MIT Letter and Response

[Scott]

Kinda doubt this is real (plus it's dated 20yrs ago), but funny nonetheless.  For our European friends (even Ian), MIT is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Tech's version of Harvard.

from http://www.tealdragon.net/

MIT Acceptance Letter & Response


     The first letter is one MIT sends out, The second is one they got back.
April 18, 1994
Mr. John T. Mongan
123 Main Street
Smalltown, California 94123-4567
Dear John:
     You've got the grades. You've certainly got the PSAT scores. And now you've got a letter from MIT. Maybe you're surprised. Most students would be.
     But you're not most students. And that's exactly why I urge you to consider carefully one of the most selective universities in America.
     The level of potential reflected in your performance is a powerful indicator that you might well be an excellent candidate for MIT. It certainly got my attention!
     Engineering's not for you? No problem. It may surprise you to learn we offer more than 40 major fields of study, from architecture to brain and cognitive sciences, from economics (perhaps the best program in the country) to writing.
     What? Of course, you don't want to be bored. Who does? Life here is tough and demanding, but it's also fun. MIT students are imaginative and creative - inside and outside the classroom.
     You're interested in athletics? Great! MIT has more varsity teams - 39 - than almost any other university, and a tremendous intramural program so everybody can participate.
     You think we're too expensive? Don't be too sure. We've got surprises for you there, too.
     Why not send the enclosed Information Request to find out more about this unique institution? Why not do it right now?
Sincerely,
Michael C. Benhke Director of Admissions
P.S. If you'd like a copy of a fun-filled, fact-filled brochure, Insight, just check the appropriate box on the form.
.................................................................



May 5, 1994
Michael C. Behnke
MIT Director of Admissions
Office of Admissions, Room 3-108
Cambridge MA 02139-4307
Dear Michael:
     You've got the reputation. You've certainly got the pomposity. And now you've got a letter from John Mongan. Maybe you're surprised. Most universities would be.
     But you're not most universities. And that's exactly why I urge you to carefully consider one of the most selective students in America, so selective that he will choose only one of the thousands of accredited universities in the country.
     The level of pomposity and lack of tact reflected in your letter is a powerful indicator that your august institution might well be a possibility for John Mongan's future education. It certainly got my attention!
     Don't want Bio-Chem students? No problem. It may surprise you to learn that my interests cover over 400 fields of study, from semantics to limnology, from object-oriented programming (perhaps one of the youngest professionals in the country) to classical piano.
     What? Of course you don't want egotistical jerks. Who does? I am self indulgent and over-confident, but I'm also amusing. John Mongan is funny and amusing - whether you're laughing with him or at him.
     You're interested in athletes? Great! John Mongan has played more sports - 47 - than almost any other student, including oddball favorites such as Orienteering.
     You think I can pay for your school? Don't be too sure. I've got surprises for you there, too.
     Why not send a guaranteed admission and full scholarship to increase your chance of being selected by John Mongan? Why not do it right now?
Sincerely,
John Mongan
P.S. If you'd like a copy of a fun-filled, fact-filled brochure, John Mongan: What a Guy! just ask.

[Ian]

Scott  make it a double 

[F1fanaticBD]

I would have killed anything & everything to get that sort of Letter from MIT.

[Alianora La Canta]

That's one of the downsides of England's UCAS system. There's just no space for universities or students to express individual style - just a "U" (unconditional offer) or a "C" (conditional offer) in a little box on a generic form. UCAS also refuses to send on personal correspondence to universities, and in theory the universities are not permitted to consider anything that is not formally revealed to them in the paperwork process. Bor-ing...

[John S]

and in theory the universities are not permitted to consider anything that is not formally revealed to them in the paperwork process. Bor-ing...

That's not strictly true as a lot of the top British institutions have a candidate interview process they make use of as well before deciding.

 

[Alianora La Canta]

and in theory the universities are not permitted to consider anything that is not formally revealed to them in the paperwork process. Bor-ing...

That's not strictly true as a lot of the top British institutions have a candidate interview process they make use of as well before deciding.

The interviewers are supposed to fill in a form based on that interview (including justification for the interview - which is why most universities with non-interviewed courses say interviews are "not usually" rather than "not" done), which becomes part of the formal paperwork process. UCAS are required to be informed about the fact an interview happened, unless nothing relevant to selection was discussed (some courses do interviews on a pure non-selection basis), anything mentioned which substantially affects the application (such as a suspected fraudulent application) and who to contact if they need more information (for appeals - UCAS doesn't get detailed information unless absolutely necessary for information processing purposes).

Otherwise it is only seen by the university staff who make the decision. In theory, if the interviewer leaves anything off that form, the university must discount this for selection purposes. Non-disclosed information can, of course, be used in other ways, such as to decide whether a student can have a bursary or who should be the student's personal advisor.

[John S]

and in theory the universities are not permitted to consider anything that is not formally revealed to them in the paperwork process. Bor-ing...

That's not strictly true as a lot of the top British institutions have a candidate interview process they make use of as well before deciding.

The interviewers are supposed to fill in a form based on that interview (including justification for the interview - which is why most universities with non-interviewed courses say interviews are "not usually" rather than "not" done), which becomes part of the formal paperwork process. UCAS are required to be informed about the fact an interview happened, unless nothing relevant to selection was discussed (some courses do interviews on a pure non-selection basis), anything mentioned which substantially affects the application (such as a suspected fraudulent application) and who to contact if they need more information (for appeals - UCAS doesn't get detailed information unless absolutely necessary for information processing purposes).

Otherwise it is only seen by the university staff who make the decision. In theory, if the interviewer leaves anything off that form, the university must discount this for selection purposes. Non-disclosed information can, of course, be used in other ways, such as to decide whether a student can have a bursary or who should be the student's personal advisor.

Oxbridge colleges almost always interview as part of the selection process, this is a direct quote from Wikipedia:
'In addition to the information provided on the UCAS form, some universities ask candidates to attend an interview. Oxford and Cambridge almost always interview applicants, unless, based on the UCAS form and/or admissions tests, they do not believe the applicant has any chance of admission. Other universities may choose to interview, though only in some subjects and on a much smaller scale, having already filtered out the majority of candidates. The interview gives the admissions tutors another chance to assess the candidate's suitability for the course.'

Besides this there is the personal statement by the candidate which can be taken into account by any university during the application process.