Living the MIT dream: How 3 BUET students won scholarship to MIT

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), established in 1861, has been the top destination for students with an interest in science and technology subjects, globally. 

It has consistently positioned itself at the top of the US and global ranking for best higher education institution many times. 

Getting an admission, let alone a scholarship, is a tough job with MIT’s notoriously low acceptance rate. 

But a few students from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has managed to achieve a fully-funded scholarship at MIT for PhD research, this year. 

Shashata Sawmya from the Computer Science and Engineering, Nishat Tabassum from Chemical Engineering, Mahmudul Islam Ridul from Mechanical Engineering have made the social media headlines for their noteworthy achievements.

The writer had a conversation with Sawmya and Ridul regarding their success that made them sensation. About the beginning of their aspirations, both of them had a similar reply and unsurprisingly that is - MIT was not a particular target for them. 

“I never had a ‘dream’ of going to MIT. I was more interested in getting into universities with the best professors and world-class research facilities,” said Ridul. 

“I applied to 9 universities, almost all of which were ambitious applications in nature. MIT was one of them. All of them had similar application structures. So, I started the process of applying together for all of them,” added Sawmya. 

Perhaps this is the first lesson for those applying abroad- ‘do not put all your eggs in one bowl.’

As for the preparations, the standardised tests such as GRE, IELTS are crucial. But there are other aspects to it. 

“Basically, a US university application requires five aspects - grades, research portfolio, a Statement of Purpose (SOP), at least 3 letters of recommendation, and test scores (GRE, TOEFL).” 

“I started working on several research projects from my junior year (3rd year) at BUET. I gave my GRE and TOEFL in 2020, before finishing my undergraduate course,” explained Sawmya. 

Ridul took a slightly different path as his first step after graduation was taking the GRE test and the TOEFL exam. 

“I already had several journal publications as I started doing research from my 2nd year at BUET. I had plenty of time to work on the application. I carefully crafted my statement of purpose, took suggestions from alumni, researched the university and its faculty properly during this time.” 

“I also emailed a few faculty members of MIT. I think starting early on application materials gave me an edge,” he remarked.

When asked about CGPA, both of them had similar replies.  

“A good CGPA generally boosts your profile among the large piles of applications. However, it should be noted that the overall profile is judged, and CGPA is only one aspect out of the five,” Said Sawmya. 

Ridul said something on the similar lines, “CGPA is important. However, I don’t think it’s the only important thing. The main differentiating factor is research in case of getting a scholarship, in my opinion.”

Sawmya talked about the nature of the scholarship as well. Generally, admission to PhD level at US schools comes hand-in-hand with the necessary monthly stipend. It can come in three forms - Teaching Assistantship (TA), Research Assistantship and Fellowship. 

“Except for the fellowship, the assistantships come with working responsibilities. In the case of MIT's EECS department, a PhD student is guaranteed a departmental fellowship for the first year,” he continued, “After that, they can choose TA-ship or RA-ship based on their preference and potential match with the supervisor. The yearly tuition fee of 55,510 USD is fully waived along with 100% health insurance coverage.” 

Getting a chance at MIT or any Ivy League university is no less than climbing a mountain. And for that, proper planning and strategies are necessary. Ridul has very specific advice for the aspirants. 

“I would advise that students should focus on their CGPA during the first two years of their undergrad. In the third year, they can look for research projects or collaborations with professors. Taking GRE and TOEFL/IELTS before graduation will give them ample time to research the universities properly.” 

“Getting into a dream place generally requires a lot of determination and hard work. A student must have the confidence and the hard-working mentality to carry out proper research work,” said Sawmya.

He emphasised becoming attentive to academics and some forms of ECA. 

“They can start by finding out where they would like to work. Sophomore year is the best time to explore the relevant subject and the current research works.”

Getting into MIT, with a scholarship might be tough, but it’s not impossible. These two along with Nishat, have proved it once again. 

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