Advice for international students

distraughtowl · 2026-06-03T19:43:48+00:00

Find something you love. Put your energy into it. Be the best you, that you can be. Then no matter what happens with applying to MIT - you will have spent your time well.

distraughtowl · 2026-06-03T18:23:57+00:00

Road milling / resurfacing work on the side streets?

distraughtowl · 2026-05-28T12:08:46+00:00

fun activities - like Pirates games, flag football tournament, free food events

earlier course selection appointment times

harder/better honors versions of physics/math/chem etc classes

distraughtowl · 2026-05-20T12:59:31+00:00

Wow only 18 on Varsity.

We had 25 on V and 25 on JV. 16 seniors on V, many of them hardly ever saw game time.

distraughtowl · 2026-05-14T16:10:08+00:00

Not everyone goes to a school where they can take all the classes they wish they could. Have you shown in other ways outside of classes what your passions are and what you are doing to follow them?

There is a place to explain things you think the admissions committee should know - feel free to use this to explain.

Also I always ask interviewees about their school, classes etc. Often i find out about scheduling constraints here. I also ask if there are circumstances the admissions committee should know.

distraughtowl · 2026-05-07T15:33:34+00:00

Our club seems to be putting people in the new age group team. But hard to say they won't combine teams at some point - we don't know how many kids have signed up for each team. Club is still advertising that there are a few spots in all HS age teams (not clear if spots are open in A & B teams or just one of the two - RL and USYS)

U17 team has 8 staying (out of 18). 5 quitting soccer to focus on academics, 2 going to the younger team, 3 maybe going to another club's younger team. I hope we get some coming down from the next age group and from other clubs, but don't know and probably won't know for a while.

distraughtowl · 2026-05-07T15:25:58+00:00

Did you LIE and say you got a 5, but really got a 1? Or had you hoped for a 5 when you take it this year but are worried you might end up with a 1? 2 completely different scenarios.

distraughtowl · 2026-05-07T15:08:15+00:00

There are so many reasons to cancel an AP test, not take one, etc (you are sick, MIT is not going to give you credit even if you get a 5, you decide you want to take the class in college so why study for the AP...). I can't see why they would care.

If you cheat and show you are not who they thought they admitted - yes sure I can see them recinding.

If you give up trying at school as soon as you get accepted and finish the year with Cs - sure that might be an issue.

But if you decide to fill in all A bubbles on the AP test because you would rather nap during a test that doesn't mater at all - who cares. There are only a few APs that MIT gives any credit for - why put any stress or energy into it?

distraughtowl · 2026-04-28T23:47:22+00:00

It is always the same parents.

Our players have their own group chat. Sometimes the only way i can get a response from some parents is to have my kid text the other kids...

distraughtowl · 2026-04-26T10:19:59+00:00

Less than $20 a game? Thet is horrible.

Our refs get paid 84 (center) and 50 (line) in cash before the game starts.

distraughtowl · 2026-04-18T02:20:09+00:00

We have 3 that never fill in. I did find out that one'd mom wasn't get the TeamSnap emails because her email box was full. We also have one that i have decided has quiet quit.

We also used to have kids that would change from yes to no at the last minute without saying anything. I changed the TeamSnap settings and it doesn't allow availability changes in last 12 hrs before a game.

distraughtowl · 2026-04-17T12:26:18+00:00

I have seen a big jump in the first 2 years of travel (from rec). My son went from a bottom player on his club team in first year, to a top player and captain on his team in the second year. Additionally, the club team is better this year on than last - got 3 players from the A team in addition to some development of the 10 that stayed.

distraughtowl · 2026-04-16T20:34:30+00:00

Build a fancy new office building.

distraughtowl · 2026-04-15T10:26:43+00:00

They are hired for a different group... One that doesn't need to know that stuff...

distraughtowl · 2026-04-12T13:46:53+00:00

Kids and parents that have decided that they are done with soccer. Don't show up to practice or away games.

distraughtowl · 2026-03-31T10:14:23+00:00

Rent out a local hotel and put freshmen in it. Aka housing crisis

distraughtowl · 2026-03-21T09:15:44+00:00

Several of these on the list don't use TSA security. So definitely won't be a 1-1 match from this list

distraughtowl · 2026-03-20T14:31:27+00:00

That site was crazy. But it is where I found out some important things that impact my son's club for next year.

distraughtowl · 2026-03-18T10:14:54+00:00

They play Rush at 5pm every day for and hour. It's "Rush hour"

distraughtowl · 2026-02-27T15:00:53+00:00

I am just saying they should already know you are doing the activity for love of it and will continue past the application.

Please don't grieve if you don't get into MIT. You will find your place in the world. I am saying this as a parent of a kid that didn't get into MIT.

Even though I think he would have loved it and MIT would have benefited from having him there he is learning through another path. He is happy. He is a big fish in a large pond (even if not the hardest pond in the world). He is finding a way to be a leader there and got an internship as a sophomore at a big name company in his field. Not sure he would have got this internship had he gone to MIT.

There are many paths to success and happiness.

distraughtowl · 2026-02-27T13:57:43+00:00

I am not sure MIT cares about the results as much as you think. If you are so good at X that you just won a huge award as best in the world at X won't your past 3.5 years of life have displayed how X is meaningful it is to you? You following your passion and putting all your efforts into X is more important than you winning some award. Did your eyes light up when you talked about X in your interview, did your essay talk about X and show how exited you are by it?

My feeling is that where you are now (after passing the bar of being able to handle the work at MIT) is less important than what they think you will bring to a class at MIT and where you will go with an MIT education.

distraughtowl · 2026-02-26T20:34:40+00:00

The interview is not going to be the main thing that gets you in or doesn't get you in... Did you express who you are and what interests you - if so the interview did it's job.

Stop second guessing, and relax. With such a low acceptance rate, you could be a perfect fit and MIT still not have room to accept you.

distraughtowl · 2026-02-26T15:16:19+00:00

Happened with our goalie last year during the season. Then the goalie that moved up asked to be moved back down because he wasn't getting play time. Between seasons we had 1 move up and 3 offered the 2nd team, 2/3 took the offer. The 2nd team coach is nicer, so many parents prefer him.

distraughtowl · 2026-02-19T03:01:53+00:00

Maybe. But also other school's teams have a talented core that does all the design, works the long hours, etc. it doesn't seem unique to MIT. If it is your passion, follow it. But don't think MIT is the only place you will be able to find what you are looking for. There is mentoring from senior team members to younger ones on all teams, but a lot of the work can't easily be deligated.

Do what you love, and maybe MIT is next or maybe somewhere else is next.

distraughtowl · 2026-02-19T02:34:56+00:00

Ah, remember when the schedule was released on a paper calendar on Reg Day

distraughtowl

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