First and foremost focus on your school work, but that doesn’t mean if
you don’t get all A’s, all GPA 5’s or a 2400 in your SATs your chances
are nil. That’s a very big misconception..
After fulfilling that basic requirement, the most important thing is
passion. MIT wants students with passion, passion for anything - arts,
theatre, sports, robots, service, debate, politics, anything under the
sun. Whatever is it you must show that you love it and you are active
in it - you go to competitions, camps, help organize events, spread the
word, try to get others interested. For example, lets say, you really
love karate and pursued it all through high school with a determination
that equalled your determination to do well in school. And your essay was
not about how you wanted to have a PhD in neuroscience but how karate
positively affected your life. That's the kind of passion that is valued
at MIT. So find a passion and get out of your comfort zone and the
classroom to pursue it!
Social contributions are important too. People who have tried to make
the society better in any way are greatly valued. You can do social
awareness programs, camps & loads of other stuff & do them with
passion! Another important thing is your teachers’ recommendation letters.
Letters full of empty words won’t work; they have to contain your
life-stories that show your individuality, your passion & your traits
that make you different.