How to Get into MIT with Bad Grades? Can I? Lowest GPA Rqd (2024)

I have already written a blog post on getting into MIT. But can you get an admission with bad grades?

I have been teaching at a similar college for more than two decades, and the thing I noticed is that when it comes to the admission policies, MIT is a completely strange place. I have seen those high-score students with a list of certificates crying because they did not get admission, and those with low scores won a position. In my experience, the admission policies of the institute are not only strange but also unique in their own way.

However, a majority of the students ask how they can get into MIT with bad grades, and I teach them all the admission policies and criteria of the institute. After understanding how the institute counts your scores, getting admission into MIT with bad grades is not impossible. So, let’s break down the entire procedure to get admission to MIT with bad grades.

MIT is not a common educational institute that offers open admission for students so they can get a graduation certificate and find a job. The process for admission is entirely different at MIT than at the other universities. The institute was built to contribute to the field of practical and applied science in the area of technology.

William Rogers constructed the institute to dedicate the building to science and engineering, and later, the university was embraced as the best as compared to all other institutes. It has played a role in shaping the history of World War 2, the Cold War, and the space advancement battles in which MIT researchers developed the program for Apollo missions.

Moving on further, it produced great world leaders, entrepreneurs, and civil-military servants who served the country and saved it on many fronts. MIT has a long list of successful alumni worldwide and highly intelligent professors such as Richard Feynman and Kerry Emanuel. In short, it is a hub for genius people who come out of the university to become successful.

Behind all these praises, there is an unknown phenomenon that causes MIT to grow faster and secure #1st position in QS world university rankings. And that is its highly selective procedure in which the student has to pass multiple assessments and solve problems.

MIT Admissions Statistics

The student has to show himself in three areas when it comes to MIT admission. First is the acceptable GPA; if he does not have the desired scores in the previous courses, the chances are low that he can get admission. But we are already talking about bad grades and admission, so here I should tell you that GPA does not matter for admission as the university focuses on other things; however, the student should have at least an average GPA.

The thing that matters for MIT officials is how much you have scored on the SAT designed by the institute. Now, you should know that if you have bad grades in the previous courses but still want to get admission at MIT, then get high marks on the SAT. The major focus of MIT officials is not the GPA or the previous grades but the current SAT score; therefore, work hard to get the highest scores, and you will get admission.

The third area in which you have to pass is the ACT exam. If you do not know about it is the American College Testing for measuring the overall knowledge and skills of the students to check whether they are ready for college studies or not. There are five major areas in which you have to score on the ACT: Math, English, Reading, Science, and Writing.

• Average GPA: 4.15
• Average SAT Score: 1535
• Average ACT Score: 35
• Acceptance Rate: 4.17%

The last and most important part people neglect to see before applying for admission is the acceptance rate. Basically, every university allows a specific number of students; for example, if there are 100 people applying for the graduation program, the institute will first decide the number of seats and then check applications. That is called the acceptance rate of a university, and MIT has 4.17%.

Simply put, if 100 students are applying for the doctoral degree, only 4 to 5 students will be admitted. But a fascinating fact is that not all sharp and intelligent students are always on the admitted list of MIT, but most of the students are hard-working and easy-to-adopt complicated environment students. Therefore, if you think that the overall dependence of the admission is upon your previous grades, then you should prepare for the SAT and score well on the ACT; it will help you get admission.

Tips To Get Admission At MIT With Bad Grades

Take Responsibility for the Grades

The majority of students overlook their marks and go forward convincing institutes to give them admission, but it is the most horrible mistake. Basically, universities like MIT give opportunities to the responsible person instead of one who has made mistakes in the past and still denies them. Therefore, take responsibility for the bad grades and present a complete plan on how you will improve in the future; the chances are high that you will get admission.

Impressive Letters Of Recommendation

Another major thing that can help you get admission at MIt is the impressive recommendation letters from at least two expert professors. Adding the recommendation letters at the end of your application is very important. For MIT, every student should provide 2 letters of recommendation.

Write A Personal Essay

The last solution is writing a personal essay to inform the institute that you take responsibility for your bad grades and that you will perform better in the future. The personal essay is very influential in terms of getting admission at MIT if you fulfill the demands you can get. You should mention your further plans related to the field and degree, the overall skills analysis, your research passion, and the will to study at the university.

MIT is considered the toughest place in the world in terms of education because of the high education standards and the urge to make the institute the best in the world. However, the average student at MIT studies 18 to 20 hours a week, submits 2 to 3 assignments daily, solves problems, and participates in research, which means the education system is very rigorous.

Therefore, admission is not the only hurdle at MIT but also survival after getting into the institute because very few students stay till the end of their programs. Anyhow, getting admission at MIT is the dream of every science passion, but a few have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. I have mentioned the basic statistics and the tips to get into MIT with bad grades; I hope this information helps you in the future.

Disclaimer & Thanks: Before I end this article, I would like to thank Connor Gillivan, who helped me collect data related to MIT for this article on “How to Get into MIT with Bad Grades? Can I?”. Connor is an incredible guy, and as an MIT graduate, he knows the ins and outs of MIT. His knowledge helped me collect facts about MIT and interview multiple other students.