Sal Khan has conversation with MIT Dean of Admissions

[@kensrocketry2785]

My left ear never got accepted to MIT for not hearing the dean

[@daniiielw]

You wasn't alone

[@shubhamswami1036]

Oh I got u man😂 U wearing headset right?

[@tanvirhossain1040]

Lol

[@cristoferarellano1909]

We will get in one day!

[@zarintasneem3884]

Did you right ear get in then ? 😂

[@MaxMohammadi]

My right ear enjoyed this

[@TheMarkrafter]

TheSpoop123 If you have headphones/earbuds look at the jack if there are 3 "stripes" loosely plug your headphones/earbuds only up to the first line you should hear with both ears :P

[@samsonli9490]

Marcus William I don't think that is the problem because only the dean is speaking into the right ear. Sal speaks in both.

[@oakenguitar3]

Samson Li for me the dean is speaking in both at a extremely low volume.

[@TheMarkrafter]

The dean is speaking in both at a low volume while the hack is plugged in fully or how i mentioned? Try going into sound settings and enhancing the volume. I personally plug my headphone jack into a microphone so it tends to amplify the sound.

[@oakenguitar3]

Marcus William I'm using desktop speakers on a laptop. if I pull out half way, I get the regular laptop speakers to come on and the desktop speakers turn off. If I have to use headphones which I doubt would work, that just ruins it for me more. lol. My headphones are super heavy.

[@jawtek82]

So, clearly Sal did not get a degree in audio engineering from MIT.

[@arandomrock8061]

right

[@abrahamalkhatib9762]

A Random Rock underrated subcomment

[@foxymoron3200]

Let me summarize. They want students that falls under the creative thinker/innovator category. I am surprised how he made it clear that extreme academic merit is not a important factor...

[@lucasm4299]

FoxyMoron What does changeling oneself academically mean then??

[@Username-or9nr]

Lucas M I guess taking AP classes or something

[@ZevHoover]

and yet they let in exactly zero people with an SAT math score below 650 last year... they have so many applicants they can choose only candidates that fall in the "creative thinker/innovator" AND the academic overachiever category.

[@muhali3]

[@devanmallory5304]

muhali3 the average high school gpa at MIT was a 4.2 if that says anything. They look for creative thinkers, but only those who happen to also be perfect academic students

[@hyylo]

Sal can you please please make Khan Academy qualifications? Millions of students that are poor or do not have access to good quality schools/colleges could watch your videos and then do a Khan Academy exam in a local centre. This will help millions of students across the world.

[@lucasm4299]

hyylo That sounds like a good idea. Khan Academy!! 🇺🇸🏆

[@jordans.9702]

Let’s teach for Mastery not test scores

[@shreyaskrishna6038]

@Alex Mason may be exams could be kept online..

[@sciolynerd5517]

lol sal says you need 5 APs, but 5 years later it's more like 20

[@zerozerg2789]

5 APs a year

[@Sanyu-Tumusiime]

@@zerozerg2789 took 21 AP and IB diploma with 6 IB courses in 2021 corona-era we need AP and IB together

[@Sanyu-Tumusiime]

@@zerozerg2789 Don't forget the olympaids, I'm an physics olympiad medalist

[@cristoferarellano1909]

@@Sanyu-Tumusiime RIP my school only offers 5 ap courses so I guess it's different when they evaluate region to region. I never even heard of IB until I applied for Questbridge.

[@Sanyu-Tumusiime]

@@cristoferarellano1909 You can self-study and take the other AP tests

[@sarahfox5911]

I can’t tell you how happy my heart was when you said first viola instead of first violin

[@nicholasr.powley3331]

I am a relatively new interviewer for MIT. Hi Stu!! Two qualities I recognized in this passing year's adMITees are palpable senses of vision and kindness.

[@owntor1]

To say it another way: focus and become an expert in one subject.

[@v.glayasree2275]

The most precise and accurate way to say it!

[@DennyMapleSyrup]

I'm a going into junior year of high school and this couldn't have come at a better time, thanks Sal!

[@kedaariyer4887]

He said Sal (Sal Khan), not SAT

[@anisha6067]

what school are you in?

