MIT versus Alaska Pacific University?

Everyone applying to MIT has the highest grades in the hardest cles and very high test scores. You need all that just to compete, and then you need to find a way to make your application stand out, because they only take about 10% of those fantastic applicants. Fright now, your chances of getting in are pretty small. You've got high test scores and good grades, but nothing to make you stand out in physics. If you want a shot at MIT, you need to find a way to get involved with research (because there's not much point in going to MIT if you're not planning on going to graduate school in physics - otherwise you can study physics anywhere).