Massachusetts Institute of Technology Top Questions

The best thing about MIT is it's collaborative atmosphere. There are thousands of students who spent all of high school striving to be the best at everything we did, and then we get to MIT and you just can't survive on your own. Even the most antisocial person can be found at a professor's office hours with other students. P-setting (doing homework) until the early hours of the morning is one of the best ways to get to know people. MIT is a good size. It's not so small that you know everyone, but there are definitely ways to meet and get to know lots of people. It's not so huge that it's overwhelming, but there are places you can go where you won't know anyone, and there are lots of things to get involved with. People have different reactions, depending on whether they know what MIT is or not. Some have said "oh, where's that?" which is amusing. Those who do know, usually are pretty impressed. I spend a lot of time in lounges doing work. Or walking. I do a lot of walking because it's a very spread out campus...and I live in the dorm that is furthest from main campus (besides Fraternities and Sororities). Boston is an awesome college town. A lot of people who graduated from my class in high school are close by (7 out of 42) and there are lots of things to do in the city. MIT's administration could do a little better by it's students. They've lately been making big decisions that effect the students without letting the much less the student body president, much less the student body, what was going on. The biggest recent controversy would probably be the renovation of one of the graduate dorms into an undergrad dorm. However, instead of doing small renovations and making it available to undergrads next term, it won't be available for another two years. They're also adding a dining hall and not putting in any kitchens, a decision made without consulting those who would have to live there. Anything unusual about MIT...pretty much everything. Majors are Courses and they're numbered. All the classes, buildings, and rooms are numbered. We have no real dining plan, which can be frustrating. I'm only a freshman, so I haven't had too many super cool experiences yet, but I'd have to say that walking down the Infinite Corridor in the middle of the night singing the Elephant Love Medley from Moulin Rouge at the top of my lungs will definitely be up there. Most frequent student complaints are about not getting enough sleep, or the administration.

best thing- the culture. Nowhere else will you be able to explain your ideas of the principles of marriage using calculus and graph theory. one thing that I would change- the workload. It is not really possible to get through MIT without pulling an all nighter. Some people will pull regular all nighters, and one of the main parts of success is how well you can go without sleep. size- I think that the size is just right. It is big enough to have many things to do (adding to the workload, but still awesomely fun) and small enough that you will still recognize people while walking down the halls. people's reaction- they either assume that I am a genius, they are surprised that I am a girl, or some combination of the two. Time on campus- The dorms are actually a very good source of social activity. There is a long selection process freshman year to decide what dorm you are going to be in and then people rarely switch out because all of their friends are in that dorm. It is not uncommon to stay in the same dorm all four years. There are freshmen learning communities that are very valuable for the same reason, as well as the academic support. The MIT administration is relatively hands off. They let their kids do stuff, take the initiative, and experiment on a larger scale than at other places- like building wooden roller coasters in a courtyard, painting your room, or constructing servers to keep track of your laundry. Some of the biggest controversies happen when the administration does things that very much effect student life without student input- like re-arranging the dorm structure. This usually happens when the administration is trying to make us more like other colleges. For example the eating situation. There are many dorms that have their own kitchens for students to use, and a large part of the culture of those dorm are centered around those kitchens. Recently, the administration has been leaning toward the idea that it is better to buy your food from a cafeteria instead of making it yourself with your friends, and there have been some things that push students toward buying things that these dining halls. There are definitely unusual things about MIT. See the food situation above. Students will build things in their dorm to make it better fit their lifestyle, like murals, a 4 story tall RNA model, a roller coaster, a human size hamster wheel, liquid nitrogen ice cream... it is awesome. Also, there is the fact that freshmen rush for dorms. This is not to say that they get bids like fraternities, they just prioritize where they want to live AFTER a week of being on campus and looking around, trying to decide which dorms culture best fits. My particular dorm makes a very big deal about rush and treats it like a week long uber-geeky party. This is awesome because this means we get a week long party every year, even if you are not rushing anymore. Also, one of the biggest things that new freshmen encounter is the vast amounts of MIT-unique slang. to tool= to work, to punt= to procrastinate, to hack= to pull a prank or to explore parts of campus that are technically off limits to students or to do something very creative with computers, cruft= alumni or old out-of-date computers or technology, courses=majors, hosed=busy. Also, the vast majority of classes are referred to my their number, not their official name, and courses are referred to by their number (course 6=computer science and electrical engineering) the vast majority of buildings are referred to by their numbers, even the ones that have alphabetical names.

