KariKari Achireko: From Ghana to A Full Ride Scholarship at MIT With IBS

Every passing year, tens of thousands of students around the world look forward to MIT admissions. Unfortunately, most applicants have to bear with a disappointing rejection. And this is not surprising!

The MIT is one of the most sought-after universities in the world. Based in the United States, MIT is renowned for its solid academic standards, social prestige and extreme selectivity in admissions.

The MIT acceptance rates over time haven’t really changed. A tiny percentage of 3 to 8 percent is the average MIT admission rates. Despite this, it remains the fantasy alma mater of many ambitious and tech-savvy students in Ghana and beyond.

Recognising how competitive getting in is, we’ve been going the extra mile to help more and more Ghanaian students secure their spots in MIT. Now, let’s take you on our success story ride of one of our client from Ghana to a full ride scholarship at MIT with IBS!

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Overview

We launched IBS Consulting in the year 2020. After nearly 4 years of staying in business, we’ve helped over 1,000 students and professionals pursue their academic or career goals internationally.

Due to our huge successes, it didn’t take long before our consulting services spread outside of Ghana and across the nation. As the business grew, our baseline of happy customers grew and we recorded testimonials after testimonials.

There was Prince Duker who we helped secure over $130,000 in scholarships. There was Samuel Kuma-Aboagye who, after hiring our services, got accepted at 10 universities in the UK, including University of Warwick, University of Edinburgh, and Strathclyde, to study Electrical Engineering.

Of all these stories, none inspired us more than that of KariKari Achireko, our first-ever MIT testimony. After a careful scrutiny of his application process plus hundreds of other foreign ones, we’ve discovered exactly what MIT want to see in applications. And as they often say, “The Rest Was History.”

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The Challenge for Ghanaian Students: Cracking the MIT Code

The chances of applicants getting admitted into MIT can be greatly increased by up to 90% if the application is totally irresistible. You must understand that MIT is stacked up with a committee of experienced admissions officers who leave no page of any applications unturned.

The admission officers are ready to check and assess everything you’ve submitted. That’s where it gets tricky for many Ghanaian students since they tend to focus on one strength, say academic transcript, when ultimately everything listed in the MIT admission requirements matters.

“I am inclined to believe that the person who gives every ounce to do something superbly has an advantage over the person whose capacities may be great but who seems to have no desire to stretch them to their limit.”

– President Kingman Brewster, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology.

The cracked code to stand out from the rest lies in the answer to the question: “what does MIT look for?” They want you to give every ounce to every part of your application. Even to the little insignificant ones, present your best. In the end, a lot of these little things may tip the admission scale in your favour.

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During our encounters with MIT applicants from Ghana, here are some of the biggest challenges we faced:

1. ACT/SAT Scores May Not Fully Reflect Academic Strengths

Ghanaian students usually face immense pressure to reach a very high SAT or ACT score. A number of these students do exceedingly well within the Ghanaian curriculum, but struggle with the SAT/ACT.

This happens mostly because they are not used to the multiple-choice format and rote memorization focus of standardised tests.

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2. Showcasing the Wrong Extracurricular Activities

Applicants from Africa, especially Ghana, tend to put emphasis on local extracurricular activities without putting the MIT admission officers into consideration. The officers might not resonate with certain activities common in Ghanaian schools and communities.

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3. Focusing Heavily on Academic Performances

Crafting a unique application that conveys a Ghanaian student’s strengths and aspirations beyond the grades can be challenging. Most applications often focus heavily on academic achievements. This is the wrong way to go about it.

MIT expects applicants to paint a picture of what they are like in the classroom. What personal challenges or economic hardship did they overcome to excel in their studies? What does a particular leadership position mean at their school? They need more information about the applicant’s background. In essence, they need you to bring your application to live.

We are not saying it’s wrong for students to showcase their impressive GPAs, but doing so under the right context is necessary.

