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New Info for Fall 2016 Application Cycle

• We have added 2 new members to the GAC to help in areas with more folders. Jeff Hoffman will help in the Systems sector and Ed Greitzer will help in the Vehicles sector.

Useful information for All Reviewers

• How to review
• The main application review site is here https://gradapply.mit.edu/aeroastro/review/

• There is now a "My Unread Files" button on the left of your review interface in the Query menu, to show you your unread folders only.
• New GRE Quantitative and Verbal Scoring band, conversations and explanations are here: New GRE 
• Average AA test scores of admitted students from Fall 2015 are here: 2015 Average Test Scores (also gives TOEFL information).
• The 2010 US News and World Report Rankings for Engineering Schools are here: USN&WR Rankings
• Peterson's Online Guide! Just type the school you're looking for into the search bar at the top! http://www.petersons.com/
• Rankings on Indian engineering schools here
• Fulbright Fellowships
• Brazilian national Fellowships (MIT specific)
• 2015 US Air Force Academy Statistics (sorted by OM_GPA which I believe means "Overall Merit GPA".)
• Council of Graduate Schools Publication Resource
• Dealing with Application Fraud (confidentiality, privacy, etc.)
• Spring 2013 Grad Admissions Transition Update (from Dean Christine Ortiz)
• Fall 2014 deadlines for Competitor Programs
• Admissions Update from Christine Ortiz (2013)
• Misrepresentation of Information in Graduate Admissions Memo and spreadsheet (from Dean Christine Ortiz, 7/10/14)
• QS World University Rankings by Subject (4/29/15) (AA/MechE rankings on page 19)
• GE Applicants: Please take extra care in reviewing applicants who are working full time for GE - we currently have 3 cases where students from GE are performing poorly mostly due to the time constraints imposed by GE, and HQ asks for careful review before they can be admitted to our program, going forward.

GAC-specific information

• You can send mail to the entire GAC via aagac@mit.edu.
• Any difficulties, please mail Brian Wardle (wardle@mit.edu) or Beth Marois (bethamar@mit.edu)
• The 2015-2016 GAC members are here: Aero Astro Grad Admissions Committee Members
• Dec 2011 Faculty News Letter article on Institute Grad Admissions by Christine Ortiz
• There is now a "My Unread Files" button on the left of your review interface in the Query menu, to show you your unread folders only.
• Letter templates (admissions, waitlist, rejections, etc.) are here
• Tag meaning: They are tagged as such when these items are missing. Complete with Tag in () means the unofficial copy is here so we're going forward with the review, but a favorable decision would be held until receipt of the actual document. They are all cleaned up before we send out decisions.
  • E = IELTS or TOEFL
  • G = GRE
  • T = transcript

• Intended meaning of scores for GAC:
  • 4: Definite Admit
  • 3: Admissible
  • 2: Possibly admissible (unlikely to be admitted – probably shouldn't be read by sector)
  • 1: Probable reject (not worth sending to sector)
  • 0: Definite reject (consider summary rejection by GAC chair)
    (The parenthetical interpretation of the scores above is at the GAC level only. The scores at the sector level are purely for ranking candidates.)

• As of 2011, we no longer fast-track students.
• Send to sector criterion:
  • A folder will be sent to the sectors for additional reviews if it receives no more than one score of 2 or lower.
  • Under-represented groups will be sent to the sector for additional reviews if it receives two scores of 2 or higher. If a woman or URM gets a 3+ as their first review, they will immediately be sent for faculty review.
  • A tiebreaker application will only be sent to the 2nd round with a 3 or better as the tie review
• Reject criterion:
  • GAC will usually not ask sector for review if it receives 2 or more scores of 2 or lower. 
  • "0 & 1 policing" will be done by GAC Chair to facilitate efficient review of applications. Chair Note: via Action pulldown, unassign GAC Reader via "Remove assignment" and mark as "Probable Reject" via "Add tag"

GAC 2015-2016 Schedule

• November 5, 2015: TBD
• December 15, 2015: Grad applications website closes
• January 11, 2016: All folders have two reads
• January 15thish, 2016: 1st GAC Review Meeting
• January 25, 2016: All folders completed
• First Week of February, 2016: Final review meeting, TBD
• Sector Admissions Meetings: TBD, week of February 8-12
• February 29, 2016: Students notified of admissions decisions
• March 11, 2016: Open house

General Admissions Information

• GAC Policies.
• History of the GAC.
• Notes for future years.
• Admission to LGO through AeroAstro