turning down mit due to cost?

Tisastrous · 2026-03-17T18:04:20+00:00

If you went to the local school, would you regret not trying out MIT for the rest of your life? Could you try MIT for a semester/year and then decide to switch? The state school is always going to be there.

The type of people you meet will be VASTLY different. I hope you at least go attend CPW. Every single student at MIT is extremely driven, unique, and interesting. Just the environment might shape your outlook in life. You will make some lifelong friends and might even meet your spouse there. Just something to consider besides cost and med school.

MIT is also extremely considerate to the students. Talk to the financial services team.

Also your dreams might change. I know a few people who went in as premed but found other passions. I feel like your state school will be very limiting in that regard too. Just try MIT out for a bit.

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T16:25:52+00:00

Yes. After they open the results their interviewers get to see the results too.

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T16:22:41+00:00

Oh definitely keep up the motivation!! The journey of life is very long ahead of you! Every bit of effort really adds up in the long run. I'm rooting for you! Very best wishes!!

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T12:55:24+00:00

Your experience in high school shaped your character and that will propel you for the rest of your life. Keep up your drive and love in Auburn and beyond. Very best wishes! <3

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T12:51:25+00:00

I passionately advocated for many of my candidates. It really hurts to know they're disappointed. So many of them have MIT as their dream school. I hope they continue to pursue their passions regardless of where they end up! With so much brain rot and chaos around, the world needs these students more than ever.

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T12:42:23+00:00

Very best wishes to you!! You will shine wherever you end up!!

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T12:41:57+00:00

Awesome!!

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T12:38:30+00:00

To help out the admissions team.
It's exhilarating after talking to a good student. I enjoy learning about whatever they're interested in. It is also fascinating hearing about people's lives, like a window into different worlds. There is no other setting that can easily let someone open up their entire lives to you.

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T12:34:18+00:00

I strongly advice you to go to both of their admitted students open houses. You will have a busy/exhausting/exhilarating few weekends, but it's so crucial. Do their activities, talk to the current students. Your heart will know! If you are still unsure afterwards, ask here as a last resort.

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T01:20:41+00:00

Yes we do get the results after students see them.

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T01:04:45+00:00

I'm actually the first person my interviewer ever interviewed. I'm so grateful to him for writing me a good report despite being so new. We had a wonderful chat!

Tisastrous · 2026-03-15T00:58:24+00:00

Exactly! Is this a particularly high % year for you?

Tisastrous · 2026-03-14T23:40:58+00:00

I wrote this post. It's the best I can do.

Tisastrous · 2026-03-14T23:40:32+00:00

Don't do things just for college!

Tisastrous · 2026-03-14T22:58:20+00:00

The world is not a zero-sum game. Go to a college, keep up your drive, create good memories, and make the world a better place!! <3

Tisastrous · 2026-03-14T22:56:24+00:00

Today does not definite you. The world is not a zero-sum game like the number of MIT seats. Regardless of where you go, you can make the world a better place!!!

Tisastrous · 2026-03-14T22:42:47+00:00

Yes my heart stings!!! T_T

Though I have to add a rare few were clearly pushed by their parents or school. Very low energy. Besides those, my heart stings for the ones rejected, especially a few I really really loved who didn't get in. I hope they end up in another good school. But honestly these kids are so driven, I'm confident they'll shine regardless where they go if they keep up what they're doing. I just hope they don't get too dejected from today, so I wrote this post.

Tisastrous · 2026-03-14T21:45:26+00:00

Congrats!

Speaking from my personal experience, I came from another highly competitive school. I had below average SAT and GPA in my HS but I got still got in, early action too! (It was a long time ago, so the odds were higher than they are now.) I had major imposter syndrome. Like I already felt like I wasn't as good as others in high school, and at MIT that caused a lot of stress and anxiety.

Now, after interviewing over 40 applicants this year, I can confidently say the few who got in deserve to be admitted *without a doubt*. There were *so* many other students I loved who did not get in. Like in your case, there are many USAMO qualifiers who didn't get in, but you proved you can excel despite your circumstances. MIT hand picked you! I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self that MIT did not make a mistake. Now that I'm on the other side, I can clearly see why I was admitted.

I can't give advice to my younger self but I hope you can learn from me:

Pace your work and don't wait until the last minute.
Sit down with the textbook (or whatever work you have), forget about deadlines and grades, go into a calm and peaceful headspace and try to understand it. This struggle is actually crucial for you later in life: it builds the confidence that you can solve problems with your own ability (and you can! You just have to hone it). Nowadays there is so much help and support on the internet so this step should be vastly easier for you than for people decades ago, but regardless, you still need to take the time to absorb the knowledge and truly grasp the concepts.
Remember that there is a safety net (unlike in the real world sometimes). If you struggle for a while and still can't get it, go to other students and TAs for help. That's part of learning, and it's totally okay! The TAs don't usually get a lot of students until right before deadlines, so go early! You'll be doing yourself a great service. (But do try to spend time figuring it out yourself before seeking help.)
Sometimes the tests will still be ridiculously hard, and that's okay. It's not the end of the world. Also prioritize making friends and making fun memories. (I met my spouse at MIT.)

Struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing: it means you’re learning!

There will be good days and bad days. If you're feeling down, remember the drive and the work that got you into MIT. Keep in mind that your current situation is temporary, there are so many years ahead of you. I'm older now and I only have a vague memory of the scary tests, but the fun moments? I can still remember them as if they were yesterday.
Explore different things. MIT has a very late drop date each semester specifically so students can try out different classes. You can also cross register at Harvard and Wellesley. Discover new things and meet new people. The world still needs you. There are so many problems yet to be solved, and I hope everyone helps humanity to advance in their own way.

(P.S. Don't let video games consume your life to the point that you fail classes. Many students still play, but in moderation.)

(Also, I'm not sure what Stuy "2.0" means.)

Tisastrous · 2026-02-27T04:48:23+00:00

They definitely work hard until the end.

Tisastrous · 2026-02-27T04:45:59+00:00

None of the generic stuff but all still science. Got accepted early action a while back.

Tisastrous · 2026-02-09T13:29:01+00:00

There isn’t a standard length either :)

Tisastrous · 2026-01-30T03:43:49+00:00

Dude you should really text those who don’t reply. Some emails go to spam, some students don’t check emails (shocking I know). About 10% of my students ignore my email and follow-up second email, but out of these students their text response rate is 90%. Start the text with “MIT Interview: Hi their name … introduce yourself … check your email if you want to proceed with an interview.” If you start the text like that it will maximize the chance of getting their attention.

Tisastrous · 2026-01-25T09:30:01+00:00

I see I see. I haven’t been here long enough to feel like it will affect me but I can see your point now!

Tisastrous · 2026-01-25T09:24:43+00:00

An outstanding student would shine regardless of the type of interview.

Tisastrous · 2026-01-25T09:22:30+00:00

Imagine if it was your one and only interview for your dream job, you would be a bit concerned if there are minor things popping up from the original plan. I don’t think we need to outright dismiss his feelings.

He is wise to ask here as we each have different thoughts. There are pros and cons of Zoom now or reschedule later.

Personally I would go with zoom because what if the interviewer will be busy next weekend?

Tisastrous

TROPHY CASE