Home-Schooled Student Gets Into MIT After Being Let Down by IIT

Seventeen-year-old Malvika Raj Joshi doesn’t have a class X or XII certificate but has made it to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), thanks to her computer programming talent.

Her story is one where “merit” overshadows “marks”. The Mumbai teenager has been provided a scholarship by MIT and is pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree after being a three-time medal winner (two silver and a bronze) at the International Olympiad of Informatics, commonly known as Programming Olympiad.

MIT has a provision for accepting students who are medal winners at various Olympiads (Maths, Physics or Computer) and it was Malvika’s medals that ensured her acceptance into the research program in Computer Science.

When I started unschooling, that was 4 years back, I explored many different subjects. Programming was one of them. I found programming interesting and I used to give more time to it than to other subjects. So, I started liking it at that time.

Malvika 

She found it difficult to get through elite Indian institutes like IIT, which have strict rules entailing the need to pass class XII exams.

The only institute she got through was Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI), where she was enrolled in the M.Sc level course as her knowledge was at par with the B.Sc standard.

It is a credit to MIT’s flexibility that they can offer admission to a student who demonstrates excellent intellectual potential despite having no formal high school credentials

CMI’s Madhavan Mukund, National Co-ordinator of Indian Computing Olympiad

However, Madhavan made it clear that Malvika is not a product of the system but has emerged despite it.

This is possible only for a student whose academic achievements are outstanding, which is the case with Malvika’s performance at IOI.

Madhavan Mukund

Malvika was taken out of school by her mother who was much more focused on her child’s happiness than inflicting upon her a system-induced pressure that makes children sell themselves short.

My husband Raj wasn’t convinced initially as it was a risky proposition. The kids won’t have a 10th or 12th standard certificate and there was bound to be fear. I quit my NGO job and designed an academic curriculum for Malvika. I created a simulation (classroom like situation) at home. The confidence I had as a mother was that I am capable of imparting knowledge in my daughter’s life.

Malvika’s mother

Miraculously, her daughter seemed happy post the change and started learning more than ever — “Knowledge became a passion”.

She had never studied matrices. She was never intimidated even when faced with a mountain of things to learn, and went about achieving her goals very methodically.

Her mother

When Supriya is asked if more parents want to know about her daughter, she laughs as she says, “They are all interested in knowing how to get into MIT. I just tell them that we never aimed for her admission in MIT. I tell parents to understand what their children like.”

(With inputs from PTI.)