[@DennyMapleSyrup]

@@anisha6067 I don’t want to say that on KZbin but at the time it was a Midwestern high school and it was ranked in the top public schools pretty much every year. But I made it into the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology later that year.

[@markwang3084]

@@DennyMapleSyrup May I ask: Did you get into MIT?

[@thesnazzmaster]

I am applying to MIT in a few days, I couldn't have seen this video at a worse time

[@bruhposzh]

I like this video. I like hearing that such an institution as MIT is open to less than "traditional" students. I myself dropped out of school for financial reasons and was a complete slacker because of it. When I was 22 I decided to better myself so I spent months brushing up on the knowledge required for a GED and took the test. I failed the math section the first time but passed it the second. Now I am in community college and doing well, I will soon transfer to my local state university which is tier 1 and presumably I stay the course I will graduate with a BS in computer engineering. I want to get a MS degree and would love to get it from MIT. I like hearing that someone who made bad decisions early on can still get a degree from MIT.

[@Joe-yr1em]

That's awesome to hear! Keep up the positivity!

[@matthewkawalilak]

Did you get in? I really want to hear an update

[@saketnaik1]

Well, how'd it go? I'm not interested whether you got in or not, but like what happened in those 5 years?

[@bruhposzh]

@@saketnaik1 Wow, 5 years went fast. None of that went to plan actually. I stopped qualifying for financial aid in my third year and had to drop out to work and intended on going back. I struggled for awhile but I now have a good job in the fashion industry as a product manager actually. I still love math and still intend on going back to finish my degree. Literally 18 credits away. Just gotta find the time. Thanks for asking though, it was neat to revisit my old aspirations and see where I am now.

[@saketnaik1]

@@bruhposzh Interesting to see that although nothing went to plan, life still had something in mind, and now you're actually really successful, cool. Hope that if (touchwood) getting into my dream college doesn't happen, I have some luck to back me up. Thanks for replying btw.

[@FootBallMaster12patriots]

Dude, this Sal Khan guy should make an app that teaches kids math and science.

[@yess.6558]

Right? I thought it was just me.

[@nikhil_2130]

no wayyyyy!🤯

[@lorklorkman7937]

My MIT acceptance seemed to be dependent on what the review board believed i would be bringing to MIT. I achieved an overall 1580 on the SAT and submitted what i consider one of my top 2 essays ever written in my life. However, the interview is what got me in. I excel in astrophysics and took a model and my published work of my theory on higher life as it pertains to the continued development of the multiverse in relation to supermassive black holes and beyond. Its my theory which requires a very open mind but the review board was very impressed and needless to say is what got me in. Remember originality, creativity, and intelligence will get you in guys.

[@fdist04]

I'm not sure that they tell you after you get in that you got in because of the interview...or any part of your application in particular.

[@elboudali_hamza]

Lork Lorkman a 1587....

[@fdist04]

Holy crap I just noticed that ur profile pic made me think that there was a hair on my screen

[@ArturoGarzaID]

Lork Lorkman I think they just wanted to make sure you weren't crazy. With a score like that on the SAT you were pretty much in.

[@Danielle-eo5im]

Lork Lorkman holy how did you get a 1580? pls help a friend out

[@ArturoGarzaID]

Sal can you explain how you got a double Masters of Science in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and then a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard no less? How in gods name were you able to do this? The workload must have been insane.

[@PincessYue]

Thank you so much Sal, I am so thankful for your videos.the way you format your videos helped me succeed and learn the material far better than what my teachers taught me. Especially in Math which I was terrible at but, now thanks to you I have gotten my grades up and I'm so happy. thank you for your hard work you are a great teacher !!

[@thatPSNguy99]

My right ear really enjoyed this

[@davidschultz1562]

My left ear did since my headphones are tangled.

[@shubhamgiri5801]

noah price mine also😂😂😂

[@benitoesposti8882]

Nice profile picture! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Cymru am byth!

[@muhammednabasheerbasheer7899]

Thanks ... This really gives me hope that it's just not gpa but my work that speaks ... Even though I don't have a 9.5 gpa I can still replace it with my works and dedication ...

