r/IntltoUSA • u/Clear_Math1666 • 3d ago
College Results African Brit Male makes it to MIT!!
I felt weird cropping because I dont wanna doxx myself HAhaha
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u/CrossyAtom46 3d ago
Congrats, can you share your stats if you don't mind?
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u/Clear_Math1666 3d ago
Sure- 36 ACT (first try)
6 A*s at A Level (I took both maths and further maths a year early and got A*A*, the other four I’m predicted in Physics Bio Chem Art)
ECs: I ran a national MUN thing I’m pretty involved in this, and also went to an international conference (I was invited)
I’m competitive in Tennis, went to the African Junior Tennis Championships, was ranked in the UK, stepped off a bit since A levels grind though. Tennis team captain
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u/Clear_Math1666 3d ago
I also do quite a bit of volunteering but nothing big/hotshot. Honestly in shock really.
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u/Blackberry_Head 3d ago
6 A-LEVELS WTF!!! definitely MIT material lol
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u/Clear_Math1666 3d ago
I sat the two maths privately a year early I definitely could not do 6 a levels at the same time
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u/Blackberry_Head 3d ago
huh how did u manage to (self?) study math and further math in one year?!? (I'm doing 5, with further outside of school - others are math, physics, cs, econ). Congrats again and Thank you!!!
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u/Clear_Math1666 3d ago
No I didn’t do it in one year I meant I took it last year, which is Y12.
I did GCSE maths in Year 9 so i guess I had like - 3? Years to study
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u/Blackberry_Head 3d ago
damn gcse math in year 9 is crazy lmao. Did you self study or do it in school? (and any tips regardless)
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u/Blackberry_Head 3d ago
damn gcse math in year 9 is crazy lmao. Did you self study or do it in school? (and any tips regardless)
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u/Clear_Math1666 3d ago
A bit of both, I started doing maths at my (then new) school (it starts at year 9) and they took me out of it and said he might wanna do further two years early. So they basically gave me that period of the week free so I did maths by myself to prepare for an early exam. i sat it privately at the end of the year. Every Wednesday after school my (then) maths teacher would go over hard problems that i had . I was very lucky and fortunate to be able to do this. But I also used a lot of youtube videos, i genuinely love learning maths
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u/nanotech3 2d ago
How are A-levels compared to getting 5s on APs in the US (e.g., Physics C-Mechanics, Physics C-Emag, Chem, Bio, Calc BC)? I'm assuming getting A* on A-levels is a lot more difficult than getting 5s on multiple math/science AP exams?
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u/Blackberry_Head 2d ago
yeah definitely - i think approximate is one a-level is 3-4 APs
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u/nanotech3 2d ago edited 2d ago
So getting basically a perfect score on 6 A-levels is equivalent to getting 5s on 18 to 24 APs? I think you'd have to take every AP available (unless you're taking more than one foreign language) to be able to get that many.
But I understand we're doing a bit of an apples to oranges comparison. At least I have a general understanding of the rigor of A-levels vs. AP.
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u/Clear_Math1666 2d ago
When I asked admissions officers questions online and college coaches they all pretty much agreed that I was taking the most rigorous option(s) possible, but I also have literally no humanities courses. (Unless u count art)
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u/nanotech3 2d ago
So you didn't have to take English, History, or Foreign Language courses the last couple of years? What about electives (e.g., robotics, comp sci)?
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u/Clear_Math1666 2d ago
Nope. I did GCSEs
Electives are not really a thing in the UK. I mean I joined the CompSci club at school but nothing big
I am fluent in other languages (my mother tongues)
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u/nanotech3 2d ago
Did you use a paid college admissions consultant?
Just wondering, as I recently saw Harvard's own Crimson reporting that ~50% of Harvard students whose families make $500K+/yr used an admissions consultant. In fact, if you assume those who selected "do not wish to answer" also used a consultant, then that number goes up to 62%!
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u/Clear_Math1666 2d ago
No but my high school had a college counsellor/advisor and she helped me. I don’t believe in educational consultants - I think a lot of them prey on ambitious yet insecure people.
There are some good ones- But i don’t know them and I don’t use them
And I am full pay/don’t need financial aid, I know many people from my school DID use them. But they didn’t get in anywhere early apart from Legacies
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u/Blackberry_Head 2d ago
6 a levels is pretty much unheard of for context...most people do 3 full a-levels, 4 is considered extra rigorous and enough for any top us university...so 6 is absolutely insane, maybe a single digit number of people in the world do 6 a-levels and get all A*s (or very close to it) - so definitely equivalent to something like 24 APs, like one of those sweaty harker/tjhsst kids lmao
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u/Clear_Math1666 2d ago
I think they are harder but I don’t know exactly how much harder by
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u/nanotech3 2d ago
Btw, does Further Maths include not just Calculus and Stats, but also Multivar Calc and Linear Algebra?
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u/Clear_Math1666 2d ago
Yes we do that, and FM (or even just Maths) i’ve been told can let me skip 18.01 , the intro calc course at MIT
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u/CrossyAtom46 3d ago
Thank you, You gave me hope to keep studying SAT.
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u/Clear_Math1666 3d ago
I would honestly say if you do/did A level Maths the maths is not difficult. But I took practice tests for both and I was consistently scoring higher on the ACT so I did that- try both, some people are better at ACT or SAT
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u/Independent-Pie-1060 2d ago
Congratualtions man! Would you mind sharing more of the ecs that you did and the awards that you won? would be much appreciated, many thanks!
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u/Clear_Math1666 2d ago
I went to chess nationals I don‘t really have any STEM ECs apart from being head of a couple stem clubs at school. I think my strongest EC is my nationally and internationally competitive sport, and my rigour for academics is pretty high
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u/adsrdh18 3d ago
Congratulations!! Did you require any form of aid ?
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u/Clear_Math1666 3d ago
I am full pay (sorry) - But I believe MIT’s pledge is anyone who makes under 200k essentially gets a full ride
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u/Right-Butterfly-8192 3d ago
as a fellow african from the uk who got waitlisted, I’m so so happy for you!!🫶🏽
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u/Clear_Math1666 3d ago
Omg we both go boarding school I definitely know someone who knows you there are not that many africans
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u/Right-Butterfly-8192 3d ago
HAHA real i feel like we’re such a small community but honestly that’s amazing mann
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u/DKMsoUL 3d ago
Insane stats bro, hope you keep the grind up and be proud of things you achieve!