Aspiring to be a leader in the dynamic world of supply chain management? Look no further than the esteemed graduate SCM program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), consistently ranked #1 globally by QS. As you embark on this exciting journey, understanding the key elements of the application process is crucial. Let’s delve into the essential requirements for admission to MIT’s highly coveted Supply Chain Management program.

As an admissions ambassador for MIT’s SCM program, I’m here to guide you through the application requirements. I am writing this blog based on my experiences.

While having at least two years of relevant supply chain experience is encouraged, it’s not an elimination criterion. If your resume showcases exceptional work quality in this field, you have a strong chance of getting admission. If you’re passionate about numbers and excel in statistics and data-driven courses, this program eagerly awaits your application.

Here are the key requirements of application to keep in mind:

1. Transcripts: Your academic journey lays the foundation for your application. While unofficial transcripts suffice initially during application filing, be prepared to provide official copies upon admission. Perfect grades aren’t required – your passion and potential matter most. Transcripts help the admissions team assess your academic consistency, a vital skill for success in MIT’s rigorous SCM program.

2. Resume: Your resume paints a picture of your professional journey and achievements. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, every step has shaped you into the person you are today. Follow the standard format shared on admission’s page, highlighting relevant work experiences that heavily influence admission decisions. Your resume showcases your academic, professional, and personal accomplishments, helping the admissions team understand your potential to excel after the program.

3. Statement of Objectives: This is your chance to shine and demonstrate why MIT is the perfect fit. Be authentic and share your aspirations, dreams, and reasons for choosing supply chain management. Craft a compelling essay that succinctly outlines your goals and how MIT’s program aligns with them. Weave all prompts into a cohesive narrative, keeping your response within the 500-word limit. This statement allows you to convey your story, explaining what has led you to this stage of your career and why pursuing an MIT SCM degree is the logical next step in achieving your goals.

4. Recommendations: Your recommenders are your cheerleaders, rooting for your success. Choose people who know you well and can speak to your strengths, such as a former boss, trusted professor, or mentor. Their words will help the admissions committee see the amazing person you are. Select recommenders who can effectively evaluate your professional and academic promise, including at least one from your professional experience, emphasizing your work capabilities, and another from either your professional or academic background.

5. Video Statement: This is your opportunity to showcase your personality and professionalism beyond the written application. Authentically introduce yourself to the admissions committee, intertwining personal anecdotes with professional achievements. Avoid reading from a script and speak naturally. You have three attempts to record the video but aim to complete it on the first try unless a technical glitch occurs.

6. English Language Proficiency: If English isn’t your native language, demonstrate proficiency through tests like IELTS or TOEFL, meeting the minimum score requirements. You may request a waiver if you’ve obtained a degree from an English-speaking institution. This is a must for international students and may also be required for visa applications.

7. SC0x or GMAT/GRE (Residential applicants only): Residential applicants can demonstrate their analytical abilities through SC0x or standardized tests like GMAT or GRE. Achieving a high score in SC0x can exempt you from the GMAT/GRE requirement, showcasing your aptitude in supply chain analytics. If you score over 85% in SC0x, you don’t need to submit GMAT/GRE scores, as SC0x is considered a replacement. Submitting SC0x will not harm your chances of admission. In fact, if admitted, SC0x is a prerequisite before you join the program. I highly recommend attempting SC0x, as it will improve your knowledge while fulfilling a program requirement.

To reiterate, each component of your application is a puzzle piece that collectively portrays your potential as a future leader in supply chain management. Pay attention to detail, showcase your strengths, and align your application with MIT’s esteemed program. The application process is designed so you don’t need a consultant’s assistance; being truthful and authentic improves your chances of admission to this amazing program.

At MIT, you’ll not only gain a world-class education but also become part of a vibrant community driving innovation in supply chain management. Are you ready to unlock your future? Start your application to MIT’s SCM program today.