[@TimJSwan]

Hmm.. interesting. I never applied to MIT or Stanford, but I wondered if they would have been a better fit for me than my school, especially since I get military benefits and at those locations the stipends are higher. I don't know if I was qualified enough, but I totally agree with what the dean is saying here. I am very independent and curious in my studies. I already made an app and have plans for other major projects. Comparing to grad school, though, I feel like it is still a bit too advanced for me. I've learned a lot during my undergrad years. I love how MIT classes are taught, too. They are presented from the top down it's great. I go to U of I and I really like the computer science department here.

[@maddoxmcalpine]

as a homeschool student this is very encouraging. thank you so much!

[@Riverish]

any updates?

[@michaelnasralla58]

Thank you very much Sal! This video is great and clears up a lot of confusion around the whole process. The work you do is immeasurable, very much appreciated :)

[@tylerhansen5555]

What an interesting and insightful video that really excites me as someone who is hoping to attend MIT as a member of the class of 2022. Thanks for this, Sal and Stu!

[@piyushanand6664]

hi.. i am also applying to MIT for class of 2022. Did you apply early ?

[@ethereal9658]

Tyler Hansen did you get in?

[@nashgujjalu104]

Sal, thanks for sharing this. It means a lot to us, students. :)

[@mrhappy192]

When I saw the title I was like "WTF Shan Kahn and MIT?!" I'm watching too many Mortal Kombat videos...

[@MilesSpearman]

I love Sal's voice.

[@kirigirikyouko4875]

I'm from Sri Lanka and I want to go to the MIT. It's the same for international students, I guess? This video was very helpful too. Thank u.

[@DustinMillerPolyInnovator]

try a micromasters to mit

[@espentangstad3161]

They forgot to mention the back door... Money

[@jessechen4971]

Don't think MIT does that. Maybe some other schools do

[@isal9185]

MIT is need blind, they only say what amount you earn after you get accepeted, so if you get into but do not have money you can get a large amount of scholarship.

[@ExtremeHugger]

Not for international students. Ie, me, a fortunate Canadian.

[@shyamchandarana1173]

Jalen MIT is actually needs-blind for international students as well

[@oldaccount59minus1]

this is relevant now more than ever

[@ahihatv468]

I have severe dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and ADHD. I often hesitate to start with this as it seems to place either pitty or a displeased attitude to whom I tell that too. But I am someone who excels at maths and physics and has very very good grades but poor SAT (Standardized Test scores) no matter how much I study. When I look at the results online they all say the same thing "Ap not recommended" but how does that make any logical sense when I achieve 4's and 5's on AP tests and has nearly perfect Grades in Physics, Maths, History, and English. I am even attending a Physics program with Oxford Summer courses. I'm the sort of person that enjoys doing physics and math for fun on the whiteboard in my room that I bought specifically for this. I just find it discouraging that SAT scores are such a big deal when a standardized test like the SAT is not made to properly reflect the intelligence level of someone who faces the challenges that I face and yes even with college board approved "accomodations".

[@martytcoleman]

What ended up happening?

[@paulgrass4855]

Update?

[@GoldProspectorSchool]

This sounds great and it's the same malarkey that all admissions counselors say, but the bottom line is that 40% of MIT freshmen were the valedictorians of their high schools and 90% were in the top 5% of their class. More than 25% of MIT students had PERFECT SAT math scores. It is not honest to say that they consider much more than GPA and SAT/ACT scores.

[@swand1383]

Michael Horton well they care about both. If you think about how many people apply, they can afford to have the most academically strong as well as all those other things. This video states that they want other things and are looking for other things also

[@alexlevine78]

Correlation does not imply causation. You don't need those things to get in. It just so happens that most applicants are extremely strong academically.

[@kenshin6553]

I think you’re misunderstanding. What they mean is that being top of your class and having excellent SAT scores is the _baseline_, but it’s not enough to get you accept every

[@draculanova6548]

The main hero face to face with the final boss

[@chrisraeburn9015]

This pleases me.

[@Neylena]

Wish the Sal screen was bigger and in the bottom right hand side of the screen!

[@RanaMuhammadWaqas]

Neylena Why would you want that

[@ZechsMerquise73]

Rana Muhammad Waqas It would be more like PewDiePie

[@samleethepianoboy6482]

I see a lot of comments saying something about left/right ears. lol, I'm deaf in my left hear so I had no idea

[@AkshatSinghania]

It was almost 7 years ago , how much of this still holds true?

