How to Get into MIT

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, better known as MIT, is one of the most elite technological institutes in the world. William Barton Rogers founded MIT with the goal of creating an independent educational institution that focused on studies relevant to an industrialized America. 

Founded in 1865, MIT held its first classes in a rented building in downtown Boston. Students in the area aiming for MIT and other top schools can get a head start with our Boston college counseling team. Construction of the first building was completed in 1866; at that time, the school was known as Boston Tech. The campus moved to Cambridge in 1916, and the name was changed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIT graduates are thought leaders across a wide array of fields and industries. They are undoubtedly some of the brightest minds in the world. Among the school’s faculty and alumni are 96 Nobel laureates, 8 Fields medalists, and 26 Turing Award winners.

A few of the many notable alumni of MIT include:

• Buzz Aldrin
• Tom Wolf
• Henry Cohen
• J. Michael Gilmore
• Raymond Hood
• Chrissy Houlahan
• David Nolan
• Lawrence Summers
• C.D. Howe
• Jim Marggraff
• Roger Ward Babson
• George A. Herzlinger

In addition, MIT alumni have established roughly 30,000 companies. Together, these companies employ more than 4.5 million people around the globe.

If you’re determined to join the next incoming class of MIT, you’ll need to work hard throughout your high school career. You’ll need to achieve a near-perfect GPA. 

Your test scores should be among the top scores in the nation, and you’ll need to demonstrate your skill, passion, and talent in technology through the extracurricular activities you participate in.

MIT expects compelling, dynamic essays and short-answer prompt responses that display your exceptional writing skills as well as your unique thoughts. In addition, MIT expects you to love having fun and have a fantastic sense of humor!

Students often wonder what actually happens to their applications once they are submitted to MIT for consideration. The school provides excellent descriptions of the selection process they use to determine who gets in, who is waitlisted, and who is denied entry.

When an application is submitted, a senior admissions officer will be the first to read it. Every application is considered with a holistic approach. Other admissions team members will then evaluate the strongest applications, and it’s their job to summarize these for the rest of the admissions staff at MIT.

Once an application “passes” through the summary phase of the process, it will then go forward to the selection committee. Several different groups of faculty members and staff will choose which applications are strongest. MIT explains that at least one dozen staff members will discuss every application before it’s accepted or rejected.

Like most prestigious institutions, MIT follows a holistic approach to admissions decisions. While looking at statistics and numbers can give clues about how to get into MIT, the numbers don’t determine the admissions process at the school. Instead, the numbers are a result of the admissions process.

MIT’s class of 2026 is one of the most diverse ever. The school has released the following interesting facts and statistics about the students who make up this class:

• 44% identify as male
• 43% identify as female
• 12% identify as “other” or did not disclose gender identity
• 89% are U.S. citizens and permanent residents
• 67% attended a public school
• 1% were home-schooled
• 15% attended an independent school
• 8% hail from religious schools
• 9% are from foreign schools

Although MIT considers components like GPA, class rank, and test scores during its decision-making process, it also places great importance on non-numerical factors (even though MIT loves numbers!). The admissions committee puts a lot of emphasis on qualitative aspects, such as how compatible you would be with MIT.

The school stresses that the most important thing applicants should remember is that it admits people, not numbers. The admissions process is deliberately student-centered so that no one’s bias, familiarity, or preferences can affect the outcome of a student’s application. 

Furthermore, the admissions process is not school-centered or even region-centered. In other words, applications are not read along with students from the same region or school. They are read individually, and MIT uses no state, regional, or school-based quotas. 

Finally, legacy status (whether a relative is an MIT alumnus) is not considered in the admissions process.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology looks for students who share a similar purpose: to make the world a better place through innovation, research, and education. The school describes its student body as follows:

• Collaborative
• Elite but not elitist
• Talented
• Creative
• Hands-on
• Curious
• Risk-taking
• Obsessed with numbers
• Inventive
• Artistic
• Fun and quirky

Students should be motivated by discovery and intellectual stimulation; they should “break the mold” and be extremely talented. 

In addition, MIT wants students who can prioritize balance and positively contribute to the MIT community. It seeks people who take the initiative and seize opportunities. Students who take advantage of their surroundings are the most competitive candidates for admission to MIT.

MIT states that the core of its spirit is cooperation. A hefty amount of the homework (known as “problem sets” on campus) is designed to be done in groups, and labs that reach across departments are common. If you’d rather work alone than with others, MIT may not be the best fit for you. 