MIT is a wild place with intense subcultures. The housing system is somewhat unique and results in strong dorm cultures. Through a prolonged lottery system, new students are given the opportunity to choose one of MIT's many dorms, live there temporarily during resident exploration period, and then opt to either stay or try to lottery into a preferred dorm. Although some students find the process stressful (while others think it's a blast), the opportunity that it gives each student to find a place for him or herself is priceless. On a larger scale, students usually live all four years in their chosen home, resulting in a close-knit community of students who are at least somewhat akin. MIT is generally very hands-off, tends to let students do their own thing. This is an example where it seems to be a good thing. Naturally, there is a flip side. MIT will not take care of you. Where I live, East Campus, we are allowed to do practically whatever we want: paint the walls, do all sorts of crazy electronic projects, etc. However, when it comes to, say, feeding ourselves, we are on our own. There is no communal cafeteria at MIT. Some of the dorms have their own and the meals are subsidized for their residents, but for a resident of my dorm it would not only be inconvenient to eat at Baker Dining, but also financially unsustainable for most. As a result, we are left to scavenge or cook for ourselves. To be fair, it is a point of pride in my dorm to be independent in this way, a love of tough love.

The best thing about MIT: The people. Professors, Grad Students, Students - fantastic. I think MIT is just the right size. When I tell people I go to MIT, I get reactions like "Ooh... so you're one of those MIT nerds, I see." Boston/Cambridge is definitely a college town.

The best thing about MIT is not the experience. It is not a really enjoyable atmosphere at all to be honest. If you want to have a nice college experience, I would not recommend going there. It made me really depressed at times. The best thing about MIT is graduating from MIT with the degree.

The best thing about MIT are the academics. There are definitely opportunities out there for everyone here. People aren't afraid to show how excited they are to be conducting research or working on a project. If I could change anything, I would place the campus somewhere warmer. I'm from LA, and the weather has been the greatest challenge for me in terms of adjusting. Even though Boston is the biggest college town ever, I still feel it doesn't provide enough of a stress outlet for MIT students (who desperately need it). In terms of size, I feel that MIT is just right. Any point on campus is within walking distance of every other point. That is very nice.

The best thing about MIT is probably the academics. The classes here are all tough, and it's a new experience for a lot of students who received all A's in high school to suddenly come home with a 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} on an exam in a subject they used to be good at. We learn to adapt, but the academics push us to reach our higher potentials. The school is large, so we have to work harder as individuals to develop communities, though a lot of that is more dorm-specific. It's easy to get lost in the size of the student body, but if you make the effort it's not a problem. I personally spend most of my time in my dorm with my friends; we work at the kitchen table together and talk and do problem sets all weekend...no, we go out into Boston and go shopping or get coffee, or just walk around as well. My opinion of the administration is that given the size of the institute there must be massive amounts of red tape to get through to do much of anything, but I haven't personally had any difficulties. MIT is a very unusual place, I strongly recommend visiting to get a feel for it; everyone is smart, and the jokes they tell require a high baseline of knowledge, but it's fun. Most frequent student complaints are probably lack of sleep from working all night on problem sets. This is an unnecessary problem if you can somehow work ahead...haha.

The best thing about MIT is definitely the people. Don't let anyone ever tell you that MIT is cutthroat! Yes we work hard, yes we struggle, yes we compete, but just against out own standards and endurance. Everyone is always there to help. I can't count the number of times I've worked long and hard on a pset with friends and our laughter interspersed with triple integrals making it bearable. Be prepared for a reaction when people here you go to MIT. But the severity is directly proportional to the distance away from MIT. In Boston people take it in stride, but at home "MIT???? You must be really smart!!!!" is the norm. It's nice for the first few weeks… Boston is an amazing college town, though I would consider it far to big to be ever associated with the word town! There is always something going on, plenty of college students, and never a need for a car. MIT has its own brand of school pride. We don't have big attendance at sports games or huge cheering sections, our pride is all our own. MIT gear is ubiquitous and we love our school and revel in our work, and our reputation, sometimes…It's all summarized by IHTFP. This phrase describes the quintessential MIT experience, an alternating feeling of "I Have truly Found Paradise" and "I Hate This F* Place" You never can tell exactly which one you feel.