[@ganesanm7238]

thank you khan academy

[@GP1706]

This video is really helpful.. Great stuff

[@jinseiw]

First viola? Smh more like last second violin. To all violist I'm sorry but it had to be said

[@jean-paulwhy8453]

im a viola and I fulley agree

[@denistereshchenko2505]

*LING LING INSURANCE*

[@justjacqueline2004]

Fascinating look at the entry requirement to an Ivy League University.I hope many of the students who succeed are indeed rewarded and those who fall to "lesser"schools remember it is up to you.At the end of the day,its not what you have but what you do with it.If all entrants to these super institutions are so clever,why are we burdened with such problems from war to ill health?

[@ivi122]

Maria das Santos mit isn’t an Ivy League

[@cristoferarellano1909]

2020 optional test policy, thank you!!!

[@wnJhntn]

I had no idea this was the guy talking on the khan academy videos

[@temitopejohnson5080]

Thank you very much sir

[@frosty8655]

sal please make a video for post graduate studies as well.

[@AnakinSkywalker-zq6lm]

Wait a minute!!!! That’s The Last Dean!!!!!

[@langzdaboi2072]

You KNWO what I liked hearing in this video? Only from my right ear!

[@SalesforceUSA]

I graduated in 1987 (BS Mech Eng). It was tough, I had lot of homework. I was a a C student.Sometimes I got a B, Never got an A.

[@alexilaiho8534]

Is it easy to land a job?

[@LatrampodonkNetworks]

What are examples of independent projects

[@alexyun3850]

I guess if you started and run your own web business or something

[@anvithkakkera7196]

oh, I read it as controversy by accident, did not realize it read as conversation

[@christianmarin3376]

i promess i will get into MIT University

[@Riverish]

Updates?

[@75gohan]

my right ear like this.

[@alexlevine78]

Sal, this video was pretty awesome and Mr. Schmill definitely offered a lot of reassurance, but then again, I still feel like there are some holes. When he mentions personal projects, should my stuff have won awards? I definitely have a great portfolio about things that I'm passionate about, but they haven't fared too well in competitions, but then again, I'm not giving up, and as a junior, I still have a lot of time ahead of me. Also, is it fine if I really didn't start to build my portfolio until the summer before junior year? Before that, I have essentially nothing, but the quality of what I've done and my passion should show well.

[@Ron1840]

Alex Levine You don't need to win awards (It is nice, though). Pick something that excites you (origami, skiing, boxing, funk music, etc) and do something in it that "isn't normal." You don't need a 4.0 or 36 ACT. Don't run for student body president. Get a 3.85 GPA this year, think of a hobby to invest in (weirder the better) and ask yourself this question, "what do I want to be known for in 20 years? Why? How can I get there?" Don't make MIT the end-goal, but a step.

[@ratatat12356]

Now talk with Richard Dawkins.

[@Robynloveshred]

Hi Sal, Does or will MIT ever offer credit towards any degrees solely through the edX online courses? I have some college and a lot of technical schooling. I am not gifted in math or physics, but for reasons unknown to me I am able to assimilate seemingly random events like pieces of a puzzle to solve what I'm often told has baffled others. For example when one of our managers retired, in his farewell speech he mentioned that I boosted electrical production by 25% and reduced emissions simultaneously.That was actually true. At any rate I am retired recently and feel more in touch with the MIT online courses.Just wanted to throw thus out there. Nice video and Thank You.

[@alicezheng2317]

ooh! he knows the viola😵

[@cedrigodarwin6973]

I did nothing but scored 800 in both physics and math 2 sat subject test and 112 iBT, is there any possibility? (As an international student)

[@grumpymrpug9282]

You have to be passionate about education

[@thecollegeadmissionsconsul9818]

Spot on!

[@fahimimtiaz2153]

Watched this video 8 times

[@helenee510]

Stu is still saying that clubs are important too, right...? "...how engaged they're going ot be in the life of the university" Otherwise, how else can I interpret this?

[@whittakerdanielj]

Why do schools push and suggest full time class taking than?