If you’re a student who displays MIT’s valued qualities and routinely thinks outside the box, MIT might be the school you’re looking for.

This school is an extremely difficult university to get into — a fact that is proven by the MIT acceptance rate and other admission statistics for the class of 2026. 

The institute received 33,767 applications for that class. Of those MIT applications, only 1,337 were approved. These numbers translate into an acceptance rate of just 3.96%, one of the very lowest in the country. 

Early Action applicants turned in 14,781 applications for admission, and fewer than 700 were admitted. 9,488 students were deferred to Regular Action, and 176 were later offered admission.

For the Regular Admission cycle, MIT received 18,986 applications — a total of 28,474 applications were considered during Regular Admission. Just 640 of them (including deferred students) were admitted.

MIT put 763 applicants on its waitlist, but none were admitted. There were 24,165 U.S. citizens and permanent residents who applied to MIT; 1,201 were accepted. 9,602 international students submitted applications, and 136 were offered a place in the MIT class of 2026.

As you can see, it is exceptionally difficult to get into MIT. However, it’s certainly not impossible! When applying to MIT, you must remember several key tips and suggestions to help you submit an application with everything the school is looking for. 

Even though there is no set cut-off for an acceptable GPA, the average GPA of accepted students is estimated to be a weighted 4.17 (MIT does not release information about the GPAs of its incoming freshmen).

If yours isn’t at this level, you’ll need to make up for it elsewhere in your application. This doesn’t mean you should take easy classes during your high school career to get that GPA, though. While earning a weighted GPA of at least 4.17 is good, you should aim even higher to improve your chances of getting accepted into MIT.

MIT also looks at what kind of classes you take during high school — taking the easy way out isn’t going to impress the admissions staff. 

If your high school offers Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, you should definitely take them. MIT wants to see you challenge yourself by taking the most rigorous courses your high school offers. 

Not only do you need to earn a near-perfect GPA throughout high school and take challenging courses, but you also need to graduate at the top of your class. You should know that 97% of the most recent incoming class to MIT graduated in the top decile of their high school classes, and 100% were in the top 25%. 

To submit an MIT application, you must take the ACT or the SAT and report your scores. Although many colleges still operate under a “test-optional” policy, MIT now requires SAT or ACT scores from first-year and transfer applicants. 

However, the school does not require the SAT essay (which has been discontinued by the College Board anyway) or the ACT writing section.

MIT values communication and writing, and it expects all its students to be able to write in clear, organized prose. Therefore, MIT has communication requirements in place that secure instruction in writing and speaking through all four years of the undergrad program.

MIT does not retain recommended scores or cutoff scores for either test. Remember, the school considers all application materials (including test scores) within each applicant’s unique context. 

The average composite SAT score for students admitted to MIT is 1535.

The 25th percentile score is 1500, and the 75th percentile score is 1570. MIT follows a policy of “highest section” for scoring. This policy means if you take the SAT multiple times, MIT will consider your highest scores in each test section (a process known as “superscoring”).

As for the ACT, the average score is 35, with 34 and 36 as the 25th and 75th percentiles, respectively. If you scored a 34 or below on the ACT, you might have to rely on a very strong application in other areas to compensate. 

The breakdown of the 50% score range of SAT and ACT scores for MIT’s class of 2026 is as follows:

• SAT English, reading, and writing: 730–780
• SAT Math: 790–800
• ACT Reading: 35–36
• ACT Math: 35–36
• ACT Science: 34–36
• ACT English: 35–36
• ACT Composite: 35–36

While MIT looks at your highest SAT scores in each section (even if it receives all of them), the institute will see only the scores you choose to send if you take the ACT instead. It should be noted that MIT also offers an ACT superscoring policy.

MIT reiterates that test scores are just one factor in its admissions determination process. Once your scores are submitted, you will not be able to redact them from your application. Therefore, it’s essential that you properly and thoroughly prepare for whichever standardized test you choose to take. 

MIT recommends exceptional resources to help you with that preparation: Khan Academy, SchoolHouse.world, and ACT.

For applicants who are non-native English speakers, the school has set minimum English language test scores to maintain language proficiency among its students. MIT strongly recommends that students whose primary language is other than English submit the results of an English proficiency exam. 

English is the language of all MIT instruction; therefore, it makes sense that applicants show that they would thrive in the English-speaking campus community. These test score minimums and recommended scores are as follows:

• TOEFL: Minimum 90; recommended 100
• PTE: Minimum 65; recommended 70
• IELTS: Minimum 7; recommended 7.5
• DET: Minimum 120; recommended 125
• Cambridge English: Minimum 185; recommended 190

MIT does not require you to send official copies of your ACT, SAT, or English test scores at the time of your application. You will be required to self-report your scores, and if you are offered admission to MIT, the school will verify your records upon enrollment. 

