A rigorous and demanding education defines the experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Undergrads must fulfill extensive General Institute Requirements, or GIRs, that include humanities, communication, and phys ed courses in addition to specific science and math classes. “
Let's face it, MIT is not easy,” writes a sophomore majoring in economics. One benefit: all freshmen are graded on a pass/fail basis during their first term to ease them into MIT’s stressful coursework. Still, students report working to the point of exhaustion, but most think the rewards—in knowledge, skills, research, humility, and camaraderie with other students—are worth effort. “
Everyone knows that MIT is tough, so students really pull together to help each other out; it's not nearly as competitive as most people probably think it is,” writes a freshman engineering student. Another freshman echoes the necessity of collaboration: “
Students are much more collaborative than in high school where it was all about competing against everyone else to get into college. Here, it is all about working together to make it to graduation, and you will have to work together to make it,” she writes.
Professors don’t monitor students closely, but they’re always available to those who seek help at office hours, and many work with students on original research projects. “
Most of the personal interaction that students get is based on the student's own initiative. Also, there is a lot of undergraduate research and students get to know professors that way instead of through classes,” writes a freshman. MIT’s prized Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, or UROP, pairs faculty with students, who participate in every phase of research, from writing the proposal to analyzing and presenting the results. “
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,” writes an alumna who majored in engineering.
Students emphasize that succeeding at MIT isn’t about being a genius, but committing a ton of time and energy toward doing the work. This is both humbling and motivating: “
MIT keeps whatever ego I might have in severe check. Just as soon as it starts to creep out, here comes a test grade, or here comes an impossible problem set,” writes a sophomore. “
You'll be overwhelmed like you've never been before. You'll have to (gasp!) ask for help with your work. No one will care how many AP's you took in high school. You'll more than likely fail a test or two (if you're lucky, only a test or two) before you graduate. Guaranteed. But how do you respond when you do? That's the most telling part of whether or not you belong here.” MIT students’ catchphrase, IHTFP, can be read two ways: “
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,” a freshman reports. Students slammed with problem sets probably tend toward the latter—but participating in a rewarding UROP? That’s “paradise.”
Undergrads describe the student body as diverse along every spectrum, from interests to ethnicities to economic backgrounds. “
The student body is incredibly diverse with 11% of the class being international students and the rest of the class hailing from all over the U.S. There are students receiving no financial aid and students receiving full financial aid. The great part of MIT, however, is that you can rarely distinguish between any of these people. Our school is a large melting pot, and the Institute does a great job in giving us avenues to support each other’s diversity,” writes a senior. Students frequently report on MIT’s vibrant LGBTQ culture: “
The LGBT community here is really strong,” writes a freshman. Many also note that MIT students, concerned with their schoolwork, don’t keep up with current events. “
MIT is much less politically aware than a lot of other colleges—I’m not sure why that is, but it’s quite pronounced,” writes a senior. “
People don't know much about current events. However, they tend to be pretty liberal, and talk reasonably intelligently about political issues, when they happen to come up."
Social life at MIT revolves around the dorms and Greek life. “
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,” explains a junior. Not only does each dorm have a particular vibe (“
Some dorms drop pianos or monitors off roofs every year, others drop thousands of bouncy balls,” a freshman writes), but they’re split into two areas of campus—East Campus and West Campus—with different cultures and allegiances. Alternatively, students can choose to join fraternities and sororities, which aren’t just social hubs but also, and more importantly, living and dining spaces. As students emphasize, MIT has lots of opportunities besides work—though bonding over problem sets is a great way to make friends.