[@tamamshud5879]

there is no Ap or Sat in my country .what am I supposed to do then? is my academic grades and background enough?

[@QashkaRulino]

are you sure there's no SAT or ACT in your country? maybe you can show it through other standardized testings..

[@alexlevine78]

SAT, you'll need to find a way to take it. If you don't have AP classes, then they won't hold that against you because they really care about context.

[@zhukuyin]

Can you image the previous Dean has a scandal? Marilee Jones, then dean of admissions at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, resigned after the university confirmed that she had claimed academic degrees she never earned. She had claimed at various points to hold degrees from Albany Medical College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union College -- she didn't hold degrees from any of those colleges. what a shame on MIT! And how dare Marilee Jones!

[@wnJhntn]

Do you think there is anything extra an under 18 applicant would have to do to show that they are academically and socially competent? I plan on graduating high school and applying to MIT when I’m 16.

[@MilkiasDebessay]

Show that you are incredibly interested in learning and demonstrate that through creativity and your intelligence. As he said in the video, you are doing yourself an extreme disservice if you are neglecting everything but brick and mortar AP classes

[@wnJhntn]

Okay that’s good news. Thanks

[@oakenguitar3]

dean is at an extremely low volume for me even with desktop speakers connected to a labtop turned all the way up.

[@irtamalik1778]

What are independent projects?

[@jehadyasin04]

I demonstrated all of this and got rejected.

[@abbeb2.0]

rip

[@JinaMukherjeeF]

I am from an indian school and we don't have any aps now?

[@bijtah]

Me seeing all these comments about "ears" while watching without headphones and being like, WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES MIT HAVE TO DO WITH EARS???

[@akshatmishra4504]

Our student's jedi

[@TechBuild]

What are AP's ?

[@bossgamera123]

Hey Sal, could I write on my essay “I want to be the best, however to accomplish this I need to learn from the best” without getting the dean or whoever is reading mad?

[@iLoveTurtlesHaha]

Having straight A's and be the president/vice president of several clubs is probably possible but that student will not understand the material well, only how to get good grades. I've found that the only way to understand a subject, really understand a subject, is to dive into it and learn the ins and outs of it. This requires isolation and thinking time, not playing politics at some make believe club run by pedants trying to one up each other with their feeble minds. In the grand scheme of things, you'll see these people who are so proud of the clubs they were in didn't really achieve anything in life and instead ended up working towards someone else realizing their dream.

[@sreeram483]

And even for Airforce caps as well. Any way Happy elections 2024

[@shreyasbhat3957]

are these criteria more or less the same for students from different nations ? im from india

[@Rendlol]

International students have it super hard. You better be in a major Olympiad before you apply

[@skippycavanaugh3148]

NO! To get in from india, you have to be very special and extraordinary. You must have an olympiad medal or participate in some global science fair or do internships with distinguished profs. Basically just do something extraordinary and noticeable.

[@asid980]

@Sal Hi I'm from Bangladesh.Here we don't have any chance to take AP classes.Then will it gonna have any impact on my application?

[@PG-20]

Hey, why don't we all fund a space program and we all can get into MIT

[@Deristrome]

Ey look, the guy that rejected me.

[@u.sdepartmentofjustice2269]

That’s pretty possible 👍🏽 if your reading this you can do it. LAW OF ATTRACTION will do its magic.

[@aniruddhasanyal7625]

Thanks for the motivation : )

[@AnaaAgladze]

Bless you

[@Septimusnova]

"First viola" XD

[@Riverish]

First viola is last chair 2nd violin..

[@bahdonibrahimbmihhassan1967]

Happy saints system

[@kattetivikram1862]

Sir I want do phd computer science it is possible tell e rocess

[@jeff30458]

I think what he really means is you need all the AP classes and do this stuff lol.

[@Joseph-ox3mu]

good video

[@shariarkobirpranto2408]

IS THERE ANY KIND OF AGE RESTRICTION TO GO FOR UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE.I AM 24 .CAN I HAVE ANY CHANCE TO GET IN

[@jarvensucksballslolo]

no

[@rohansharma1250]

jarvensucksballslolo Lol

[@WISOLOGY-2715]

mit is my love

[@wisdomkingdom9179]

Cool!

