Massachusetts Institute of Technology Top Questions

I have not had a lot of experience with MIT groups. I was a member of the MIT Muses, a female acappella group. I occasionally attended a Black Student Union or Black Women's Alliance meeting. The Black Women's Alliance has a retreat every semester and I attended once. It was a great experience. Honestly, I do not think there is a certain kind of student that would feel out of place at MIT. There are all kinds of groups on campus and if a student is like me, he/she does not have to get too involved to feel part of the campus. Students wear a range of things from pajamas to jeans and t-shirts to more fashionable attire. Different types of students do interact although there is somewhat of a division along racial lines when it comes to the dormitories. Students are from everywhere. There is a large international population but the majority of students come from within the United States. Students come from diverse financial backgrounds. I think most MIT students have a middle class background. Students are politically aware and predominantly left wing. Students rarely talk about how much they'll earn one day.

I am a part of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Black Women's Alliance (BWA), and Black Students' Union (BSU) at MIT. For me, it is great to have a group of people who are just like you which is a new experience for me. NSBE is great because it is a professional group of black engineers where you can take advantage of internship and career opportunities that may not have been presented to you otherwise. BWA and BSU are great for the social aspect. You have a group of students who can relate to issues or problems you may be having who support you. A student who is not willing to step out of the box or ask for help would feel out of place at MIT. As I said before, there are many different personalities at MIT, but people learn the importance of talking to each other and finding those whose strengths are their weaknesses. Most students wear jeans and t-shirts to class. People don't really dress up. Different types of students do interact, especially when working on psets. Students are from everywhere. There is no one place. You have domestic as well as international students. Students are relatively politically aware. I know people who have gone to rallies that have been in Boston and we keep up with the presidential primary votes and counts. The campus is predominantly left. This could be where I live, but a lot of people are liberal. Then again, this is Boston, so the majority of the city is left.

There is something for everyone at MIT. There is not one set of dress for MIT students. Some people do not even come to school with shoes in the winter. Not all students interact. There is some splitting between the East and West Side of Campus. If there were four different students there would be the brainy kid who designed his own rocket at nine, the kid from East Campus, the athletic kid and the sorority girl. Students come from all over the country and the world. Students come from all types of financial backgrounds. Students are generally humble and never talk of how much they will earn one day.