Many prestigious colleges like Harvard, Duke, and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) have very small acceptance rates ranging from five to nine percent, with up to 50,000 or more applicants. In the past few years, about 20,000 students applied to MIT and only about 1,500 have gotten  accepted into the prestigious school. 

   Senior Ahmed Mohmedzain has had MIT at the top of his college list since his sophomore year of high school when he first started to research colleges. 

   “I applied to MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale. MIT’s generous financial aid, strong STEM programs, and collaborative nature on campus are some of the factors that led to my interest in it,” Mohmedzain said.

   With his sights set on MIT, Mohmedzain decided to apply for the early action deadline in November with low expectations for the decision he would receive in mid-December. Mohmedzian felt the application process for MIT was the least complicated out of the four schools comparing the application requirements, but was unsure of his chances of being accepted by the school.

   “I applied to MIT through the QuestBridge National College Match, which is tailored towards high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds. First, I had to complete a general application with multiple essay prompts to be selected as a National College Match Finalist,” Mohmedzain said. “MIT’s application was the easiest out of the four colleges I applied to; I wrote an optional 150-word essay and a required 100-word essay.”

   After waiting to hear back, Mohmedzian was surprised by the acceptance decision from the school, along with the scholarship offer he received.

   “I was in disbelief when I found out I got in. When I received the notification that decisions were out, I already had the feeling that I was going to be rejected, so I was ready to get over with it and move on to Regular Decision applications. […] I [also] received a QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship, which is essentially a full-ride scholarship,” Mohmedzain said.

   Once Mohmedzian received the news, he immediately FaceTimed his brother and family to relay the news and see their reactions.

   “My family was extremely excited for me. […] I immediately texted my older brother, who helped me with my application, and FaceTimed my mom and told her I got in. She was yelling and crying and congratulating me, then my brother called me and he kept yelling, ‘Let’s go!’ The rest of my family congratulated me when I got home, and I showed them all my acceptance letter,” Mohmedzain said.

  For now, Mohmedzain has not yet committed to the school officially because he plans to tour the college before making any final decisions. With the support of his family and friends, Mohmedzain hopes to commit and attend MIT for the upcoming fall semester, majoring in Computer Science and Engineering.