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What GPA and SAT Scores Do You Need to Get Into MIT

By Eric Eng

By Eric Eng

MIT Campus Life

What GPA and SAT Scores Do You Need to Get Into MIT

While the eight schools in the Ivy League are widely considered to be some of the best schools in the entire United States, there are a handful of schools not in the Ivy League that are just as prestigious and selective as the historic Ivy League. One such school is MIT. But what GPA and SAT scores do you need to get into MIT?

At AdmissionSIght, we make it our number one priority to help the high school students that we work with every single year get into the schools of their dreams.

If you are a high school student who dreams of attending the incredible Massachusetts Institute of Technology then you are going to have to do all that you can to beat the odds of the MIT acceptance rate.

AdmissionSight would be honored to help you in pursuit of that goal, and if you are reading this breakdown, then you are already setting yourself up for success.

Truly, one of the most important tools that any student can utilize when preparing to apply to some of the more selective schools in the country is knowledge.

Knowing what the MIT average GPA is and what MIT SAT scores typically are will give you a benchmark that you can aim for throughout your high school years.

So while there is much more that goes into whether or not a student ends up getting accepted into MIT or any of the other similarly prestigious schools, knowing what GPA and SAT score do you need to get into MIT is a great place to start.

So let’s get started breaking down all that information and more together.

What is the MIT average GPA?

If you are thinking about applying to MIT for your undergraduate education, there are some key considerations that you are going to have to keep in mind about your own application profile throughout your high school years.

One of the most important things that you will want to constantly keep in mind is the average GPA that high school students that get into MIT earn during their four years in primary school.

After all, GPA is still the most important factor that admissions officers take into consideration when they are deciding who gets in and who – sadly – does not get in during every application cycle.

Fall-colored trees and leaves in front of the Great Dome at MIT.

During the most recent application cycle, where high school students were applying to be a part of MIT’s graduating class of 2025, the average GPA that students maintained in high school who got into MIT was an astoundingly high 4.17 GPA.

With a 4.17 MIT average GPA, a few things become abundantly clear. First off, that high of a number is a clear sign that if you want to have a chance of getting into MIT, you are going to have to be near – or at – the very top of your high school class in terms of performance. You’re going to essentially need to earn straight A grades throughout your four years in high school.

The other key thing that you can glean from the 4.17 GPA is that you should consider it one of the MIT requirements to take as many advanced courses as possible.

That means enrolling in honors courses, AP courses and IB courses as often as you can in high school.

At AdmissionSight, when it comes to enrolling in advanced courses, we recommend that students primarily enroll in advanced courses that cover subjects that they either naturally excel in or are exceedingly passionate about and interested in.

In fact, a lot of students who are truly looking to challenge themselves in high school and impress admissions officers at schools like MIT will look to enroll in courses in a nearby community college or four-year college or university.

Of course, you will have to do the heavy lifting when it comes to getting approval from both your high school and the other learning institution to make this work, but that determination and commitment to really challenging yourself academically will certainly help your application jump off the page!

What is the GPA cut off at MIT?

When it comes to the lowest GPA to get into MIT, there is no official cutoff point. Surely, there are students who get into MIT with higher GPAs than the MIT average GPA. On the other hand, there are surely students that get in with lower GPA averages.

Just like essentially every other school in the United States, MIT adopts a holistic approach to the admissions process.

This means that while the GPA of a high school student is certainly considered very seriously when the school is making its decisions each application cycle, it is far from the only thing.

However, if you believe you are right on the line when it comes to the lowest GPA to get into MIT, you will want to aim for at the very least a 3.8.

Even with that high of a GPA, which will help students get into nearly every school in the U.S., it simply might not be enough for MIT. For that reason, students with goals of attending this school need to buckle down and take their studies seriously from the very first day of high school.

MIT SAT scores

Well, you have the answer to one part of the question, “What GPA and SAT score do you need to get into MIT?” For that reason, we should probably break down the second part of that question, as well as a key consideration that high school students should be making right now regarding standardized tests in general.

When it comes to the average of MIT SAT scores for students that get into the school, the score is a jaw-dropping 1535 out of the perfect score of 1600.

The 25th percentile score for students that get in is 1500 (a score that would help a student get into just about any of the Ivy League schools), and the 75th percentile score is the near-perfect score of 1570.

So, if you thought that earning a 4.17 GPA was hard, scoring a 1535 or above on the SAT could very well be considered quite a bit harder. With all this in mind, it is now important that we go over the current state of standardized testing requirements in the United States.

As you very likely know, a huge number of schools across the country have adopted a test-optional policy as a reaction to the unprecedented circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A test-optional policy means that the school’s admissions will receive and consider an SAT or ACT score if a student can safely take the test and send it in, but the school will not count a lack of an SAT or ACT score against a student if they are unable to take the exam.

Here are the current rules and policies regarding standardized testing from MIT’s official site:

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our office will continue to suspend our usual SAT/ACT testing requirement for the 2021–22 application cycle,” the school announced. “You can learn more about this decision here.

