Applying Sideways

by Chris Peterson

Today is the deadline for college applications for the class of 2021.   I want to share this 2010 blog by Chris Peterson, an Assistant Director at MIT Admissions when the blog was first posted.

http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways.

Here is the direct quote of the blog:

"There is nothing, literally nothing, that in and of itself will get you in to MIT.

There is no golden ticket.

So breathe.

Now that you are Zen calm, liberated from the pressures of not having cured cancer by your 18th birthday, what should you do if you still want to come to MIT?

• Do well in school. Take tough classes. Interrogate your beliefs and presumptions. Pursue knowledge with dogged precision. Because it is better to be educated and intelligent than not.
• Be nice. This cannot be overstated. Don't be wanton or careless or cruel. Treat those around you with kindness. Help people. Contribute to your community.
• Pursue your passion. Find what you love, and do it. Maybe it's a sport. Maybe it's an instrument. Maybe it's research. Maybe it's being a leader in your community. Math. Baking. Napping. Hopscotch. Whatever it is, spend time on it. Immerse yourself in it. Enjoy it.

If you do these three things, you will be applying sideways to MIT.

"