MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

By Paul B. '11 One of the aspects of MIT culture I most enjoy is the Institute's culture of entrepreneurship. MIT students (and professors!) don't just want to learn about science and technology -- we want to apply our knowledge to make the world a better place.

By Kim D. '09 Meghan is a freshman, and she is considering majoring in Aerospace Engineering (course 16) or Mechanical Engineering (course 2). She's been playing soccer since she was 4 (!) and is one of two goalies on MIT's team. Her profile on MIT's site also lists plenty of achievements, including lea...

By Jess K. '10 Thank you, MIT... I am hugely honored to be here. It's always been a dream of mine to visit the most prestigious school in Cambridge, Massachusetts." Obama began. Cheers. Hold on a second. Certainly the most prestigious school in this part of Cambridge, anyway."

By Matt McGann '00 Ugwechi W. Amadi, Camden [North Carolina], is a senior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, majoring in brain and cognitive science, with a minor in literature. She has done research on post-traumatic stress disorder, and atherosclerotic restenosis at MIT, and on brain atrop...

By Matt McGann '00 CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — MIT is a school defined by numbers. Everything, from the buildings to the names of courses, is numbered. So perhaps it's fitting that MIT is home to the leading rusher in Division III: senior running back DeRon Brown, who is putting up big numbers again.

By Hamsika C. '13 Some weeks ago, Jeanne '13 and I embarked upon yet another of our voyages into Boston, meandering past our usual destinations and toward the Boston Symphony Hall, where we hoped to pick up Boston Symphony Orchestra college cards. I haven't actually had the chance to use mine yet, but at the...

By Chris S. '11 The sun is rising outside, peeking over the Charles. But that's okay. It's just another day in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And I'm taking 4 classes at MIT - two history, two science. After dropping 7.06 (Cell Biology), I'm currently taking 9.01 (Neuroscience), 7.30 (Ecology I), 21H.466 (Imperia...

By Jenny X. '13 all orange, round, shiny, cute, perfect! with hair shaved in the pattern of “MIT” in the back: Can you tell that it's a witch? Do you see what's in here? The sense of balance that follows is amazing. And the ability to find your own little oasis from time to time is important at MIT...

By Matt McGann '00 3) Any application materials being mailed, including recommendation letters, should be sent to: MIT Office of Admissions; 77 Massachusetts Avenue; Room 3-108; Cambridge, MA 02139; USA. It need not have any special code on the envelope. All application materials, though, should have y...

By Snively '11 Then, all of a sudden, we heard it. A voice, as if from god, saying: "Now, introducing our speaker, the President of -- MIT, Susan Hockfield!" False Alarm AGAIN! No offense Mrs. Hockfield, but you weren't the most important president in the room right then.

By Matt McGann '00 Susan Hockfield has served as the 16th President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since December 2004. A noted neuroscientist focused on the development of the brain, Dr. Hockfield is the first life scientist to lead MIT and holds a faculty appointment as Professor of N...

By Cam T. '13 Since we knew a three day weekend was coming up, my friends and I tried to plan something fun and off campus. However, many people had fraternity retreats -- I think many of the fraternities had retreats that weekend. Lame, right? (Just kidding -- I have nothing against fraternities. However...

By Quinton McArthur The question is designed to allow you the maximum flexibility to write about science/engineering OR non-science/engineering related projects. So go ahead and write about whatever you like, just make sure to use your creativity. ;-)

By Snively '11 2:33 -- Internships are also very popular. MIT has connections with places around Cambridge, Boston, and the world. MISTI (MIT International Science and Technology Initiative) helps send students to other countries to do research with partnering businesses.

By Cam T. '13 As I was cutting out the tines in the fork, having annealed the steel (we learn actual science, in my freshman seminar! not just: heat heat bang bang. It's pretty cool) so that I could actually make ~1.5" cuts in it, I broke a hacksaw. The old blade I was using decided it wanted to go into early reti...

By Kim D. '09 I'm beginning to be a little more polished in interviews, now that I've experienced enough of them to have an idea of what's coming. Some companies will rephrase their questions, but in the end they want to know the same things: who you are as a person, and how that will fit in with the company. (...

By Jess K. '10 For a while it was “astronaut.” This vocational path quickly fell to the wayside when I realized the department of aeronautics and astronautics was filled with undergrads floating down that zero gravity canal of self-destruction. Not wanting to prove my sister right before my first seme...

By Marcela R. '13 The planet itself is well equipped with space stations and rockets ready to launch. The stations are named MISTI, Go Global, D-Lab, IAP, MITPSC (Public Service Center), UROP, and many more names that just won't fit here. But there are an incredible number of rockets leaving each station ev...