“Updated requirements

  • “We will not require the SAT or the ACT from first-year applicants applying in fall 2021, or transfer applicants applying in either fall 2021 or spring 2022
  • “Students who have already taken the SAT/ACT, or who can find a forthcoming opportunity to do so safely are encouraged to submit their scores with the understanding that they help us more accurately evaluate their preparedness for MIT.⁠
  • “Students who have not already taken the SAT/ACT, and cannot find a forthcoming opportunity to do so safely are discouraged from taking the test, in order to protect their personal health, as well as the health of their family and community. We will not make any negative presumptions regarding academic preparation based solely on the absence of SAT/ACT scores, but will instead make the best, most informed decision we can by rigorously assessing other academic aspects of their application (such as grades, coursework, and other examinations).⁠”

So there you have it! At AdmissionSight, we absolutely encourage students to take either the SAT or ACT if they are able to do so safely amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic.

After all, while a lack of an SAT or ACT score won’t hurt a student applying to MIT, submitting a fantastic standardized test score can absolutely help you get ahead and add significant strength to your application.

How to improve your chances of getting into MIT

So, now you finally know the full answer to the question, “What GPA and SAT scores do you need to get into MIT?” However, you probably have another simple question as well.

If you are wondering how to get into MIT, we have gone into some of the best ways that students can improve their chances of beating the odds of the MIT acceptance rate and getting into this fabulous school?

Let’s get into some of the top ways that any student can go about improving their chances of getting into MIT.

Get involved in rigorous academic competitions

One of the pretty basic MIT requirements that you should be thinking about as you begin high school is what kind of extracurricular activities you are going to get involved in during your four years in high school.

A female student holding books and medal.

While MIT isn’t necessarily going to rank one kind of extracurricular over another kind, one of the best ways for a high school student to prove that they are constantly looking for rigorous challenges and mind-expanding opportunities is to get involved in academic competitions.

Some of the most highly regarded academic competitions that you can get involved in during high school, earn a leadership position in and even – potentially win awards for – include:

  • Academic Decathlon
  • Academic Decathlon: Individual Competition
  • Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge
  • Davidson Fellows
  • Destination ImagiNation
  • National Academic Championship – Questions Unlimited
  • National Academic League
  • Odyssey of the Mind
  • Quiz Bowl Tournament of Champions
  • Stemanities Research Competition
  • University Interscholastic League
  • Science Olympiad

Of course, there are many other competitions that you can get involved in, and the most important thing is that you follow your passions!

Attend a fantastic summer program

A great way to prove that you are the kind of student that is always looking for exciting and challenging opportunities is to spend a part of your summer vacation from high school to attend a summer program at one of the many fantastic colleges and universities that offer summer programs.

A group of college friends around an outdoor table.

While MIT does not actually offer any summer programs for high school students at this time, many of the Ivy League schools and similarly prestigious schools certainly do. On top of that, a number of organizations that are partnered with MIT do offer specialized programs on the school’s campus.

As the school’s official site says, “If studying the human genome, building a robot, or scoping out the stars sound like a rad way to spend your summer, then you might try one of these.”

Those programs include:

  • Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)
  • Research Science Institute (RSI)
  • Women’s Technology Program (WTP)
  • Summer Science Program (SSP)

All of these programs except for the Summer Science Program are held directly on MIT’s campus and give high school students the chance to work and learn within some of the school’s facilities.

Perhaps most importantly, getting involved in any of these programs will be a shining star on your application and will give you an opportunity to meet and build relationships with students and faculty currently working at MIT.

Earn stellar letters of recommendation

When it comes to students that are applying to the most prestigious schools in the country, one of the most important factors are the letters of recommendation that teachers and counselors have to send in.

MIT’s specific rules regarding the letters of recommendation portion of the application can be taken as a strong signal that the school takes these letters strongly into consideration when admissions officers are making their decisions.

To apply to MIT, every student must get one recommendation letter from a science or math teacher and one from a humanities teacher.

A man writing a letter on a desk.

Ideally, you should be focusing on teachers that you have taken many classes from during your high school years and teachers that you have formed strong connections with.

After all, a great letter of recommendation will be able to display why a student will not only be a great fit at a school like MIT academically, but also culturally and from a community standpoint.

Teachers who know you best beyond just your grades are the ones that you should target specifically for this crucial rule.

On top of that, you will want to be sure to give the teachers at the top of your list ample time to craft their letters.

We recommend that students approach teachers about this important job either at the end of their junior years of high school, sometime over the summer vacation via email, or – at the very latest – near the beginning of your senior year of college. After all, keep in mind that these letters are an important reflection on you and your entire argument for why you should be accepted into MIT.

Craft powerful personal essays

The final way that high school students can improve their chances of getting into MIT is to give themselves the time that they need to write truly impactful personal essays.

MIT requires that all applicants write responses to a series of short-essay prompts with the goal of giving students a great opportunity to reveal more about themselves and show who they are beyond just their great grades, standardized scores, extracurriculars and more.

A woman sitting by the window, smiling while writing.

When you are reading the essay prompts on your application, make sure that you are really taking the time necessary to come up with topics that you really connect with.

Now is not the time to try to give the admissions officers what you think they want to hear. Instead, you should be focusing on trying to understand and accurately depict your core beliefs, your passions, your goals, and how all those important aspects of your life have led you to believing that MIT is the school where you want to spend your undergraduate education at.

Will you get into MIT?

There is no clear way to get into MIT. Truthfully, the students that get into this school each and every year are amongst the most impressive students in the world.

And while the MIT acceptance rate is around 6.7 percent currently, the school’s admissions officers are picking from the best of the best.

So, if you are looking to get into MIT and think you may need some guidance on how to make that dream a reality, contact AdmissionSight today for a free consultation.

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