Getting into MiT

[Hugenerd666]

For most of my high school career so far ive heard that all of the full-ib students are absolutely insane and that getting thru the full dp is enough for a free ticket to 90% of the universities in canada, but i go on the internet and see people complaining about 5s and 6s when the world average is 4 and i wonder why people are so stressed out about such amazing grades. My teachers have actually told the students that 7s are near impossible and that a 5+ is fantastic. My chem sl teacher told us how one kid hes ever taught has gotten a 6 and that he knew more than the teacher himself. So i look at my own grades (predicted 5s mostly) and im wondering if i really have the right mindset why cant i get into mit with my grades? I have a friend from the states with straight 95+s and where i live that warrants scholarships and praise while for her shes not even that happy. I want to go to mit and im starting to get worried that my grades arent good enough but at the same time im not.

Tl;dr: People complain about 5s in HL math while at my school its not offered because everyone drops in the first 3 weeks and i dont get it. Also can i get into a us uni with mostly 5s?

[maturk]

It's true that getting 5+ in your IB classes, on average, will give you a fair and competitive shot at most universities in the world; however, you have to keep in mind that schools like MIT (Harvard, Oxbridge, etc.) are not like regular schools. I know many students that have been rejected from top tier schools with 43/45 (like Oxford) points from the IB! This just shows how competitive top schools really are. If you want to get into an average school, then average grades will do (like 4s and 5s); but, if you're aiming at the best schools on planet Earth then you're going to have to strive for excellence which means that you will have to get 6s and 7s because these are the top grades and these schools want the top students. With that being said, you can definitely get into schools in the USA with 5s; but, it might be a bit more difficult for international students. 

[King112]

For most of my high school career so far ive heard that all of the full-ib students are absolutely insane and that getting thru the full dp is enough for a free ticket to 90% of the universities in canada, but i go on the internet and see people complaining about 5s and 6s when the world average is 4 and i wonder why people are so stressed out about such amazing grades. My teachers have actually told the students that 7s are near impossible and that a 5+ is fantastic. My chem sl teacher told us how one kid hes ever taught has gotten a 6 and that he knew more than the teacher himself. So i look at my own grades (predicted 5s mostly) and im wondering if i really have the right mindset why cant i get into mit with my grades? I have a friend from the states with straight 95+s and where i live that warrants scholarships and praise while for her shes not even that happy. I want to go to mit and im starting to get worried that my grades arent good enough but at the same time im not.

Tl;dr: People complain about 5s in HL math while at my school its not offered because everyone drops in the first 3 weeks and i dont get it. Also can i get into a us uni with mostly 5s?

MIT is one of the most competitive schools in the world. If i remember right, the average score is 44. So with 5s getting into MIT is practically impossible unless you have kickass SAT scores, SAT subject scores, extra curriculars, essays etc.

So if you want to get into MIT, I will say pull up your socks and get to work. It's not too late, you can fix your grades. I'm sorry if i seem harsh, but that's the truth. The IB is harder than your average course, but most good unis expect you to have a certain standard.

If you plan on going to another school, there certainly are schools that will accept you with all 5s, but MIT is probably a no.

Hope I helped.

Cheers,

King112

[Gaby]

As people said above, getting into MIT with 5s is virtually impossible. Getting into any good uni in the UK would be impossible also (the entry requirement of half decent uni start around 32-33, with top unis asking for closer to a 40). Also, you're comparing yourself to average scores yet want to go to a much above average uni. It's quite a conflict. If you want to go to MIT, mindset isn't enough, I'm afraid, you need to put far more effort into it that that. Also, if your teachers think 6s are some manna from heaven, impossible to get, then you've bad teachers who don't understand the programme they're teaching.

 

Also, there's no such thing as "a free ticket" into any university, I'm afraid. Although it'd be splendid if there was. 

[Joe109]

It's true that getting 5+ in your IB classes, on average, will give you a fair and competitive shot at most universities in the world; however, you have to keep in mind that schools like MIT (Harvard, Oxbridge, etc.) are not like regular schools. I know many students that have been rejected from top tier schools with 43/45 (like Oxford) points from the IB! This just shows how competitive top schools really are. If you want to get into an average school, then average grades will do (like 4s and 5s); but, if you're aiming at the best schools on planet Earth then you're going to have to strive for excellence which means that you will have to get 6s and 7s because these are the top grades and these schools want the top students. With that being said, you can definitely get into schools in the USA with 5s; but, it might be a bit more difficult for international students. 