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The IBS Solution: The Bridge to MIT Admissions

Now that we’ve seen firsthand what the challenges are, our team takes a multi-pronged approach. We call our approach the Ghanaian MIT Accelerator. This is evidently why we remain a leading educational consultancy firm with a proven track record of guiding Ghanaian students towards success in MIT admissions.

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If you’re beginning to wonder how we do it, below is a brief highlight of the steps we take:

1. We brought on Young Ghanaian MIT Students.

To better grasp firsthand what it takes a Ghanaian to get into MIT, Harvard, or the others, we interviewed and hired students who have their roots in the Ghanaian educational system and cultural background. These students also helped provide mentorship to the Ghanaian students who want to get in.

Just as Isaac Newton had written in a 1675 letter, “if I have seen further [than others], it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

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2. We Assessed The Students Before They Get Assessed

Another thing we took note of was ensuring that students applying through us actually merited it. One of the reasons why MIT has very low acceptance is because they do not give room for mediocrity. They simply want the best!

So, what we do is have our advisors assess the academic and non-academic history of the applicant to see if it’s solid enough to match with MIT admission requirements. If they don’t merit it, we tell them straight on. We also prepare them a list of alternative universities that fit their interests.

For instance, to stand out from an extracurricular standpoint, it is not just enough to show that you can participate in boxing or play violin. You have to show that you are singularly talented. Did you get recruited as a baseball player? Are you an award-winning researcher? They would be happy to hear from you.

3. We Build Our Applications Strategically

We attribute more than half of our MIT admission successes to the quality time we spend on building an unmatched application. From the application essays to the recommendation letter, we ensure everything ties into a singular narrative.

At IBS Consulting, we hold the hands of the prospective students through the process. If they’d be getting the recommendation letters from their teachers, we ask them to share anecdotes and experiences. For essays, we brainstorm impactful essays that tie back to a Ghanaian context or strategically select activities that demonstrate leadership within the Ghanaian community.

If the applicant has a family member as an alumni of the institute, we make it known in the application to make our applicant enjoy the privilege of MIT legacy admission. All these help to bring life to the applicant’s unique story.

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4. We Help Applicants with Financial Aids

To help our students get in without draining their wallets, we help them navigate their ways towards securing scholarships and financial aid. MIT offers “need-based” scholarships for students in Africa as long as they are from a low-income family.

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KariKari Achireko; From Ghana to A Full Ride Scholarship at MIT With IBS

Young as he was, KariKari Achireko never stopped dreaming of studying at MIT. On reviewing his transcript, we could tell that he was brilliant and talented. He had a consistent academic record, particularly in science subjects, and harboured a passion for improving healthcare access and medical services within local communities in Africa.

However, KariKari, like many Ghanaian students, faced specific challenges on his path to MIT.

“Before working with IBS, I had done some research online, but felt overwhelmed by the complexities of gaining MIT admission. IBS literally held my hands throughout the process. Their guidance and support, especially in crafting a strong application that showcased my unique experiences and goals, made a world of difference.”

KariKari impressed us during our collaborative assessment process. Here’s a highlight of what we accomplished together:

• We translated the community projects KariKari undertook into a format that would resonate with MIT admissions officers who are unfamiliar with the Ghanaian context.
• We worked closely with KariKari to craft a compelling essay that detailed his passion for building digital healthcare solutions and his aim to improve local healthcare access in Ghana.
• We assisted him in applying for financial aid and scholarships to make his MIT dream a reality.
• We provided KariKari the support services he needed to acclimate to the new academic and cultural environment.

Today, he is the newest student of the Masters in Technology and Policy Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We have been able to present him as the best possible candidate for MIT given the wealth of experiences he brought to the application.

He was also accepted into the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of  Texas at Austin. He actively contributes to student organisations developing cutting-edge medical technologies.

Over to you…

Our success story is based on years of trying, testing and learning. Our experts who have gone through the pain, so you don’t have to. If you’re interested in optimising your admission to MIT, fill out our free consultation form. We look forward to hearing from you.