Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 09:46     Subject: MIT decisions out
The 'math competition industry' thing reminds me of Spelling Bee. My kid went to national one and lo and behold all the top placers were in like a hidden Spelling Bee Industrial Complex nobody knew about.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 09:26     Subject: MIT decisions out
we have two to MIT from our HS so far - a questbridge kid and an athlete.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 09:21     Subject: MIT decisions out
Anonymous wrote:NCS has one!
Super impressive and interesting kid.


I heard NCS actually has two.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 09:10     Subject: MIT decisions out
NCS has one!
Super impressive and interesting kid.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 09:08     Subject: MIT decisions out
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:While it is true that kids who make it to that level are insanely talented at math, I truly hate the cottage industry it has built around contest math. Kids in early elementary school taking advanced geometry at AOPS… or functions. At this point, if you don’t start those classes at an early age, you really won’t do very well on the AMCs. Someone will point out some outliers and sure, maybe they exist, but not many of them… and the pressure and competition are absurd. At least in the DMV.


The issue (at least after/during Covid) is the rampant cheating. Apparently, this year there were over a 100 kids who had perfect scores in AMC-12! For context, it used to be that scoring 120 was an achievement. Both last year and this, the exams were leaked and were available online on Discord for a fee. This fun activity has now succumbed to the ambitions of parents/kids trying to get a leg up in the college rat race.


Cheating at an optional extra-curricular is pretty pathetic. You can just not do the math contest if it's not your thing.


Known cheaters. They usually wind up at Harvard.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 09:07     Subject: MIT decisions out
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:While it is true that kids who make it to that level are insanely talented at math, I truly hate the cottage industry it has built around contest math. Kids in early elementary school taking advanced geometry at AOPS… or functions. At this point, if you don’t start those classes at an early age, you really won’t do very well on the AMCs. Someone will point out some outliers and sure, maybe they exist, but not many of them… and the pressure and competition are absurd. At least in the DMV.


The issue (at least after/during Covid) is the rampant cheating. Apparently, this year there were over a 100 kids who had perfect scores in AMC-12! For context, it used to be that scoring 120 was an achievement. Both last year and this, the exams were leaked and were available online on Discord for a fee. This fun activity has now succumbed to the ambitions of parents/kids trying to get a leg up in the college rat race.


Cheating at an optional extra-curricular is pretty pathetic. You can just not do the math contest if it's not your thing.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 08:12     Subject: MIT decisions out
Less than 5% is insane.
https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/mit-early-action-decisions-now-available-online-2025/
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 08:11     Subject: MIT decisions out
This year, 11,883 students applied Early Action to the MIT Class of 2030. we have offered admission to 655.We deferred 7,738 applicants;⁠ these students will be reconsidered without prejudice in Regular Action, with decisions released sometime in March. Given the competitiveness of our pool, we have also informed 2,703 students that we will not be able to offer them admission this year. 787 — withdrew from our process before we released their decision.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 08:06     Subject: MIT decisions out
Anonymous wrote:While it is true that kids who make it to that level are insanely talented at math, I truly hate the cottage industry it has built around contest math. Kids in early elementary school taking advanced geometry at AOPS… or functions. At this point, if you don’t start those classes at an early age, you really won’t do very well on the AMCs. Someone will point out some outliers and sure, maybe they exist, but not many of them… and the pressure and competition are absurd. At least in the DMV.


The issue (at least after/during Covid) is the rampant cheating. Apparently, this year there were over a 100 kids who had perfect scores in AMC-12! For context, it used to be that scoring 120 was an achievement. Both last year and this, the exams were leaked and were available online on Discord for a fee. This fun activity has now succumbed to the ambitions of parents/kids trying to get a leg up in the college rat race.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 07:10     Subject: MIT decisions out
Anonymous wrote:While it is true that kids who make it to that level are insanely talented at math, I truly hate the cottage industry it has built around contest math. Kids in early elementary school taking advanced geometry at AOPS… or functions. At this point, if you don’t start those classes at an early age, you really won’t do very well on the AMCs. Someone will point out some outliers and sure, maybe they exist, but not many of them… and the pressure and competition are absurd. At least in the DMV.


Talent+ oodles of proper training > extraordinary talent+ shoddy training
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 06:29     Subject: MIT decisions out
While it is true that kids who make it to that level are insanely talented at math, I truly hate the cottage industry it has built around contest math. Kids in early elementary school taking advanced geometry at AOPS… or functions. At this point, if you don’t start those classes at an early age, you really won’t do very well on the AMCs. Someone will point out some outliers and sure, maybe they exist, but not many of them… and the pressure and competition are absurd. At least in the DMV.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2025 22:51     Subject: MIT decisions out
Anonymous wrote:Any idea whether MIT defers lots of ppl from EA round?


A lot. Probably 80%.
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2025 22:51     Subject: MIT decisions out
Any idea whether MIT defers lots of ppl from EA round?
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2025 19:29     Subject: MIT decisions out
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DC's friend got in. OK grades but a MOPper apparently.

What is that?


Math Olympiad Summer Camp qualifier (known as MOP to the competition kids) -- 50 or so kids make it each year and 6 are chosen to represent the US in the International Math Olympiad. These are the best math kids in the US (and among the top in the world, at least by the competition metric)
Anonymous
Post 12/16/2025 19:23     Subject: MIT decisions out
Deferred