Anyways?
… constituted as vapid diatribes, tirelessly repetitive entreaties, and puerile arrogance.
Sentence fragments aren’t always bad, mind you.
Passive voice is also often suggested by people as another grammatical fault that isn’t always bad. But both often are. Especially by poor writers. Seeing as how Anonymous User employs it as such. And when defending his poor grammar. Continuously asserting it’s tiny spelling errors seeing as how he’s on his phone. Anyways. Difficultly, was this post as constructed.
Good ole’ SDMB
And there should be a comma in there, thus: “anymore, anyway.”
And that “though” – WTF is that?
Hey Anon–I’ve graduated from MIT three different times over the last 35 years with three different degrees. I know the application process and you can’t believe what you’ve been reading; There are a few basic techniques (it’s not a formula) to get into MIT.
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Colored paper. If your essays don’t stand out, they won’t be read. Write them on a non-threatening color like yellow or blue (not red!!). If you can get multi-colored paper (stripes or whathave you*) even better. I’ve heard that they like the paper folded into origami shapes, but personally I don’t believe that.
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Your GPA MUST be between 3.92 and 3.96 (inclusive). If it’s below that, they figure you’re too dumb, if it’s above it, they figure you’re either a stick in the mud bookworm or sleeping with the teacher to get that GPA.
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Letters of recommendation from your community service time. Not the people directing the “feed the homeless” program, the actual homeless people you’re personally helping. You’re not supposed to dictate what you want them to write, but most of us do.
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Fingernail clippings (or hair)–nothing gross, but leave SOMETHING from your body in the envelope. A hair or two, or a fingernail clipping or an eyelash or something. This humanizes you–they’ll feel more sympathy.
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Pictures of your pets. With your application, make sure you include some pet pics…and if you don’t have a pet, GET ONE NOW!!! Same as #4, it humanizes you to them.
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I wouldn’t use this forum, but they love when your application includes links to message board posts so they know how you interact with others.
There’s a few more…I’ll post later if I can, but I need to get to JPL to consult with Dr. Von Braun about a few things. But these should get you started. I don’t know why people keep lying to you about there not being a few easy tricks to assure your success, but here you go. Now Excelsior young man, onwards and upwards!
*I used this paper–white with little confetti flecks of color* for my third application and they specifically mentioned how original it was and how it caught their eye! A girlfriend of mine cut metallic gift wrapping paper into 8.5x11 sheets and it probably added 850 points to her score for paper originality.
Og bless you, Fenris.
Yeah–I can’t believe how selfish people were about not sharing these little tips for getting in.
A few more Anon:
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When you meet with the Alumni rep in your area, it’s critical you not be over-dressed. Just jeans and a plain tee-shirt are fine. Sneakers. They want to see YOU, not “fancy, dressed up” you. Don’t try to bribe them…it rarely works and can count against you–but offering to take them out to a really nice place for dinner is always appreciated. Don’t forget to be casual in your speech as well–this isn’t a job interview, they’re trying to find out who you are, not how well you can fake a business personna.
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Everyone agrees on colored paper for the essays (if it’s boring white, it won’t stand out and it gives a subtle, subliminal-almost, anti-diversity feel) but some people think that it’s best be creative with your writing style. I got accepted for my second degree there and I wrote my essays in the form of a series of sonnets.
*Let me not to my app to M.I.T
Admit impediments, troubles, flaws
Which alters when it doth to make you see
That to admit me to your school, there is due cause. *
My first one I wrote as a first-person piece of noir-detective fiction, describing myself as the dead body the detective found ("He was lying on the floor, bludgeoned to death with the ladle he used to serve food at the Such-And-Such shelter on 14th street for the last five years. His letters of commendation from some of the homeless people he helped were clutched in his left hand. It was clear he was a hard worker as several plaques were on the wall, visible through the slats of light coming in through the half-opened blinds attesting to his dedication and hard work…etc.)
However, the third time I applied, I just did a regular boring essay and I got in as well. So…I dunno. It certainly didn’t hurt to be creative.
- Any alum will know this and it’s an open secret…that said, don’t tell. MIT has a secret handshake that graduates and friends/children of graduates know. When you go for your Alumn Interview (or if you get taken before the Admissions Board, shake their hands thusly (NO PEAKING IF YOU’RE NOT APPLYING TO MIT!!!)
When you go to shake their hand, grasp their hand using your thumb and pinky finger to apply most of the pressure. Your other fingers should be limp, except your middle one which you gently tap against their hand. After about 10 seconds of this, you yank hard, as though you’re playing tug-of-war but with your arms as the rope. They’ll tug too and when the pull is equalized, release and look into their eyes, and smile. You’re in the club now.
10) It’s important to mention one or two unusual things about yourself–you liked beating up your sister when you were younger. You wet your bed until you were 14. You do NOT want to overdo this, but again–it gives them a hook to remember you by. Be careful. If you like putting women in pits and making them rub lotion on their skin, this is probably not a good time to mention it.
Now that I’ve broken the ice, perhaps more people will actually help instead of being so mean to you.
In all seriousness, I did get into [redacted, on second thought] with a hand-written CV (resume), with the major headings calligraphically scrawled in red-- it was on graph paper, so the important points were bulleted with a red square, too.
And they still talk about how I was overly casual at my final interview, to the point of tipping my chair back and putting my foot on the edge of the Head Inquisitor’s desk. A current student told me that they still shaking their heads and chuckling about that – so at least one tenured prof is still telling that story.
God’s truth… not that I’m recommending it. I was in a “Screw 'em if they want me to be all proper” frame of mind.
But I guess the point is: don’t sweat it… if they want you, you can’t screw it up by not following some mythical “rules”. Take all that energy you’re spending worrying, and and become a better human being instead.
It really only is to idiot OCD chuckletwats.
Only by those same chuckletwats who retardedly believe that a missed comma or misplaced letter is way the fuck more important than the actual message of the post.
It’s retarded and you chuckletwats really need to get over your precious snowflake selves.
I always give mine to three decimal places.
Well, yeah, that’s the only way you can get up to 4 digits when measuring in feet. :rolleyes:
I keep checking back to see if ***Fenris ***has any more advice.
I’ve only used three and a half of his handy hints, and I’ve already gotten into more schools than I’d ever heard of.
:smack:
:eek:That was a stupid post by me. “False modesty”??? Come on, I really was stupid and deserved to be pitted. Man it makes me embarrassed to read my old posts.
Live and learn…live and learn…
Sorry for the random bumps, but there are so many things in this thread that address my stupidity and I feel obligated to concede.
Yes when I look back at January I’m embarrassed about how young and naive I was then.
I still am young and naive (and will be for many more years), but some of my old posts were awful.
Bumping a 10 day old thread because it’s about you?
Self-absorbed, much?
You don’t really want to attend MIT anywayS.
Any institute of learning that charges more than $500 per credit hour and offers accelerated programs is devaluing the degree and is likely a McCollege.
Don’t even get me started on the danger that these devalued-degree holders are in out on the street where pub-debaters will NOT play by the rules and are just as likely to whip out a homemade fallacy, or otherwise debate dirty.
What is this, the Jesse Pinkman School of Grammar, Yo? 