The same holds true for any Advanced Placement exams, International Baccalaureate exams, or other standardized exams you take. You will be able to update your scores with the school with results that become available after you first submit your application.

Make sure you take any required tests before November 30 if you will be applying for Early Action and before December 31 if you’ll use the Regular Action protocol. 

One of the most common concerns students have is properly and adequately preparing for MIT. The school offers advice to students who dream of attending this prestigious institution: Be yourself.

MIT states that the best thing you can do to prepare for MIT is to focus on growing into your best self instead of building your entire life around preparing for MIT. The school wants students who pursue their passions enthusiastically and make educationally sound decisions to help them prepare for life beyond college. 

Don’t make the mistake of living for MIT; that isn’t the kind of student the school wants. It wants students who live for their best selves.

Getting ready to be a student at MIT means two things, according to the school:

1. Ensuring you’re ready to work hard
2. Exploring everything that interests you, academic and not

The Institute likens its admission process to building a team of individuals to collectively climb a mountain. While the team has to be strong to achieve the task, each individual must also provide a benefit to help the team succeed. The individual team members must support and inspire each other to make it to the top.

MIT also recommends that interested students think of preparing for attending as “applying sideways.” This means focusing on becoming your best and knowing that your path will help you be a better college applicant in general, not just a better MIT applicant.

Looking toward college during high school is a good plan, but a great plan is beginning to prepare early; the earlier, the better. MIT understands that every school is unique and no two offer exactly the same opportunities. This is why admissions officers always consider every application within its appropriate context.

With that being said, MIT also expects applicants to have an education that blends hands-on problem resolution with creativity and analytical thinking. While there is no single required path for academic courses that MIT requires for admission, general requirements are in place. 

These requirements demand that you either take or test out of the following high school courses:

• Two semesters of physics (calculus-based)
• Two semesters of calculus
• One semester of biology
• One semester of chemistry

In addition, MIT expects you to take courses in social sciences, the arts, and the humanities, no matter your intended course of study or major. 

Remember that the above is a list of the minimum required courses. To remain a competitive applicant, you should follow an expanded set of recommended courses in high school:

• At least one additional year of physics
• One year or more of chemistry
• Four years of English
• At least two years of a foreign language
• At least two years of history and/or social sciences
• At least one year or more of biology

MIT emphasizes the importance of taking courses that interest you and challenge you. What you take in high school should be determined by your interests as well as your aptitude.

You might also consider taking dual-enrollment classes offered at local colleges if your high school courses don’t challenge you enough. Doing so can look good on your application for MIT and help you on your journey to prepare for college. 

Taking college courses will also demonstrate that you seek out challenges and don’t settle for the easier path in life. Such a characteristic is a huge perk for MIT applicants like yourself.

MIT recommends a few additional options for academic enrichment if you feel you need more of a challenge during your high school career:

• Khan Academy online, which was founded by an MIT alum 
• Art of Problem Solving for mathematically inclined students
• MIT Open Learning for STEM activities and more

In addition, the school recommends structured online resources that function like traditional classrooms for advanced academic enrichment. These resources include CTY, SPCS, and Virtual High School, among others. 

With these online environments, you’ll receive homework, personal instruction, grades, and sometimes high school and college credit.

Some students are involved in over half a dozen extracurricular activities at any given time during high school. Others might dabble in just one (or none). MIT would like to see students participate somewhere between the two extremes.

The school is not interested in applicants who try to conjure record-length lists filled with as many activities as possible. Instead, the school seeks students who have been active in a few meaningful activities. 

On the admission application, there is space for only four extracurricular activities. This is because the admissions committee wants to know what activities you are most passionate about. They don’t want to see how many you can stuff on a resume. The idea is that quality counts, not quantity.

Your activities should reflect your interests, passions, talents, and aspirations. Choose your extracurricular activities because you truly enjoy them and not because you think they will look best on an MIT application. MIT wants to see activities that challenge you and offer you leadership opportunities (which you should take when possible). 

The school looks for students who connect to others through activities, whether through an after-school athletic team, a musical ensemble, theater, a community group, or family activities. 

There is no right or wrong answer regarding the type of activities you should do, except that they need to be ones you enjoy. The main idea in divulging what your activities are on your application is to help the admissions team learn about you as a person, not just as a student.

