Contents. Preface Top universities 3

Student bloggers’ tips

Getting into MIT requires many months of preparation, says a blogger, Dishita T. (Architecture) student from Mumbai, in the “Being International” section of MIT’s graduate admissions blog. Most graduate applicants would be employed, and it requires some effort to prepare for student life once again. They would have to prepare for GRE and at the same time compose an academic and professional portfolio, reach out to professors from a distant past for recommendation letters, and look at funding options. And then there is the statement of purpose to write.

Statement of purpose is an important part of the application, points out Amanda C. Biological Engineering) in her blog post. An applicant should show that he/she is qualified by quantifying and interpreting experiences, she says, giving examples.

Instead of writing “I am intelligent and hardworking,” which may invite the question, “OK, so what?” try “On top of a full semester course load, I committed to at least 15 hours a week of research to complete a bachelor’s thesis, which was recognized with distinction.”

Along with quantifying, interpreting is also important. Instead of saying “I served as a TA [teacher’s assistant] for three years, and I learned how to manage students and provide one-on-one instruction,” say “I provided one-on-one instruction for about 20 students . . . and I enjoyed interacting with my students because it challenged me to come up with different approaches for thinking about the same concept.”

Once you have shown that you qualify, you need to also show that you match MIT’s objectives and mission, says Amanda. In your personal statement, include only qualifications that are relevant. You could go by key words and phrases in the institute’s/department’s mission statement to know which of their qualifications are relevant. Additionally, make sure to stress your values that match the philosophy of the institute.

Giving her recipe for getting in, Lauren S. (Biological Engineering) says in her blog that she had a strong research background prior to coming to MIT. She says she identified professors she wanted to work with and explained why in her personal statement. That two of her recommenders had personal connections with MIT helped. Like many other successful candidates, she felt lucky to get in, she writes.

Lauren says your application should show that you are motivated, present your research experience, do some “name dropping,” and add a “dash of personality and honesty.” Her department is running a program to help students improve their graduate applications.