By Chris S. '11 Overheard in Stata: Yeah, you know, biology makes no sense to me. It took me an entire semester to figure out that DNA is not really an amino acid...you know, the acid part was confusing. Tourist: (at Kendall Square) So which way to Harvard? MIT student: You're at MIT, bro.

By Matt McGann '00 But so far, none of the blogs match the interactivity and creativity of those of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where they are posted prominently on the admissions homepage, along with hundreds of responses from prospective applicants — all unedited.

By Kim D. '09 The big peanutbuttery gob with the Hershey's kisses on it is labeled 'Stata'. Nearby are graham cracker representations of the two parallel buildings of East Campus and the Green building (the tallest building in Cambridge!) You can see the blue jello version of the Charles River flowin...

By Yan Z. '12 Gender imbalance has never influenced my experience at MIT. I'm a bit startled by your (Lulu's?) numbers, since at least half of the Physics majors I've met are women. Granted, I spend a lot of time around Undergraduate Women in Physics, which is perhaps not a representative sample of the ge...

By Laura N. '09 The class is called The Product Development Process (or something like that, but who really cares? just call it 2.009 like a normal person) and all of the seniors in Mechanincal Engineering are split into teams, which are identified by color. (So there's Blue, Orange, Silver, Red, and of co...

By Keri G. '10 What made this different from all the other days when I carry my camera around all day and take awkward pictures of my friends and everything around me is that hundreds of other people on campus were doing the same thing with the same purpose: to take part in A Day In The Life, a project open to t...

By Matt McGann '00 I get many questions about what subject teachers can write the A or B eval. As a general rule, if the teacher teaches a class that would count towards MIT's math & science requirement, that teacher should fill out the A Evaluation; if the teacher teaches a class that would count towards M...

By Snively '11 Skip class!? At MIT!? Absolutely, especially with my bio professor co-chairing Obama's Council on Science and Technology. We're threatened daily with horrible and gruesome consequences if we come to class with the flu. In order to prevent everybody from skipping and in order to allow pe...

By ARTalk The show was followed by a brief intermission (during which I bought cookies) and a question-and-answer session with Ms. De Cari along with three panelists: Margaret Geller, a Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist among many other distinctions; Shoumita Dasgupta, Assistant Profess...

By Yan Z. '12 Perhaps the inspiration for food as a creative catharsis came from the unabashedly sugar-saturated “Introduction to Undergraduate Women in Physics” event that I hosted for the Class of 2013 during orientation. Every year, MIT's orientation coordinators organize a themed party/car...

By Chris S. '11 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Took the bus to Harvard on an errand, and had a great dinner at the Vietnamese place next to Harvard Square. I must honestly say that all east coast Asian food has paled in comparison that in the Bay, after this summer, sadly - but nonetheless, it was still good. :)

By Bryan O. '07 So I realized that despite not having left MIT, I haven't written on this thing in a really long time. Part of it came from my own thinking that the life of a graduate student is not as exciting as an undergraduate, and the other part came from me forgetting my password, but fortunately, I remem...

By Yan Z. '12 SP.417J- Intro to Black Studies. Interdisciplinary survey of people of African descent that draws on the overlapping approaches of history, literature, anthropology, legal studies, media studies, performance, linguistics, and creative writing. Connects the experiences of Africa...

By Matt McGann '00 His efforts have paid off as he recently received a full scholarship* to MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge. Although not certain exactly what he will major in, Obropta enjoys math and would like to "build rockets or design planes or something crazy."

By Cristen C. '10 I don't like robots. Well, most of them are okay. The ones which for some reason look like people (vain creators perhaps?) creep me the heck out! But I'm sure if anyone is learning a lot from robots, it's my (perhaps 'geekier') peers at MIT....

By Laura N. '09 Then Susan Hockfield got up and made another speech. I don't even remember if it was boring or not. I hope none of this sounds too disrespectful, but really, most of us were too excited to really pay attention to anything. We were too busy talking to our friends and throwing beach balls around an...

By Matt McGann '00 COMMERCE, Texas - Cory Ward of Yantis and Scott Landers of Cooper, Project STEEM mentors at Texas A&M University-Commerce, are headed to Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall. CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Bee Vang decided to apply to Massachusetts Institute of Technology last ye...

By Matt McGann '00 Bags packed to the United States, where he will study at the renowned MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Henrique de Oliveira Pinto Pondé takes with him a gold medal that he recently won in the International Mathematical Olympiad, which took place in July in Bremen, Germany.