I love that I can say something incredibly nerdy, but which perfectly describes a situation, and people understand me, rather than laughing at me or just looking confused. I feel like I've found my people here. MIT is often a bit of a vacuum--we don't pay a lot of attention to the news or the events in the surroundign areas--but it's a five-minute walk from campus to restaurants and stores in Central Square or the Back Bay. Getting away is always easy: a ten-minute stroll along the river, or a day trip to New York City. I like the variety of living and eating options here, and the huge degree of choice we have in our living situation. Since we're all so busy, the people we live with are the people who become our friends, who take care of us when we are sick, and who share with us the unforgettable experiences that keep life interesting and help us figure out who we are.

The best thing about MIT is the people. Every one is SO motivated to go out and change the world - literally. There are so many people doing such AMAZING things, but no one acts higher than you at all. Everyone is willing to help everyone else excel. One thing I'd change would be the pressure. It's almost like if you don't do 50 million activities and UROPs, you're completely behind. I like the size a lot. Well to be honest, when I told people from my hometown that i was going to MIT, they'd look at me and be like "you mean ITT?" or they'd ask "whats that - michigan institute of technology?" I got used to figuring out if people were actually educated about the world around them by their reactions to me saying I'm going to MIT. If people actually asked what it stood for, I'd know they had NO CLUE what MIT was or what it meant to get in. If people were just like "o that's cool," I'd know that they didn't know what it was but were trying to pretend like they did. Then you had the people who actually know what MIT was whose response would be like "OMG nice job - thats so cool." Umm on campus, I'm either in my friends' dorms, in the student center or in class. Completely college town - boston and cambridge has like 40 schools in the surrounding area I think so it's really cool to collaborate with other schools. There are definitely other people though besides college students because I mean it is Boston- a huge city. I don't really have a problem with the administration. I guess some people do because of hacking rules, but for the most part it doesn't bug me. I really like how the administration is a very open administration. I hope things stay that way. Biggest recent controversy was the passing away of a DU brother. There is school pride in the "we're awesome" kind of way especially when we get compared to caltech and harvard, but not so much with sports. MIT is just a really unusual college in general. I think we get a lot more freedom that other colleges which I think is really great. Also something that's really cool is that all of our dorms are co-year so you can live in the same dorm freshman through senior year, which a lot of people do unless they move to their frat or sorority houses. Most people continue to live on campus. One experience I'll always remember was my Freshman Pre-Orientation Program called the Freshman Urban Program. We did community service projects for about a week and bonded with freshman and upperclassmen a week before orientation. The dining halls here suck, a lot.

One of the nicest things about going to MIT is how impressed people are when you say where you go. Nerdy and scientific audiences respect MIT more than any other school, and general intellectuals consider MIT as almost on par with Harvard and Princeton. The most frequent student complaint is definitely the excessive workload, however I hear this complaint at many colleges. I believe that MIT is only incrementally harder than many second-tier colleges, including liberal arts schools and technical schools (like RPI). However, MIT is much harder than Harvard, and much harder than most state schools. If you want prestigious AND easy, go to Harvard, Harvard is easy (I know, I have cross-registered, and I have friends there). But don't assume that a random liberal arts college is easier than MIT, because they can be hard too.

The big picture is that people are here to learn. Being here would be impossible if there weren't people around you all the time who were driven and inspired. If everyone is partying and you want to get work done, you feel ostracized. If, however, everyone is working, you don't feel so bad having to spend five hours finishing a problem. It's all about community and friendships. That's what gets you through the academics. There's also many facets to release pent up frustrations with the school. In general, it's hard and it's fun.

The culture..the people, you learn so much by interacting with them...each has his/her own talent and together they form the one of the most diverse and academically challenging environments Spend time mostly in my dorm, sometimes in the student center, reading room Just the right size of students They are usually impressed by me going to MIT. Controversy - administration's decisions and financial aid Yes, usually a lot of pride

Great people, most people want to help others out School size is JUST right, any bigger is too big and any smaller borders on irrelevancy.

