| Application Deadline | Decision Release Date | |
| Round 1 | October 25, 2011 | February 6, 2012 |
| Round 2 | January 10, 2012 | April 2, 2012 |
Essays
We are interested in learning more about you and how you work, think, and act. For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response. Please limit the experiences you discuss to those which have occurred in the past three years.
In each of the essays please describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.
1. Please describe a time when you went beyond what was defined, expected, established, or popular. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page).
An unconventional question deserves an unconventional answer. Literally! The adcom wants to know about an incident where you decided to flow against the stream. Have you faced any times at work or in personal life when you followed your convictions, rather than the general opinion? Or, when you did not conform to peer pressure to do instead, what you felt was right? This essay gives you a great opportunity to demonstrate your iron grit to stand by your decisions, your self-belief, and the confidence you possess as a true leader. Introspection at every stage will help craft you an essay that will reveal your true personality.
An important aspect to note in MIT’s instructions to candidates is the bit on “thought, felt, said or did” – they want to know your thought process in every situation. Directions from the admissions committee at MIT suggest that their essay questions expect you to reflect backwards into past experiences, as the past is a good indicator of future behavior. Also, look for incidences within the past two-three years as they attach more relevance to your current personality.
2. Please describe a time when you convinced an individual or group to accept one of your ideas. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page)
This is a statement on your interpersonal, problem solving and negotiation skills. The question is open ended enough to select from a wide range of topics- professional, extra- curricular or personal. Other than explaining the event, give reasons for why you thought you had a better idea, how did you weigh the pros-and-cons, what reservations did you face from the group and from whom, and eventually, how did you manage the feat of aligning a few or all to your thinking? This essay is a crucial indicator to how you will interact with your cohort, the student body or the club groups at MIT.
3. Please describe a time when you took responsibility for achieving an objective. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page)
This question is different from the usual achievement essay where you would focus primarily on the achievement itself. In this prompt, it’s the path that holds paramount importance, not the end result. Clearly, the accolades are not all-encompassing. Much in line with MIT’s quest to understand your thought process – after all, it’s the journey that matters, not the destination.
What were your key motivators for taking up responsibility for the event? How did you go about the task, what challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? Finally, what was the outcome and what was your take away? Giving a glimpse of the skills you used/ built at every step of the journey will throw light on your personal growth along the course.
Supplemental Information (Optional)
You may use this section to address whatever else you want the Admissions Committee to know. (250 words or fewer, limited to one page)