Mayank Raj

MIT SCM Residential Student

Admissions Ambassador- Class of 2024

In November 2019, after receiving my acceptance letter to the SCM Master’s program at MIT, I felt unshakable, like nothing could knock me down. But life has a way of surprising you when you are most inattentive.

I decided to enjoy my summer, my first without online classes in a while. I was visiting Ubatuba, a tropical paradise just a four-hour drive from my home in São Paulo, Brazil, when I caught a moment of news footage on CNN. 2020 had started with some international turmoil and now a virus was making an appearance in the news. At that time, I thought it was nothing special, just another H1N1.

Fast forward to February, and the virus outbreak is becoming a serious issue. Many people are dying from the highly contagious disease. But I’m not worried. More people die each year of the common cold and I see on the news that China is already on their way to develop a vaccine.

February 22nd is my birthday and the start to Carnival in Brazil. People are crowding the streets and the heat is almost unbearable, so all I want is a cold beer and a chance to party. Unlike Lent, days go by fast during this Catholic tradition. I go back to the office on the first week of March only to find that the virus has arrived in Brazil. The stock market collapses. But it is all still fine, I’ll work from home for a few weeks and then this should be over, just like with H1N1. The vaccine is on the way, so by this time next year I will be enjoying my time at MIT.

Even when taking into consideration my Calculus II exams in college, I have never been more wrong.

In the blink of an eye, we speed from March to October. (Apparently, there was a time contraction that would confuse even Einstein.) By this time, I was already resigned to the fact that my MIT experience would not be ideal. However, it would still be MIT and that is acceptable. As they say, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. In October, I find myself looking for appointments at the US visa office in Brazil. I only see open appointments in São Paulo in January, far too late to be in Cambridge by the start of 2021. I assume that I will have to travel to Rio de Janeiro, but Rio is even worse with no appointments until March! What about Recife? Only February openings; not helpful. My heart rate went up by 30bpm for every location I tried without success. Porto Alegre? Also nothing. I panicked.

Where am I going to get a visa? I need to travel to Boston in two months, the program starts in early January 2021!

I called on my most valuable resource, my network of other MIT students. Marcos, one of my future classmates at MIT, added me to a WhatsApp group for Peruvian students with similar visa complications. There I found valuable tips and came to one conclusion: I should go to Ecuador to get the visa.

I paid the visa processing fee (again) and booked the earliest available appointment in Guayaquil, Ecuador for January 28th. I went to bed devastated that night. I was going to miss 20% of my in-person program. I laid in bed, reasoning and trying to come up with a crazy plan to make it work, but I simply could not. I wondered to myself briefly, “maybe I should give up, on the visa and MIT, and find something else do”. Throw the first rock, he, who in a moment of despair and frustration, has never thought about giving everything up to move to a tropical paradise and sell coconut jewelry on the beach. In my case, the tropical paradise was just a car trip away, back in Ubatuba, so resisting the temptation was a herculean effort.

The next morning, I woke up and decided I was going to accept the situation. I had a huge opportunity to be at MIT after all, arriving just one month later wouldn’t be the end of the world. For the next three weeks I tried it all. I think I lost track of the number of embassies I called to see if they would allow me to travel to receive my visa approval. No success, COVID had shut everything down.

December 2020, I wake up like I do every morning, with Alexa reading me the news of the world. “Chile is opening the borders for Brazilians to travel for business.” I leap out of bed and lunge for my phone to call the embassy in Santiago. “Can I get my visa here? When is the first date you have available?” “Yes”, the agent replied, “the earliest availability is in two weeks, on December 17th.”

Two weeks later, on December 17^th, my visa is approved. I quarantine in Chile for another 14 days in order to legally enter the US on December 31^st. On New Year’s Eve, 2020 I board a plane headed to Miami, Florida. After this odyssey, I am finally going to be at MIT in time for classes to start. Ulysses would be proud.