Contrary to popular belief, MIT does not require any courses during high school other than those that are routinely available. However, that doesn’t mean it’s fine for you to bypass rigorous courses in favor of higher grades and GPAs.

Even though MIT seeks students who challenge themselves during high school, it also believes in affording every applicant the same fairness in admission consideration. Therefore, the school doesn’t normally award credit for advanced coursework. 

The thought behind this reasoning is that although these courses “on paper” are similar throughout the country, in reality, they usually are very different between teachers, classrooms, schools, districts, regions, and states.

The opportunity is available for you to take an Advanced Standing Exam (ASE) to test out of introductory MIT coursework. You can demonstrate this learning through these tests if you have prepared adequately for this coursework. 

If you do well, you can keep the grade you earned on the ASE, which will become your grade in the class it allows you to test out of. If you do poorly, just take the class for the grade.

Make sure you are clear about the requirements surrounding letters of recommendation. 

The school requires two letters: one from a math or science teacher and one from a humanities, foreign language, or social sciences teacher. (The requirement of two letters is unwavering; which teachers write yours is somewhat flexible, but this is what MIT strongly recommends.)

Applicants can request recommendations using the MIT application portal at any time before submitting their applications. However, MIT recommends making your requests as soon as you know who you will ask so your teachers will have ample time to write the recommendations.

It’s best to ask a teacher who instructed you during your 11th-grade or 12th-grade year to write a recommendation for you. It’s also best if the teachers know you as more than just a face in their classroom. 

Teachers who fulfill the math/science evaluation requirement include those who taught you in:

• Math
• Physics
• Earth science
• Computer science
• Engineering
• Science research
• Technology
• Chemistry
• Environmental science
• Similar courses

Teachers who fulfill the humanities/language/social sciences criteria are teachers of:

• Social studies
• Government
• Classics
• History
• English
• Psychology
• Geography
• Foreign language
• Economics

Consider carefully which teachers know you as a person and a student. The best candidates for the task are those who can provide information about your academic strengths and personal traits.

MIT also requires that your school counselor submit various materials as part of your application, including your official high school transcript. Specifically, your counselor needs to submit your Secondary School Report in addition to your transcript. A school profile is also usually included, identifying various facts about your school, community, and curriculum. 

When available, a letter of recommendation is also encouraged, although it isn’t required; MIT knows that some counselors cannot provide letters of recommendation. Students who cannot have a counselor submit this letter will not be penalized.

MIT accepts supplemental evaluations and recommendations in addition to the two required, although most students do not submit these additional materials. The teachers who write your letters can submit them via the application portal; however, they can also use SCOIR, Naviance, or other methods. If teachers use a method other than the application portal, the student will not be penalized for it.

When it comes to MIT admission help, one of the most common questions has to do with interviews. Many universities, colleges, and institutes offer them; others require them. Some do not follow either option.

MIT is interested in a holistic view of the person you are in all respects. Therefore, it offers interviews to applicants whenever possible. A member of the MIT Educational Council conducts these interviews. This group is a network of more than 3,500 MIT alumni situated in locations around the world. 

If there is no available graduate in your area, you will be unable to participate in an interview. The school does not accept requests for interviews and does not conduct them in areas far from the applicants’ high schools. If MIT cannot offer you an interview, your application will not be negatively impacted.

If an alumni interviewer is available in your area, you may be contacted by an MIT counselor after you submit your admission application. This will usually be done via email to the address you supplied on your application. 

If you apply for Early Action, interviews usually take place in November. For applicants who apply for Regular Action, interviews are typically held in January. 

Interviews usually last about one hour, but they have been known to be as short as 30 minutes and as long as two hours. 

The interviewer will start things off by asking you some questions, but remember that your job is not only to answer questions but also to ask them yourself. This interview is meant to be an opportunity for you to get an idea of what MIT is like from a first-hand perspective.

The interview is not meant to be a formal affair. MIT recommends that you follow along with its running theme of just being yourself! Before your meeting, think of some questions to ask your interviewer and read up on information about the school. 

Check out blog entries, learn some of the school’s history, and dig into some traditions and customs that the school continues from year to year.

Above all else, make it a point to share information about you that will help the interviewer and the admissions staff understand you, your passions, and your aspirations.

The MIT application for admissions can be found in the MIT application portal. Unlike many other colleges and universities, MIT does not accept the Common Application or the Coalition Application.

The application must be completed and submitted online, with supplemental materials scanned for submission. If you aren’t able to scan any supplemental materials you are providing, there is the alternative of faxing them in. 