[@PiperClove]

If standardized tests aren’t everything then why does MIT require two subject tests.

[@_Kim_Possible]

I think this was complete horses***, and I feel more lost after watching the video than before. I've heard of people that are the perfect "applicant" but when the road gets tough they fail horribly in college and I've heard of others that didn't do well on the SATs and average grades and excel in their studies. I am an uprising junior and I really feel like I just need luck on my side. Don't get me wrong I know there isn't a panacea for getting into college but I wish they were more fair and had other means to accept students because you can't really know based on paper, but then again that's life. Nice interview, I'll try to pursue my "passions", I just need to go find this passion I don't really have.

[@cbentleywatson]

Hey kid look, I'm a junior in college now.I don't know if you figured your life out in the last year, but I'm going to give you the sort of talk I wish someone had given me when I was about sixteen. When you go to highschool, the people who do well are the ones who follow the rules, work hard and read the directions and fit in. Most universities are the same way. But the people who run MIT are pretty clever and have a much broader view of the world. What we need isn't more people who can do a good job. We need to radically rethink our energy technology. We need to improve our understanding of biology to save lives and prevent starvation. We need political leaders who can understand and manage a hugely complex world. What you did in high school and how good your sat scores are, while being a good indicator of your intelligence, are only that. No body cares how smart you are, they care what you are going to do. Honestly, tons of dipshits make it into MIT because they don't have the self awareness to see how big their ego is. But they can still contribute plenty. And thats what counts. If I were you, and you are sure you are an engineer, go get a job in technology. Right now. You will build a skill set. Make money, invest it in building things. Read constantlu. Take risks. Don't just think about doing things do them and see what happens. Thats what this guy is saying.

[@nicholasr.powley3331]

Hello! I'm a graduate from MIT. If you you would like to be a part of a community of people who help each other, and say "thank you," to complete projects, patent inventions, and build businesses, please feel free to check out CoCreateX.com. The Facebook group is generally where the action happens. This weekend we're launching our bus tour prototype!! Hope to see you on the road!

[@alexlevine78]

Well, if you're not passionate about anything, then what makes you happy? Passion means something that you enjoy. It can be anything!

[@abhyudayparmar4113]

So the takeaway is Admission officers know a lot about Olympiads lol

[@nahema9079]

god forbid abeg

[@kingarth0r]

>>>>>>

[@ramizr]

Seems like I'll get into MIT :)

[@milosz1227]

did it work out well?

[@nerfdudeproductions]

Sal, u mad?

[@jacobbarats1493]

good video, but my ears hurt XD

[@samiulislamdurjoy]

M 153

[@eragon2121]

Grades are such a shitty way of measuring intellectual engagement. If they actually focused on measuring knowledge acquired and didn't punish independence and self motivated students then they might be a more useful tool. You can ace all the tests and still get Cs if you don't show up to classes that you don't need or don't do goofy homework. But big schools all seem to want to see 4.0s.

[@Wild4lon]

eragon2121 Tests are pretty good. They've upheld in culture for thousands of years because they measure your willingness to succeed. What? So you want to measure potential? How does one even do that? Isn't it much better to measure how well people are willing to achieve?

[@eragon2121]

That's what I'm saying, I'm saying we should measure things with just tests. But grades are often calculated with heavy weight on homework and attendance and crap like that, not just on what your test results are.

[@SwagDawg]

​@@eragon2121 to be honest, that would be a terrible way to go. People that can cruise through highs school getting high test scores and not doing homework or attending class are the same people that think they are too smart to work hard in college courses, which are magnitudes more difficult. It is set up very well right now in my opinion, as attendance and homework are absolutely necessary when you get to college.

[@yme5956]

iammadbut thismanisalsomad

[@joewong7628]

AHHH MONOSTERO

[@tejashvikumar1607]

If u think that students by studying extra hard r doing disservice to themselves then i challange you to take JEE mains or advance any test and then do tell us that we r doing ourselves disservice. Sorry but what u said is really stressful.

[@johnbatchler2833]

I'm better than you why what I did in the navy electronics wall st criminals and nasa and not least gambling😅😅😅😅😅

[@domdubz7037]

Be the best person in your racial category.

[@MyLordaizen]

college is dead