The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, more commonly known as MIT, is the most eminent technical school in the world for good reason: over 85% of MIT undergraduates engage in high-level and groundbreaking research during their four years in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Yet the university’s Sloan School of Management is also renowned for its excellence in business. Ambitious young inventors and entrepreneurs aspire to attend Sloan’s undergraduate program because of its unparalleled emphasis on scientific and quantitative management techniques. For those seeking to engage with the most brilliant scientific innovators while learning to bring products to market and influence corporate strategy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has few peers.
MIT recently released admissions decisions for the Class of 2026, showing that the university had admitted 1,337 out of an unprecedented 33,767 total student applicants. The Class of 2026’s overall admission rate was 3.4%: of those accepted in Regular Action (640), 66% more applied this year than last. The university also earlier announced that 697 students were granted Early Action admittance from just over 14,781 applications, leading to a marginally higher early acceptance rate of 4.7%.
| Application Round | Total Applicants | Total Admitted Students | Admitted Percentage |
| Regular Decision | 18,986 | 640 | 3.4% |
| Early Decision/Action | 14,781 | 697 | 4.7% |
| Overall | 33,767 | 1,337 | 4.0% |
When compared to the previous year’s numbers, for the Class of 2025, the difference is striking:
| Application Round | Total Applicants | Total Admitted Students | Admitted Percentage |
| Regular Decision | 18,204 | 621 | 3.4% |
| Early Decision/Action | 15,036 | 719 | 4.9% |
| Overall | 33,240 | 1,340 | 4.0% |
The numbers are daunting to say the least. But they don’t always give the full picture. And they’re representative of macro trends in worldwide education that are outside any single person’s control. That’s why it’s more effective to first understand these numbers in context, then use your time to focus on preparing your own personal application as best you can.
The spike in application numbers was a trend across most elite American colleges and universities. The simplest explanation for this phenomenon is the decision for many top schools–including MIT–to remove the standardized testing requirement for applicants due to COVID. It’s logical that this change led to more students feeling they would be qualified for admittance to the university.
Beyond that, more students than usual who were admitted in the previous cycle deferred their enrollment, leaving fewer seats in the Class of 2026. Some students who’d applied the previous year even decided not to matriculate to any university, given the pandemic. Instead, they chose to take a gap year and reapply to their dream schools. Finally, students are continuing to apply to more and more schools, as evidenced by the 11% increase in applications submitted through the Common App despite an increase of only 2% in the total number of applicants.
All of these factors, among others, contributed to the massive growth in the number of applications to top universities like MIT.
MIT fortunately provides a level of detailed data that goes beyond the established Common Data set. For information on SAT scores, ACT scores, gender and geography demographics, and international student acceptances, see below:
| TEST | RANGE |
| SAT Math | [790, 800] |
| SAT ERW | [730, 780] |
| ACT Math | [35, 36] |
| ACT Reading | [35, 36] |
| ACT English | [35, 36] |
| ACT Science | [34, 36] |
| ACT Composite | [35, 36] |
| New England | 10% |
| Mid-Atlantic | 20% |
| South & Puerto Rico | 14% |
| Midwest & Plains states | 11% |
| Southwest & Mountain | 11% |
| West Coast, Alaska & Hawaii | 19% |
| Other U.S. Territories | 1% |
| Abroad | 11% |
| Applied | 4,149 |
| Admitted | 142 |
| Male | 44% |
| Female | 43% |
| Others | 3% |
MIT has waived its standardized testing requirement, though you are still able to submit your SAT or ACT scores if you feel they will enhance your application. These are all the materials that every applicant will need to prepare and submit in order to be considered for admission to MIT:
More information: MIT Application Requirements
MIT also gives applicants the option to submit supplemental materials, including supplemental recommendations, in support of their candidacy. The university strongly encourages applicants to submit these materials digitally. MIT also offers a limited number of interviews with Educational Counselors.
For details on submitting financial aid materials to MIT, use the university’s helpful site.
Beyond exceptional grades and test scores, MIT lays out some clear criteria used to assess a candidate’s fit for the university. The admissions office emphasizes the “match” between the applicant and the school above all else. But what exactly does a student need in order to be a compelling match for MIT?
There’s no golden formula for being admitted to a school as selective as MIT: it is a high reach for every student in the world. That said, there are a few concrete things you should do if you’re really committed to increasing your chances of admission at MIT:
If you’re able to achieve a near-perfect GPA in the hardest classes, engage meaningfully with personal interests and community problems, and demonstrate an ability to take charge of your own goals by acting on your principles, you’ll set yourself up for submitting a strong application that the MIT Admissions Committee will remember. None of this is easy, but if you’re deeply motivated to be at MIT, you can find ways to show it.
For a comprehensive approach tailored to prestigious institutions like MIT, explore the services offered by our reputable College Admissions Consultants.
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