The school prefers that applicants don’t physically mail in any supplemental materials but will accept them if necessary. One of the most important small things to remember before you fill anything out is to use only one email address for all activities related to your MIT admissions journey. 

This includes everything from registering for the SAT or ACT to reserving a spot on a campus tour. Ensure that it’s an email address you’ll still have access to throughout the summer.

Other than your email address, there are some other requirements you must keep in mind and follow. Specifically, deadlines.

If you’re considering applying for the Early Action plan, the biggest deadline to remember is November 1. This is the date for:

• All parts of your admission application
• Submission of your letters of recommendation
• High school transcript
• Secondary School Report

In addition, you’ll need to take your ACT, SAT, or English proficiency tests by November. The February Updates & Notes Form, including midyear grades, is due by mid-February.

Students who want to apply for the Regular Decision round need to keep the date of January 5th front of mind. It’s the date for everything listed for Early Action:

• All parts of your admission application
• Submission of both letters of recommendation
• High school transcript
• Secondary School Report

If you are applying for the Regular Decision round, your standard tests must be taken no later than the December testing dates, not the November dates. However, the February Updates & Notes Form, including your mid-year grades, is still due in February.

If you are invited to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which means you’ve successfully learned how to get accepted into MIT, you must inform the school of your decision to enroll or decline no later than May 1!

If you apply for Early Action, you will receive an admission decision sometime in the middle of December. If you become a Regular Action applicant, your admission decision will arrive in mid-March.

Financial aid deadlines depend on whether you apply for Early Action or Regular Action. You should complete all of your financial aid forms by February 15 if you are a Regular Action applicant, and your award letter will be released in March. 

If you are an Early Action applicant, your financial aid forms deadline is November 30th, and your award letter will be sent to you in mid-January. 

All prospective students can access their financial aid awards through the MIT Application Portal until the middle of May. Afterward, you can access yours in the school’s online financial aid system.

No, MIT does not track demonstrated interest. This follows suit with many other elite universities and colleges in the U.S. The school states that the Office of Admissions is not regionalized, so there is no need to contact any particular office representative.

Demonstrated interest includes attending recruiting events off-campus, taking virtual campus tours, connecting via social media, and personally visiting MIT. Although the school does not keep track of which students participate in events, doing so is still a valuable way to assess whether MIT is the best fit for you and your goals.

A majority of universities and colleges task applicants with at least one long-answer essay and several short-answer prompts. However, MIT asks applicants to respond to several short-response prompts instead of one long essay. 

The prompts are designed with the sole purpose of assisting the admissions staff with getting to know you as more than just a set of GPA scores, class ranks, and test results.

MIT stresses that you must be authentic, honest, and of course, yourself when answering the short-answer questions. Don’t spend time trying to fit in complex phrases, unfamiliar words, or some kind of lingo that doesn’t accurately represent you. If you do a good job answering them honestly, they will be easy.

Keep in mind that the admissions committee at MIT has read literally thousands of applications and short answers, and they’ll be able to spot overthinkers a mile away. 

The school has posted the short-answer questions that were asked of applicants for the 2022–2023 admissions cycle. The four questions each had to be answered in 200 words or fewer. They included:

1. Discuss something you enjoy doing simply for pleasure
2. Talk about a challenge you have faced and how you handled it
3. What is one way you have collaborated with someone different from you to benefit your community?
4. How has your world influenced your aspirations and dreams?

In addition to the four prompts/questions, there was an open-ended text box for students to add any additional information they wanted the admissions committee to know about them.

Don’t use short-answer essays to list your activities or accomplishments — those are included in other application areas. Focus on showing the admission committee why MIT is good for you and why you’re good for MIT.

It’s recommended that you begin writing drafts of your answers for MIT early to allow enough time for revisions and improvements. If you write a few drafts, hand each draft to someone who knows you well and will tell you their honest opinion of your writing.    

Here is a recap of what you can do to improve your odds of getting into MIT:

• Choose a few extracurricular activities you are truly passionate about
• Prepare thoroughly for standardized tests and take them a few times
• Take rigorous courses in high school
• Aim for a near-perfect GPA
• Take advantage of opportunities around you
• Write your essays in your own voice and be honest

Above all, you need to be yourself when applying to MIT! Strive to impact your community, take on leadership roles, work hard for academic success, and achieve a balance between it all while enjoying your favorite things in life. Let all of this come through in your application, and you’ll be in a great position to get into MIT.