 

May I ask why? I've read that entry requirements are lower for international students (at least in the UK, Canada, and Australia) as tuition is more - or something like that? Would really appreciate some clarification 

 

Thanks

[Gaby]

 

It's true that getting 5+ in your IB classes, on average, will give you a fair and competitive shot at most universities in the world; however, you have to keep in mind that schools like MIT (Harvard, Oxbridge, etc.) are not like regular schools. I know many students that have been rejected from top tier schools with 43/45 (like Oxford) points from the IB! This just shows how competitive top schools really are. If you want to get into an average school, then average grades will do (like 4s and 5s); but, if you're aiming at the best schools on planet Earth then you're going to have to strive for excellence which means that you will have to get 6s and 7s because these are the top grades and these schools want the top students. With that being said, you can definitely get into schools in the USA with 5s; but, it might be a bit more difficult for international students. 

 

May I ask why? I've read that entry requirements are lower for international students (at least in the UK, Canada, and Australia) as tuition is more - or something like that? Would really appreciate some clarification 

 

Thanks

 

 

The requirements might be a tad lower (though I don't think any uni will say it out loud ), but in the case of the top universities, I wouldn't say that's really the case, as there are loads of very highly qualified candidates they can choose from, and some universities have quotas for the number of international students they can admit e.g. in the UK for medicine, so competition gets fierce. And universities don't want to lower the overall standard of the university either, it's not worth the extra money from the tuition fees for them. 

 

In the case of the US, it's probably to do with the fact that a lot of internationals are hoping for scholarships, which makes admission even more competitive, as the number of scholarships is limited (unless the university is need-blind, but they're few and far between). 

[Joe109]

 

 

It's true that getting 5+ in your IB classes, on average, will give you a fair and competitive shot at most universities in the world; however, you have to keep in mind that schools like MIT (Harvard, Oxbridge, etc.) are not like regular schools. I know many students that have been rejected from top tier schools with 43/45 (like Oxford) points from the IB! This just shows how competitive top schools really are. If you want to get into an average school, then average grades will do (like 4s and 5s); but, if you're aiming at the best schools on planet Earth then you're going to have to strive for excellence which means that you will have to get 6s and 7s because these are the top grades and these schools want the top students. With that being said, you can definitely get into schools in the USA with 5s; but, it might be a bit more difficult for international students. 

 

May I ask why? I've read that entry requirements are lower for international students (at least in the UK, Canada, and Australia) as tuition is more - or something like that? Would really appreciate some clarification 

 

Thanks

 

 

The requirements might be a tad lower (though I don't think any uni will say it out loud ), but in the case of the top universities, I wouldn't say that's really the case, as there are loads of very highly qualified candidates they can choose from, and some universities have quotas for the number of international students they can admit e.g. in the UK for medicine, so competition gets fierce. And universities don't want to lower the overall standard of the university either, it's not worth the extra money from the tuition fees for them. 

 

In the case of the US, it's probably to do with the fact that a lot of internationals are hoping for scholarships, which makes admission even more competitive, as the number of scholarships is limited (unless the university is need-blind, but they're few and far between). 

 

 

Ah, I see. Thank you!

[IB Examiner]

Having 5s in IB really limits your application when applying to top tier Ivy league schools in the US. However even if you get all 6/7's in the IB diploma, this is only one of the many factors that goes into acceptance applications.

 

- Must have exceptionally high ACT and/or SAT scores.

- Most kids that get accepted to these top tier universities are also from vigorous programs like the IB and AP programs. You are competing with thousands of other applicants, what makes you stand out? MIT only has 7.9% acceptance rate.

- If your in these high level programs you must achieve exceptionally good grades.

- Must have demonstrated an exceptionally high set of leadership skills. No, volunteering at your local school is not enough. You must do something bigger.

- And more.

 

Although getting 5's is good in IB and it would land you into a good university in US/Canada, I would say applying to Ivy schools, this mark is not good enough. I am not discouraging you to try and apply but rather noting the difficulty of getting in.