[AlexD744]

So, I'm a FIRST alum currently attending MIT. I went through the whole admissions process and have read numerous blogs from admissions officers on how the process works. It's still somewhat vague, and I know that so many more people deserve to get in, and I feel incredibly blessed to be able to study here. But this is what I have gathered.

First, you need to have good grades and decent test scores, with classes like physics and calculus on your transcript. If you don't have those, although not impossible, it will be less likely that you thrive here.

Second, I think the admission office really wants to see that you have a personality, a passion, a quirk, or something that makes you different. They want to build a class of students who will be able to work together to solve the challenges set before them, and ultimately the challenges that the world faces. (Side note: this is what diversity truly means, bringing together different people with different mentalities and background's for this purpose. It does not mean various races, genders, sexuailties, etc.) Much of this comes from reading your essays, letters of rec, and interviewers essays. A list of achievements and awards can help show your passions, but more important is that you explain why these achievements are important to you.

Finally, although the above is a rough guideline, there is no perfect formula for college admission, anywhere. Period. And trying to formalize it just gets harder as the admission rate goes down. The above is somewhat of the thinking that goes into MIT's admissions, but it's different for every school. Because there is no formula, it is nearly impossible to quantify how the Dean's List (or anything else for that matter) affects your chances of acceptance.

tl;dr: While the Dean's list is a phenomenal achievement, it is by no means a guarantee to being accepted to any school, because there are no such guarantees.

Note: I did not win a Dean's List award.