“I am ranked second in my class and I applied at several out-of-state universities including Yale, Carnegie Melon and Stanford,” said Thompson. “For a local school, I applied at University of Texas, but my first choice was MIT.”

Thompson said that he knew that he had the grades and extracurricular activities required, but he also knew that he would be competing with a lot of other highly qualified students. He said that he remained hopeful about his chances for being admitted.

“I got word I was accepted as a freshman in the MIT Class of 2012 through the Internet,” said Thompson, who was monitoring the application process online.

His university of choice is a private university with approximately 4,100 undergraduates and 6,100 postgraduates. Founded in 1861, MIT has a strong emphasis on science and technology research and its alumni include Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Benanke.

Thompson started his education in Humble ISD and attended the Oaks Elementary School. His parents moved to Huffman before he entered high school.

Thompson said his parents heard that Huffman was designated as an exemplary school by the state of Texas and said they felt the smaller class size would work to his benefit.

While climbing to the top of his class, Thompson also participated in a variety of extracurricular activities including marching band, jazz band and the church band at Atascocita United Methodist Church. Thompson serves as an escort for the drill team, helping the team with props and providing support for the performances. He is a member of the National Honor Society and developed leadership while serving as drum major for the high school’s band.

Thompson’s advice to underclassmen wanting to apply at a top university is to get involved in high school clubs and activities.

“It’s not just about the grades,” said Thompson. “It’s about how much drive and ambition you have.”

Thompson plans to enter MIT this fall as an electrical engineer and computer science major. His senior class will hold their graduation ceremonies on June 6 at the Campbell Center in Aldine. For more information, visit www.huffmanisd.net.

Photo: Tyler Thompson is the first Hargrave High School senior to be accepted at MIT.