Best thing: Undergraduate research opportunities program (UROP): some of the most important, high powered research in the world goes on at MIT and even as a freshman you can get involved and work closely with world-famous professors. UROP gives you $$$ and/or credit to do research and all professors are open and encouraging to undergrads working in their labs. College town: In Boston right across the river from Back Bay, the best, most fun part of Boston with shopping, restaurants, etc.

The people are definitely the best thing at MIT. I've met the more interesting, intelligent, fun, smart kids than i have ever met in my life, and i call all of them my good friends here at MIT. Yes, the institute is amazing, but the sort of people that it draws in is by far the best part of it!! If i could change anything, i would make Pass/No Record last foreverrrrrr!! Perfect size...when walking down the Infinite, you will see plenty of people you've never met before, most you recognize although don't really know them, but you will always see some of your friends around whereever you are on campus. "OOOoooo, you must be smart" or, i sometimes get the "Oo, where is that??/what does that stand for?" I hardly ever leave my floor. BURTON ONE is BY FAR the coolest place on campus!!!

For a number of reasons, I was a bit apprehensive about starting MIT. I wasn't sure I was going to like it, and I was worried I wouldn't have the best experiences there. Those concerns were completely blown away by the end of my first weeks there when I had built a soccer-playing robot, wrestled in tapioca, and enjoyed some amateur pyrotechnics. I made some wonderful friends, had some amazing experiences, and enjoyed opportunities I can't imagine being available anywhere else in the world. Of course it's a really difficult place to study. I have failed more tests than I care to recall, and I've wanted to drop out more times than I can count. But it's like climbing a mountain. There will be easy parts, and there will be difficult parts, and there will be parts when you swear you can take another step. And that's what makes finishing all the more fantastic.

My most frequent complaint about MIT is the workload. Or maybe the workload differential from major to major. Certain majors definitely require less work than others. For instance, Biology and Management are seen as the easiest majors - they have the fewest required classes and even those are not considered difficult. Majors that require a lot of work are Aero-Astro Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. These courses have more requirements , which are generally considered more stringent. I feel like I am constantly bombarded with more and more work. Every day. I am behind in work from the start of the semester until finals roll around. Sometimes it is frustrating because I feel like I am not taking full advantage of being at such a world class institution. There are so many opportunities to do so many fabulous things, but I never have time to partake because I can't even keep up with my classes. On another note ... I LOVE MIT. It is such a wonderful place. There is a real diversity in the culture here. During my years at MIT, I have spent time with rugby teams, frat boys, internationally-commended professors, and many many more. I love Boston / Cambridge - there is always something to do to get away from classes for a little while.

The opportunities to connect with some of the best minds from all over the world. I wouldn't change a thing. The school is just the right size. I often get an amazed, highly esteemed response when I tell people I go to MIT. I spend most of my time in between my dorm and interacting with people at various places on the campus. College town! MIT's administration is stellar. The biggest recent controversy was James Sherley, a black professor who claimed racism as a major reason in tenure denial. Yes there is a lot of school pride. The numbered majors and quirky pranks (hacks) are unusual at MIT. I'll always remember struggling through freshman year and having to ask for help. The most frequent complaints are around there being too much work or the work being too hard.

The opportunity to do hands-on research is the best thing about MIT. The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program provides many undergraduate students a chance to get involved in current research projects and network with professors and graduate students. One thing I would change are the dim lights in the dormitories. They are not conducive to positive thinking when it's 2am and you are still trying to finish your problem set. I love the size of my school because it's not large enough to get lost nor small enough to lose one's sense of privacy. Most of my time on campus is spent at the student center since it has food, computers, televisions, space to meet with study groups, pretty much anything you need. Between Cambridge and Boston there are so many schools and events occurring that I would most definitely categorize this area as a college town. The biggest controversy I've seen on campus was Professor Sherley's hunger strike. Professor Sherley felt that his denial of tenure was racially biased and after his petitions were also denied, he decided to go on a hunger strike in front of the school. I think there is a lot of school pride, but it is not very apparent at first. The pride comes from the extreme workload we all survive and the feeling that we earn our grades in a way that we feel Harvard students do not. One thing that is unusual about MIT is that everything has a number such as course 6 corresponding to the electrical engineering and computer science major and building 1 corresponding to the civil engineering building. The most frequent student complaints revolve around the workload. The joke here is that of the three S's (sleep, social life, and school), you can only have two at MIT.