What You Need For MIT: Admission Requirements

MIT Requirements for Admission

What are MIT's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into MIT and build a strong application.

School location: Cambridge, MA

This school is also known as: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at MIT is 4.9%. For every 100 applicants, only 5 are admitted.

This means the school is extremely selective. Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. If you don't meet their expectations, your chance of getting in is nearly zero.

After crossing this hurdle, you'll need to impress MIT application readers through their other application requirements, including extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation. We'll cover more below.

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MIT GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

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The average GPA at MIT is 4.19.

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. This school did not officially report its average GPA, but we've estimated it here using data from over 1,000 schools.)

With a GPA of 4.19, MIT requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes - AP or IB courses - to show that college-level academics is a breeze.

If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 4.19, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

MIT Testing Policy

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to MIT. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.

MIT SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

The average SAT score composite at MIT is a 1543 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes MIT Extremely Competitive for SAT test scores.

MIT SAT Score Analysis

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1520, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1570. In other words, a 1520 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1570 will move you up to above average.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
Math	791	780	800
Reading + Writing	752	730	780
Composite	1543	1520	1570

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

MIT has the Score Choice policy of "Highest Section."

This is also known as "superscoring." This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. Of all the scores they receive, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all SAT test dates you submit.

Click below to learn more about how superscoring critically affects your test strategy.

How does superscoring change your test strategy? (Click to Learn)

For example, say you submit the following 3 test scores:

Section	R+W	Math	Composite
Test 1	700	300	1000
Test 2	300	700	1000
Test 3	300	300	600
Superscore	700	700	1400

Even though the highest total you scored on any one test date was 1000, MIT will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. You can raise your composite score from 1000 to 1400 in this example.

This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and MIT forms your Superscore, you can take the SAT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Your application readers will only see that one score.

Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below a 1570, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it. You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.

Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.

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MIT ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, MIT likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

The average ACT score at MIT is 35. This score makes MIT Extremely Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 34, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 36.

Even though MIT likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 34 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. There are so many applicants scoring 35 and above that a 34 will look academically weak.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 36 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

However, in our research, we found that MIT does in fact offer an ACT superscore policy. To quote their Admissions Office:

If you take the same test (SAT, ACT, or an SAT Subject Test) multiple times, we will consider the highest score achieved in each section.

Source

Superscoring is powerful to your testing strategy, and you need to make sure you plan your testing accordingly. Of all the scores that MIT receives, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all ACT test dates you submit.

Click below to learn more about how superscoring critically affects your test strategy.

How does superscoring change your test strategy? (Click to Learn)

For example, say you submit the following 4 test scores:

English	Math	Reading	Science	Composite
Test 1	32	16	16	16	20
Test 2	16	32	16	16	20
Test 3	16	16	32	16	20
Test 4	16	16	16	32	20
Superscore	32	32	32	32	32

Even though the highest ACT composite you scored on any one test date was 20, MIT will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. You can raise your composite score from 20 to 32 in this example.

This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and MIT forms your Superscore, you can take the ACT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Your application readers will only see that one score.

Therefore, if your ACT score is currently below a 36, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the ACT and retaking it. You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.

Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the ACT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.

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SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

MIT considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require or recommend it.

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Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT/ACT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT/ACT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.

To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1570 SAT or a 36 ACT. You should also have a 4.19 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.

For a school as selective as MIT, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.

But if you apply with a score below a 1570 SAT or a 36 ACT, you unfortunately start out with the odds against you and have a tiny chance of getting in. There are just too many students with high SAT/ACT scores and strong applications, and you need to compete against them.

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Get Into Your Top Choice School What are your chances of admission at Massachusetts Institute of Technology? Chances of admission with these scores:

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are. Pick your test: SAT ACT

SAT Score Your GPA Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

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Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of MIT here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common Application Not accepted
• Electronic Application Available
• Essay or Personal Statement Required for all freshmen
• Letters of Recommendation 2
• Interview Not required
• Application Fee $75
• Fee Waiver Available? Available
• Other Notes SAT, ACT or TOEFL. Two SAT II Subject tests: one in math and one in science required for freshmen

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT Required
• Scores Due in Office February 15

Coursework Requirements

• Subject Required Years
• English
• Math
• Science
• Foreign Language
• Social Studies
• History
• Electives

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• • Offered? Deadline Notification
• Regular Admission
  • Yes January 1 March 20
• Early Action
  • Yes November 1 December 20
• Early Decision
  • No

Admissions Office Information

• Address: 77Cambridge, MA 2139
• Phone: (617) 253-1000
• Fax: (617) 258-8304

We did more detailed research into this school's admissions process and found the following information:

Make sure to apply by the interview scheduling deadline, which is October 20 for early admission and December 10 for regular admission. MIT admitted 10.8% of those who had an interview (or who had their interview waived) last year but only 1% of those who chose not to interview.

Your letters of recommendation have to come from one humanities/social sciences/language teacher and one math/science teacher.

Source

If you're interested in MIT, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to MIT.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than MIT. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, PA	1540	35
Brown University	Providence, RI	1540	35
Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh, PA	1540	35

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for MIT, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Columbia University	New York, NY	1536	35
Princeton University	Princeton, NJ	1530	35
Yale University	New Haven, CT	1530	34
Dartmouth College	Hanover, NH	1500	34
University of Southern California	Los Angeles, CA	1490	32
Georgetown University	Washington, DC	1490	33
College of William and Mary	Williamsburg, VA	1470	33

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for MIT, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If MIT is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, MI	1460	33
Georgia Institute of Technology	Atlanta, GA	1440	32
University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, CA	1415	31

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2024 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.

Want to build the best possible college application?

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine best-in-class admissions counseling with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

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