International applicants – MIT Admissions

Does my transcript count as official?

Julia Davis — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 21:20:16 +0000

Transcripts must be sent in by your school counselor or another school representative to fulfill our requirements for an official transcript. This applies for high school and college transcripts. If your school does not have a school counselor, your transcript may be submitted by your registrar’s office, principal/headmaster, or other official entity.

Our Transcripts page has information on how to have your counselor submit your transcript to us.

Please note: If you send us a copy of your transcript while we are waiting for your official transcript to be submitted and processed, we will add it to your application as a placeholder until we receive your official transcript.

How do I send in my transcript?

Julia Davis — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 21:20:09 +0000

All transcripts must be submitted by a school counselor or another school representative to be considered official. This applies for high school and college transcripts. If your school does not have a school counselor, your transcript may be submitted by your registrar’s office, principal/headmaster, or other official entity.

Our Transcripts page has more information on how to have your counselor submit your transcript.

What if my application is disrupted by a major event beyond my control?

Chris Peterson SM '13 — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 01:55:56 +0000

If your ability to apply to MIT has been affected by disasters or other serious disruptions—severe weather, military conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, infrastructure failures, civil unrest, or other crises—please know that our hearts go out to you. We understand that there is a lot on your mind, and that you may need to focus on other things, or be temporarily unable to complete your application by our deadlines.

In the interim:

Focus on taking care of yourself, your family, your community, and your safety. You will not be penalized in the application process because of delays caused by major disruptions outside of your control.
We try to be as flexible as possible in these situations. When you’re able to do so, reach out to us at 617.253.3400 or email us at admissions@mit.edu. We’ll be here to talk to you and figure out a way to make sure we get your application and supporting materials.
As always, if the application fee poses a financial hardship, we’ll waive it.
If you had been planning, but are unable, to apply for Early Action, please remember that there is no benefit or advantage in doing so, and you should feel at ease applying during Regular Action.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions, and please take care of yourself.

What if my country has a different academic calendar?

Diane Stillman — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 21:58:24 +0000

We’re aware of the different academic calendar in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, South Africa, and other countries in the southern hemisphere.

Students from these countries may apply to MIT before completing high school or wait until they graduate. We suggest students apply to university in their home country and begin studies while they wait to learn their MIT admission decision in mid-March.

What if I don’t have a school counselor?

Diane Stillman — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 18:58:17 +0000

Many international applicants don’t have a school counselor. The school counselor letter is not a required part of the MIT application; it’s only for those who have a school counselor. A principal, headmaster, or school official at your school may submit your high school transcript without a letter.

The Secondary School Report Form is designed for U.S. school systems but may be adapted for different international school use. Because school systems vary outside of the U.S. and many international schools do not calculate GPA or class rank, it’s okay for your counselor/principal to leave spaces blank on the form. Please ask your counselor/principal to upload your official transcript (with three years of subject grades if available). We also accept the high school transcript alone to complete the Secondary School Report/Transcript requirement.

We request that you submit the results of any external examinations, such as International Baccalaureate, A-Levels, French Baccalaureate, or CBSE, which are required for entrance to universities in your country. We understand that many grades are not available until after decisions are made and ask that predicted grades be sent when ready. Final grades are only required for admitted students.

You may fax materials to 617.687.9184

or mail to:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room E38-200
Cambridge, MA 02139

Am I domestic or international if I hold dual citizenship?

Diane Stillman — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 18:57:39 +0000

Students holding dual citizenship should apply to MIT with their U.S. citizenship status.

Students holding non-U.S. dual citizenships may select their preferred country as their application will be listed as international in our application process. We don’t have any preference as to which country you list.

Can I apply if I am undocumented?

Diane Stillman — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 18:57:09 +0000

Yes!

Undocumented and DACA applicants submit the same application components and go through the same selection process as all other students. For those students who face financial barriers, we offer fee waivers on our application, conduct need-blind admissions, and provide generous financial aid that meets 100% of a family’s demonstrated financial need. For more information, check out the section of our website for undocumented applicants.

How do I complete the visa section on the application?

Diane Stillman — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 18:56:41 +0000

Only students who currently hold a visa complete this section of the application.

The International Students Office assists all admitted students through the visa application process in May.

Can you mail me materials internationally?

Diane Stillman — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 18:56:13 +0000

Due to increasing mail costs and in an effort to be environmentally-conscious, we no longer mail materials internationally, and we do very limited mailing within the U.S.

You may however, sign up for our monthly newsletter of awesome stuff happening at MIT!

Do application materials have to be in English?

Diane Stillman — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 18:55:43 +0000

All application materials must be in English. You may have a professional service or a teacher in your school complete the translation, but you can’t translate the material yourself. If your teacher translates any documents, please ask him/her to sign and date the translation. Include the original untranslated document as well as the translated document with your application.