobbying a senator to change bad policy changes the world. There are thousands of examples.

• Collaborative & cooperative spirit. The core of the MIT spirit is collaboration and cooperation: you can see it all over the Institute. Many of the problem sets (our affectionate term for homework) at MIT are designed to be worked on in groups; cross-department labs are very common; MIT is known for its interdisciplinary research; the Open Source movement is powerful here; publishing and sharing of results is the center of academic research. Fostering a collaborative environment is an important part of the MIT community. If you enjoy working alone all the time, that's fine! But you're probably not going to be particularly happy here.

• Initiative. Research projects and seed money and interesting lectures aren't simply handed to students on silver platters here. Opportunities abound at MIT, but they must be seized. For those students who take initiative - who take advantage of what's around them - MIT's resources are unparalleled.

• Risk-taking. MIT wants to admit people who are not only planning to succeed, but who are not afraid to fail. When people take risks in life, they learn resilience as a result - because risk leads to failure as often as it leads to success. The most creative and successful people - and MIT is loaded with them - know that failure is part of life and that if you stay focused and don't give up, goals are ultimately realized.

• Hands-on creativity. MIT is an active, hands-on place. Innovation is risky and messy! Getting your hands dirty and trying something new is often the best way to achieve success. We apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems here; our latin motto means "Mind and Hand." In other words, you shouldn't just enjoy thinking, you should also enjoy doing.

• Intensity, curiosity, and excitement. (We used to summarize this as simply "passion" before various components of the college admissions machine turned it into a buzz-word and stripped it of its meaning.) In a nutshell: you should be invested in the things that really mean something to you (we're not particularly picky as to what). Explore! Choose quality over quantity - you don't have to do a million things to get into college. Put your heart into a few things that you truly care about and that will be enough.

• The character of the MIT community. Our community is comprised of good people. People who take care of each other and lift each other up. People who inspire each other to work & dream beyond their potential. We're looking to admit people who by nature will sustain the qualities of this community.

• The ability to prioritize balance. Work hard, play hard. Despite what you may have heard, this place is NOT all about work. To be successful here, you must prioritize some measure of down-time. Therefore we like to see that you've prioritized some down-time in high school as well. Question #3a (Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it) is not a trick question. Answer it wisely.

• Last but not least, remember that no one profile - no matter how impressive - represents "the perfect match." As we say on the beginning of this page: When we admit a class of students to MIT, it's as if we're choosing a 1,000-person team to climb a very interesting, fairly rugged mountain - together. We obviously want people who have the training, stamina and passion for the climb. At the same time, we want each to add something useful or intriguing to the team, from a wonderful temperament or sense of humor, to compelling personal experiences, to a wide range of individual gifts, talents, interests and achievements. We are emphatically not looking for a batch of identical perfect climbers; we are looking for a richly varied team of capable people who will support, surprise and inspire each other.

最後建議大家多上MIT 的Admission Blog

http://www.mitadmissions.org

[iwtgts 10]

I think you are already very unusual compared to other students. 在讀完你的經歷之後，我真t的覺得自己好像什麼都沒做過XD I never hold too big a dream or work as hard as you, trying to achieve your goals and devoting yourself completely to it. I've read in a book that if you really want be successful, what you need to do is just to long for it desperately and go for it. Actually I am applying this year also,but I got rejected from Stanford. I realize that I didn't work hard enough to fulfill my own ambition or dream. and I'm truly inspired by your persistence and love for science!!! You are truly the best candidate for MIT!=]

[stevkang8 10]

跟這位摩根同學比起來

才發現我來加拿大後都是在混吃等死

什麼都沒做

每天都是回家看電視打籃球

沒有去做什麼額外的付出

所以上不了好大學也怪不了人

不過我會努力的

四年後

MIT Grad School見面

:D

[howard3088 10]

good! 可終於把他給看完了。

受益良多，說真的，

你的高中生活與我們的高中生活，差滿多的！

[＊熊貓達人＊ 10]

這篇簡直喚醒了一堆人

明年海外版會不會都是MIT人在亂晃阿XDD

[cj2340 10]

這篇簡直喚醒了一堆人

明年海外版會不會都是MIT人在亂晃阿XDD

這就是我發文的最邪惡終旨

哇哈哈哈xD

[john0312 10]

#29 sounds like a translation of your essay... Nice job.