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This ‘Unschooled’ Indian Girl Was Rejected In IIT, But She Makes It To MIT

Talent is something that doesn’t need good marks in their studies, it deals with how much knowledge do a person have regarding a particular subject. All the toppers are not talented and all the losers aren’t useless. There is something or the other talents in everyone which he/she had to bring it out and show to the world.

Meet Malvika Joshi from Mumbai, was home schooled after her 8th standard. She didn’t go to school regularly like all other kids. And she did not attend any exam. Thus, she doesn’t have 10th and 12th standard certificates. Malvika’s mother took her out of school after her 7th standard as she wanted her daughter to be happier rather than improve knowledge.

Malvika’s mother quit her job and remained as a tutor for her daughter at home. She even arranged a virtual classroom and made an academic course for her daughter.

“We are a middle-class family. Malvika was doing well in school but somehow I felt that my children need to be happy. Happiness is more important than conventional knowledge,” said her mother.

She added: Malvika suddenly became happy and started learning more than ever. She slowly became passionate about acquiring knowledge. At the same time, she started exploring subjects and stumbled upon programming. She used to give more time for programming than the other subjects.

She then became a genius in programming. She found a natural incline and talent towards the subject. She was so brilliant; she got into an MSc course in Chennai Mathematical Institute and also represented India at the International Programming Olympiad THRICE. At CMI, she learned everything that she missed in formal schooling mathematics and algorithms that would help her excel in Olympiads.

IIT Rejected…MIT Accepted:

Malvika’s dream was to get into IIT but was rejected because they have strict rules about passing the 12th standard. But her dream didn’t go useless. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Boston, however, accepts students who have excelled in Olympiads. Thus, her dream has come through and the college is also offering her a scholarship.

“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,” Malvika’s mother said.