Best way to get into MIT as an international student?
I'm in Grade 11 in India and have been focused purely on academics until now, without pursuing competitions or outside activities.
I'm planning to go deep on math and physics olympiad preparation, aiming for a national-level result or higher, alongside building a technical programming project to show applied interest.
For MIT specifically, I'm weighing two paths:
Path A: Finish school normally, focus on olympiad performance and a self-initiated project over the next two years.
Path B: Take a structured gap year after school to secure a research opportunity with tangible output before applying.
For someone from India with a late start and no prior research experience, which tends to build a stronger application narrative? Is a research gap year genuinely valued, or does it read as compensating for a weaker profile?
Perspectives from people familiar with the Indian applicant pool especially appreciated.