The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, is widely considered one of the best universities in the world, especially for STEM subjects. It is also one of the hardest universities in the world to get into. You may have experienced this, by being rejected when you applied as a senior in high school, or by simply deciding not to even apply because you didn’t think you even had a chance of getting in. Or it wasn’t even a decision to not apply and MIT wasn’t on your radar in high school. Whatever the reason, if you have decided that MIT is actually where you need to be you are, my friend, in for an uphill battle.
If getting into MIT as a first year is difficult, getting in as a transfer is excruciating. For the Fall of 2023, they received 1,223 applications for transfer. Most of those students were academically qualified, passionate, and committed. Only 23 got in. That’s 1.9%. Again, this isn’t because only 23 of 1,223 were qualified. Simply being qualified isn’t enough. You must be more, and that’s the point of this post.
First, let’s talk a bit more about the details of the MIT transfer program. Transfers must have completed at least one year of college, including at least two terms of full-time study. You can’t, however, have completed more than five terms of study, or 2.5 years, before you would enroll at MIT. They accept transfer students for fall and spring admission, but which spots are open — and when — depends on when spots open up (i.e., students leave MIT before graduating, creating space in the class).
When it comes to academics, they don’t have minimums for consideration, but they also expect excellence. MIT doesn’t accept any excuses for a GPA that is less than exceptional, especially as a transfer applicant. Your GPA represents your efforts, and outcomes, over an extended period of time, so a lower GPA isn’t the result of a blip or momentary set back. Instead, it suggests long-term challenges, which is a red flag for MIT when reviewing an application.
So, assuming you have the grades and scores, what comes next? The application. In this post, we’re going to break down the application essays to prepare you to do your best work. And remember, the MIT application is its own monster, entirely separate from the Common App. So, start by creating an account. Fill out the basics, then get into the essays.
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MIT has a series of short answers and short essays. Let’s start with the shortest ones.
THE SHORT ANSWERS
First, select your academic area of interest from a drop down menu. Then you will have to tell them why.
Tell us more about why this field of study at MIT appeals to you. (100 words or fewer)
While most college applications let you pick two, three, or even more potential areas of study, MIT only lets you select one. This focus, the demand that you pick one thing, emphasizes how much MIT wants to see focus and a clear direction.
Note, too, that they specify “at MIT” in the question. They don’t just want to know why you like the idea of studying Ocean Engineering (or whatever it is you select). They want to know why MIT is the place for you to study it. In 100 words, be specific. Mention a particular program, research opportunity, lab, professor, or course of study that is unique to MIT.
Remember that what you focus on here should like in some way to an area of focus for you now. For example, if you recently spent time working on a particular type of project and will be emphasizing it elsewhere in your application, select a topic for this prompt that builds upon that theme.
If you have additional information about your family that you think is important for us to know, please include it here. (100 words, optional)
This is an interesting prompt, because students who choose to answer it often have powerful stories to tell. Putting something here, then, assumes that it will stand out alongside stories of family responsibility and struggle. If you have something that fits that bill, you want to tell a short, specific, and focused story. If you don’t, skip this one. Putting an answer here that doesn’t have weight will not reflect well on your application. So, yes, this optional question is truly optional.
We understand that sometimes things outside of your control impact your ability to complete tests to the best of your ability. If you have an extenuating circumstance, such as exam cancellations or illness, please let us know here. (100 words, optional)
This is another question that is truly optional. Making excuses for a less than impressive standardized test score, or trying to inflate your experiences to validate a poor outcome, does not reflect well. So, you should skip this one unless you experienced a deep loss or trauma immediately before taking a standardized test. Getting sick a week before the test and so having study time cut short doesn’t county as a meaningful hardship when you should have been studying for months.
If you do have a story to tell here, keep it simple. Stick to the facts, don’t put too much color into it. You’ll have lots of room to tell deep and meaningful stories elsewhere in the application. Here it’s about facts.
SHORT ESSAYS
These are longer than the short responses, but still compact so it’s important to use each word wisely.
Please discuss why you are considering transferring from your current college or university, and how MIT aligns with your goals. (225 words or fewer)
MIT is a university, not a social club, so focus on academics for this prompt. You’ve said what you want to study earlier in the application, but now it’s time to make it clear that MIT is where you need to be.
Start by pin-pointing why your current school isn’t the ideal place for you anymore, with a focus on academic limitations. Not being impressed by your classmates isn’t an academic limitation. Not having access to the courses or programs you need to properly explore an area of interest is, though.
Then, highlight what MIT has that fulfills this need. Be super specific, both in what isn’t working at your current school and what you are looking to access at MIT. Finally, remember that they want to hear about your goals. All of this should be framed within a larger objective, ideally what you want to accomplish after university.
While some reach their goals following well-trodden paths, others blaze their own trails achieving the unexpected. In what ways have you done something different than what was expected in your educational journey? (225 Words or Fewer)
This is a fun prompt, and the core of a successful response to it is storytelling. Identify one story that you can tell impactfully in the short, 225-word format, and then tell it in detail.
The details here are really key. It’s not just when, where, why, and what — instead, it is about writing vivid images. Using tools like dialog can further pull the reader into the narrative you’re building.
Picking a story that you can write in a compelling way is as important, if not more important, than picking a story that is “impressive.” This means selecting a story that involves in-person interaction and teamwork over simply staring at a screen, and choosing a story that is time-constrained and focused over something more drawn out.
MIT brings people with diverse backgrounds together to collaborate, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to lending a helping hand. Describe one way you have collaborated with others to learn from them, with them, or contribute to your community together. (225 words or fewer)
This prompt is super important. Many people lose sight of the fact that MIT isn’t just looking for strong students — they are looking for strong community members. In this short essay, you get the opportunity to spotlight a way that you do more than just great work alone in a lab or in the library. You are someone who can work alongside others, raising the bar for everyone around you. The most important way to illustrate this, though, is the “one way” they ask for. As with the other stories told in your application, this should be a focused story even it is part of a bigger experience or narrative. As you write, remember, too, to keep collaboration and community at the center. You are the star of the application, but in this supplement you need to share the spotlight.
How did you manage a situation or challenge that you didn’t expect? What did you learn from it? (225 words or fewer)
There have been a few questions that are similar to this one, but remember to never repeat stories. You need to put something original here that hasn’t shown up anywhere else in the application. This may mean writing about something that isn’t directly academic, or not obviously related to your major. That’s perfectly ok, as long as the story is compelling and speaks to a very important aspect of who you are that MIT needs to see. Namely, that you have grit. Showing resilience is a key part of positioning yourself as a strong transfer candidate.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTION
No application can meet the needs of every individual. If there is significant information that you were not able to include elsewhere in the application, you may include it here. (Many students will leave this section blank—and that’s okay.)
Please note, we may not be able to access all links you share. If you have supplemental materials you would like to submit, please refer to our optional creative portfolios. (optional; 350 words or fewer)
This is optional, but you should have something to put here. That thing should not be links. As they say, they are often not able to access links — even if they work for you. MIT has protections on their application meant to guard against viruses and spam, which makes many (if not all) links inaccessible for the application readers.
For this section, we recommend putting something entirely new, that doesn’t appear anywhere else in your application but that may have been mentioned or eluded to briefly. This could include a description of a research project, an abstract from a paper, or even a piece of creative writing if that is relevant to who you are as an applicant.
This is not, however, a place for making excuses. Don’t fill it with reasons why they should overlook other aspects of your application. Rather, use it as a place to underline your strengths.
The MIT application is intense, and their selection process is too. The chance of getting in as a transfer is miniscule. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. So, get to work.
If you want your strongest transfer strategy, contact us.