The road to MIT and Caltech: Bangladeshi undergrads beat the odds

Nafis Ul Haque Sifat, from Chandpur, and Sanjida Nusrat Ananna, from Mymensingh, are two bright individuals who have beaten the odds and pulled off a spectacular accomplishment. They got accepted into the undergraduate programme of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Caltech respectively, both fully funded.

Even though the number of Bangladeshi students at MIT is growing, it is quite rare to get accepted at Caltech. Caltech is one of the most prestigious institutions in the world, with an acceptance rate that places it among the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) schools that are the hardest to get into. Moreover, Caltech boasts the most Nobelists per capita in America with 79 affiliated laureates, including 46 alumni and faculty members, notably Albert Einstein and Richard Feynman.

Similarly, MIT is famous for its innovative teaching methods, cutting-edge research, and exceptional student body. The university is affiliated with 100 Nobel laureates and has a history of producing groundbreaking discoveries and inventions that have revolutionised the world.

Ananna's blessing in disguise

Ananna's academic journey is somewhat unorthodox. She grew up in Tangail where she completed her SSC and moved to Mymensingh to complete her HSC in 2021. With a fascination with maths and physics, and a dream of being a BUET student, she studied hard. 

"Studying in BUET was my ultimate goal. However, in April 2021, my dreams shattered into pieces when I found out I was not eligible," said Ananna.

Even though her total marks in Physics, Chemistry and General Math fell slightly short for BUET admission, she did not sit idly on her dreams. She took a year gap and involved herself with co-curricular activities and research work. Then she enrolled into Cardiff International School,

Dhaka,  from where she will sit for her A-levels exam in May 2023. 

Just one month after her BUET rejection, she searched for opportunities online, as she knew that she wanted to be in STEM. 

"I discovered a Facebook page called 'Bangladesh Beyond Border,' created by alumni from MIT, Caltech, and Harvard, and began preparing for my next step," shared Ananna.  

Her first opportunity was Stanford's summer internship programme called SPINWIP, where she applied and was accepted, thanks to her recognition from Bangladesh Physics Olympiad. During her time at Stanford, Ananna attended a session by Professor Risa Wechsler, which piqued her research interest.

"I then joined The New York Academy of Sciences and completed four research projects with five friends from different regions," said Ananna.  

"I continued to cold-email professors and applied to prestigious summer programmes, such as the University of Illinois summer programme and worked with Professor Mahtab Jafari at the University of California, Irvine," she added.

After much research and several publications in conferences, including Elsevier, Ananna got the chance to work with Clinician Professor Nazneen S Ahmed and Jillian Goldfarb of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Cornell University. 

Fortunately, Ananna had her parents' support throughout her journey. She even enrolled in one of her father's theses and took part in their most recent investigation into the use of medicinal herbs in native societies. Ananna's father is a professor at Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU).

"Me and my wife always supported her, and encouraged her to pursue her goals. I was occasionally reluctant about sending her abroad, but my wife was always on her side, unwavering," said Ananna's father. 

In addition to her research work, Ananna participated in Math Olympiads. She was a finalist in the Harvard-MIT Math Tournament. She also participated in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 12. At AMC she stood in the top 5% and received the Honor Roll, qualifying her to sit for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME). 

"AIME eventually helped me to qualify and sit for the USA Math Olympiad 2023," shared Ananna. 

Ananna's research interest in Computational Biology and Neuroscience led her to explore Biological Science. 

"In 2021 and 2022, I received the Gold and Bronze Medal respectively at the British Biology Olympiad (BBO). I was then inducted into the Royal Society of Biology as a BBO Medalist." 

She also attended the International Medicine Olympiad, where she stood second worldwide and seized the Gold Medal for the first time for Bangladesh after qualifying in the USA Medicine Olympiad. Furthermore, Ananna was the first honourable mention in the International GENIUS Olympiad, receiving $25,000 from the Rochester Institute of Technology. 

"My passion for STEM drove me to explore diverse areas," she added.

Sifat's ordinary journey turns extraordinary 

"I will never forget the feeling of receiving the acceptance letter from MIT. It was late at night on 15 March, but I woke everyone up at the house to share the news out of excitement," Sifat said with a grin.

Sifat's sister gave him the book 'Goniter Moja, Mojar Gonit', by Zafar Iqbal, when he was young. This ignited his interest in mathematics and sparked his interest in solving mathematical puzzles and problems beyond his textbook. 

"That book showed me that maths can be much more enjoyable than what we were taught. It also inspired my interest in programming later in life," said Sifat. 

Sifat resides in Chandpur with his family and will sit for his HSC this year. His mother teaches at Hajigonj Model College, and his father is a professor at Raymanensa Women's College. Sifat is the younger sibling of two; his older sister is a student at Noakhali University of Science and Technology.

Sifat was the 1st runner-up in the national round of Bangladesh Math Olympiad and participated in the Junior camp in 2019 when he was in grade nine. He was also invited to the national camp in 2021 and 2022, being the 2nd and 1st runner-up in the national round.

In 2019, he also participated in the Bangladesh Olympiad in Informatics (BdOI) and got himself connected with the informatics olympiad community. "I'm thankful to this community for my personal growth," acknowledged Sifat. 

Sifat was chosen to represent Bangladesh in the International Olympiad in Informatics in 2021 and 2022, after his attempts to qualify in 2019 and 2020. 

"It was an amazing experience to represent my country in such a competition. I managed to win Bronze Medals in both years," said Sifat. 

Sifat also won the Bronze Medal at the Asia Pacific Olympiad in Informatics last year. In addition to his international achievements, Sifat has excelled in various programming contests within the country by winning the Gold Medal in the Bangladesh Olympiad in Informatics in 2022.

While Sifat's academic excellence was evident from his early years, it was the community of problem solvers that helped him grow personally and succeed. 

"Many Olympiad participants apply for institutions like MIT. Watching them applying, I was motivated to try my shot," stated Sifat.

Coming from a family where everyone values and is engaged with STEM, Sifat knew from an early age that he was destined to grow in a STEM field.

What does one need to get accepted at Caltech or  MIT?

• Passion for STEM fields, extra curricular activities, and academic achievement
• One does not need research experience for undergrad admission
• For admissions, open an account on the admission portal on their website, take the English proficiency test, get recommendations from mentors (LoR) and write admission essays
• Instead of SOP, undergrad applications typically require small essays on various prompts
• Essays should show the applicant's intellectual vitality and passion for the institution
• LoRs and essays should reflect the impact/prospect of the applicant's work
• A score of at least 75% on standardised tests would be helpful
• Well-rounded students with diverse interests and experiences have a greater chance of getting in