This post was first published on the MIT Graduate Admissions Blog in Jan, 2021

For many of us, MIT has been our dream school since childhood. My personal journey leading to MIT took four years. It was a long time, but worth the wait. Let’s start at the beginning, in the summer of 2013. I had recently obtained my bachelor’s degree, and had decided to take some time off before finding a job. At the time, I was staying with my sister in Boston, and one day decided to google “fun and free activities to do in the Boston area”. I found an exciting activity at MIT, called Eureka Fest. I was curious to experience what it felt to be at MIT, so without any hesitation, I registered for the event.

I remember that day, like it was yesterday. Student teams running around the corridors at the Stata Center, preparing their presentation boards and setting up their inventions. Sounds of different electronic devices resonated everywhere. 

Eureka Fest is a three-day event celebrating outstanding inventors and inspiring young people to pursue creative careers through invention. This program, supported by the Lemelson Foundation, awards student prizes that range from $10,000 to $15,000 and a grand prize of $500,000 for outstanding mid-career inventors. Upon hearing about this program, I immediately felt like MIT was “the land of opportunity”; you could not only study, but also create, innovate, and possibly even get rewarded! I felt so motivated and wanted to learn everything I could on how to become an MIT student, possibly sponsored by a foundation like Lemelson. 

After that great summer vacation, I returned to my home country, full of energy in considering MIT for a graduate degree. My program of interest was Supply Chain Management, but it required a minimum of two years of work experience, which I didn’t have. So, I decided I should get some industry experience first, before applying. 

I worked for three years as a Logistics Specialist, then, in 2016, I learned about www.edx.org, a platform created by Harvard and MIT that provides online education all over the world. edX is free, unless you want to receive a certificate to boost your professional career, get credit for graduate courses, or, as was my case, start a path that could lead to a master’s degree at MIT at a very low cost. Check the latest updated information on courses in the edX platform. (Note that you can apply for financial aid to make the cost even lower). 

I completed a total of five online courses and a final comprehensive exam and obtained a MicroMaster’s certificate in SCM (for those who don’t know, a MicroMaster’s certificate allows you to apply to different university programs to complete a full master’s degree). The great thing for me was that I could complete the coursework and continue to gain more industry experience at the same time. 

The MicroMaster’s certificate was a prerequisite for me to apply to the Blended cohort of the MIT Supply Chain Management program. In the program, you have two options: complete either a 10-month residential program, or a blended program that requires the MicroMaster’s credential plus five months of on-campus learning.

I applied to the blended program at the end of 2019, finally taking a shot at becoming an MIT student. Everyone thinks it’s hard to get into MIT, and guess what: it is! But if you don’t try, you´ll never know. I was accepted at MIT on November 22, 2019. So my dream finally came true. 

Well, sort of… 

Yes, I was admitted to the Master’s program, but I had no idea how I was going to pay for it. Still, I was optimistic and figured that I had plenty of time to look for funding options.

In February 2020, I learned that I could be nominated for a graduate fellowship through the MIT Office of Graduate Education (OGE). I read the requirements and realized my options were limited, but I decided to try for one of them anyway. A couple of days later, I received the news that I hadn’t been nominated for an OGE fellowship, but that I was instead going to be considered for the School of Engineering Presidential Fellowship. I had mixed feelings. The idea of a Presidential Fellowship sounded great, but I was also nervous, knowing how highly competitive those fellowships can be. The fellowship decisions were to be announced in April.

Covid-19 hit hard in March and, like most people, all I could think about was the pandemic. I was beginning to have second thoughts about the Master´s program, especially considering the financial burden on top of the rest. However, in the midst of the chaos, on April 23, I received an email from the School of Engineering Department informing me that I had been awarded the fellowship! I felt so relieved that I cried. And the best part was that the fellowship was sponsored by none other than the Lemelson Foundation — the same organization that supports the Eureka Fest I attended in 2013. I had come full circle. 

I have enjoyed every second of this journey. If I were to reflect on what I think helped me accomplished this dream it will be determination and belief. I encourage others to consider this path because you can get a glimpse of what MIT is like through the online courses in edX and even get to have a campus experience with the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics’ Supply Chain Bootcamp. If you want to take it the next level, you can apply for the Blended Master’s degree.