Have we met? 
For learning to write well, I recommend:
The Elements of Style - Strunk and White
Paul Graham’s essays. He is one of the founders of Ycombinator, a Silicon Valley venture capital company.
Many of the written works by the great scientists of the last century. Also, David Griffith’s undergraduate textbooks on electrodynamics and quantum mechanics are well regarded and commonly used in universities. I think Griffiths usually explains concepts quite well.
I am Indian. Also I was wondering if I wrote a book that got published, if that would.inflate my chances. Then if I actually made money, start a business and get more money and power, and keep growing my business. Then Yale would be i impressed because they are a business school and I would also focus my chances more in Yale if that was the case.
I am not completely focused on MIT but there are three restrictions regarding which school I will go to.
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It must be in the top 10 MAYBE 15 for mathematics.
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It must be very well known and honored.
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It must be very competitive and difficult with acceptance rates equal to or lower than 15%. Anything higher makes he college lose its impressiveness. I want to be impressive, not average or above average.
Also, one more, it must be very high paying.
The reason I want to do mathematics as of now is because it is something I love and excel at. I want a high paying job that involves math. I want to make lots of money and power. So that is why MIT is currently my first choice but if those requirements listed above are met, then it is something I may apply for. All requirements must be met.
If you are actually to take one piece of advice in this whole thread, please let it be this: I strongly urge you to go see a college counselor in your area. Many of them have experience as former admissions officers, and after reviewing your record, your activities, and interviewing you, will be able to give you a well-informed opinion on your strengths and weaknesses as an applicant.
Additionally, they are able to provide more in-depth advice on what colleges may best suit your interests and personality. For example, your comment about Yale being a “business school” is just not a useful way of thinking about that college, and judgments like this on what you think a school is, or is not, will work against you.
Seriously, invest some money in seeing a college counselor. Think of them as being headhunters that work for you. Even though you feel like you know what you’re doing, their experience is worth every penny you will pay.
Good luck.
GO SEE A COUNSELOR.
Also, look around the world. How many high-power jobs do you see that involve math? They don’t exist. Reality and your ambitions for the future will have to meet sometime, and it’s not reality that’s going to give way first.
If you write a book, get published, start business, get successful, grow business, get more money and power, keep growing business . . .
Then, after doing all that, why in the world would you even want to bother going to college?
And you’re looking for a high-paying college? How much should a college pay you to be their student?
I’m not sure that being a mathematician is the road to lots of power. Reasonably good money, maybe.
Wow…you have a seriously distorted view of the world. By your criteria, you’re going to eliminate many top schools and an Ivy (my alma mater, Cornell), due to acceptance rate, (Cornell is ‘only’ 18%, even though it’s a very top school, especially in the sciences and engineering (among other great majors)). You’re also going to eliminate a lot of other really top end institutions based on some random garbage criteria you’ve set.
Trust me. NO ONE cares what the acceptance rate for your college was. No one.
Second, math majors don’t get rich. Oh, I’m sure there have been a few, but for the most part, math majors do research and teach. You might make a nice six figure salary eventually, but the millions won’t be rolling your way.
Similarly, engineering, for which math is essential, but also has wider and more varied employment options ALSO won’t make you rich, though you’ll likely live nice and comfortably. Power doesn’t come with these jobs. You want power? Go to business school.
Third, you have absolutely no perspective on the real world. A top school is nice…it can open a few doors, but it is FAR less important than job experience and competency. And throwing the joys in life in pursuit of a top flight school is a horrible mistake. Trust me, you can do both. You can get into a great school, study hard AND still have a social life.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but MIT has a strict policy of not accepting anyone with less than a 95.134.
MIT has a business school also. You say you love math. What kind of math have you had? There is a big difference between being good in the kind of math you get in early high school and real math.You may wind up as a sophomore and hit the wall.
If you want money, go into business or the financial sector. But you might also crash. It might be better for you to focus on something you really enjoy. If you want to do math and become a professor or a statistician, that’s fine, but you won’t be rich.
And in your interview you had better not say that your goal is to become rich, or I suspect they will bounce you. The great thing about a top school, especially a private one, is that you get to explore. I was a CS major but I also took philosophy course for fun. My daughter went to Chicago where she was an econ major, but she also too a course on cuneiform for fun. I don’t know what they are looking for these days, but it likely isn’t someone who will be yet another Tech Tool. There are plenty of those.
DAMN IT! Where were you 20 years ago?
Who was/is the richest mathematician, anyway?
My WAG is probably someone like Newton or Descartes – someone from the era where rich people were mathematicians (and physicists and alchemists and philosophers) rather than businessmen.
It can and it is.
Maybe John von Neumann. He was a shrewd businessman as a high-priced consultant.
Isaac Newton ran the Royal Mint for a time. He had the opportunity, but wouldn’t take it (which is largely why he was appointed to the job).
Hey I was wondering if it’s okay for me to not worry about what college I want to go to right now, and just keep doing what I’m doing right now. All the good grades, violin, extra-curriculars, etc. Just keep up what I’m doing right now, then start worrying more Sophomore year. Because even though I really love mathematics, it’s not clear whether or not I want to go in that line, because I do want to make a lot of money and POWER. So in the end I may want to go into business ownership. But that’s very risky so it’s not very clear I would want to do that either. It’s not clear what I’m going to do so that’s why I was wondering if I could just stop thinking about that, keep up all the stuff I’m doing right now, let this thread get buried for a year, then revisit this thread next year or Junior year, and discuss what I want to actually do.
Also, I will still be discussing what to do to make me stand out, and I am dropping the acceptance rate requirement I had earlier. Now the only requirements left, are that it has to be in the top 10 maybe 15 if I’m lenient for the major I’m going to be doing (which is unclear), and it has to be a very honorable school, meaning jobs of the majoring subject should really like that college that I apply for. Remember that instant acceptance expression. That’s the kind of thing that should happen (that’s obviously an exaggeration).
But I feel like it’s a little too premature, and it’s getting in the way of my life. So what do you guys think, is this a good idea? Also, someone on Yahoo! Answers said that my grades (97.5 average), is not good enough. I have a feeling this is not true. Is it? I mean if you look at all the top schools, their students that were accepted have an average of 97 to 97.5.
Well then, good luck to you. You’ve gotten some excellent advice in this thread. Life isn’t all about grades, MIT is not the end-all-be-all of colleges (a very close friend of mine got accepted there and went to U of Illinois instead), and remember to have fun. Life needs balance.
Yes! The clouds have parted and the sun is finally peaking through. That is what we have been trying to tell you repeatedly.
P.S. We are a lot more prestigious and well-respected than Yahoo! Answers. I am surprised someone with your discriminating taste decided to visit there. The only people that post to Yahoo! Answers are the ones that weren’t accepted here.
lol (seems like a very social comment for me to make). The sun is coming out. Haha!!! That was a funny expression. And this is why I came here. I wasn’t getting any good advice there, and couldn’t respond back to someone and ask them questions like I can here. I just love the Message Board so much more than Yahoo! Answers, because people ACTUALLY know ****, and I can also respond to people, and ask them questions. This is why the jar problem is also doing great here (check that thread out too, it’s also another one of my threads discussing how to figure out the number of candies in a jar.) I’m sticking with the Message Board. Most people are older and mature here too.
OMG Moron, don’t you know that you literally can’t get hired anywhere unless you go to MIT? And you have to get accepted by age 15 and graduate high school early! IDIOT!
Ow, channeling Yahoo! Answers is hard. I don’t think I succeeded, either, not enough misspelling.