By Keri G. '10 I love music, art, photography, dance, and theater. I'm still not quite sure why I go to a school for science and engineering, but I'm in good company here. ("Do you even go to this school?" "No, I just have a lot of feelings.") The future is terrifying, but if you don't ask me about it, then we won'...

By Matt McGann '00 Still, Trevor Zinser says he was unsure he could get into MIT, and was floored when the university flew him to Boston to sway him to choose MIT over Harvard or Stanford. He says exceptional teachers, particularly science teacher Dave Sherden, worked hard to make classes deep and engaging.

By Matt McGann '00 This fall, both sisters are headed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Chandler is leaning toward majoring in mathematics or economics. Taylor is thinking about mathematics, engineering or economics. Both, however, are planning to continue their running careers at MIT.

By Matt McGann '00 Craighead will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) this fall, where he will major in civil or mechanical engineering. MIT is an internationally-known, private research university located in Cambridge, Mass.

By Matt McGann '00 A call to serve in the Italy Milan Mission was a mere formality for Massachusetts Institute of Technology baseball star Creed Mangrum. His missionary zeal has been evident throughout the school year in Cambridge, according to Bishop Patrick O' Loughlin of the Cambridge University Ward...

By Matt McGann '00 Augusta, GA—It’s packing day for 17-year-old Terence Dalbert. The summer is here, but he’s not going on vacation. Instead, he’s getting ready for summer classes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Terence Dalbert: "I always loved math, it's always been my favorite subject. Sci...

By Matt McGann '00 One article about the celebration in the Boston Glove interviewed astronaut and MIT alumna Cady Coleman '83. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff) MIT has a long history of astronauts: They are 4 of 34 MIT alumni astronauts on the MIT Astronaut Roster.

By Keri G. '10 It contains approximately eleventy million bits of advice from upperclassmen, many of which directly contradict each other. The latter point and everything related to it may confuse the living daylights out of you, but it's really not a problem, which I'll explain in a second. By now, you...

By Jess K. '10 I'll be spending my summer in Japan, so it was a good chance to fully immerse myself in American culture, eat as much diner food as possible, and see the great midwest. The MISTI program (MIT Science and Technology Initiative) is paying for my flights, housing, and general life in Tokyo, as w...

By Laura N. '09 IHTFP is a timeless motto of the Institute. People who don't understand the concept claim that it means different things to different people. This is false. The true nature of IHTFP is that it holds a dual meaning for all of us. Sometimes it means "I have truly found paradise. Other times it means...

By Daniel Barkowitz So, Thursday is my last day at the Institute. I am sadexcitednervous-nostalgichappyconfidentready about taking the next step in my life's adventure (much as I am sure our graduating students are feeling about their own imminent departure from these hallowed halls).

By Laura N. '09 Mystery Hunt - Fun = Thesis" On to the editing... Monday, May 11. 5:33 PM My thesis is done. It's printed on fancy special paper and turned into the undergraduate office. Even down to the bitter end, MIT enjoys beating you down and destroying your soul. Right now, IHTFP is feeling pretty one-sided...

By Matt McGann '00 Similarly, you may or may not have the opportunity to have one of those real great conversations with professors. If it doesn't happen, don't be too disappointed; you're only here for two class days. When you're at MIT, you'll have many more opportunities to have meaningful interaction wi...

By Chris S. '11 MIT’s Leadership Training Institute is a student-run leadership and service program for Boston-area high school students. The mentoring program has since expanded into Mexico and China and looking to expand into El Salvador, Brazil, and South Africa.

By Kim Hunter '86 Parent Reception with Parent Connectors and Alumni on Friday night at 5:00 pm Sponsored by the MIT Parents Association and the MIT Club of Boston, this reception is your chance to meet and mingle with Parent Connectors, Educational Counselors and other MIT Alumni. Presenters include Ph...

By Laura N. '09 So, what's it like when 4 MIT students visit 2 MIT alums (including a former blogger) for a week on the west coast? Pretty much the same kind of nerdy conversations, only this time I have photographic documentation to jog my memory. So without further ado, I bring you the nerdy adventures of L...

By Yan Z. '12 The geometry-defying Stata Center may be Euclid's nightmare, but it's a mind-blowing monster to wrestle with under your camera lens. I should have worn sunglasses, though. Smooth-brushed metal is really excellent at solving Maxwell's equations.

By Daniel Barkowitz New beginnings can be exciting – witness the return of spring to the Boston / Cambridge area in the last few days – but I, for one, also miss and take a moment to mourn the passing of the old ways. I enjoy winter -- its quiet tranquility, its inner reflection -– and I mourn its passing as I welcome t...

By Matt McGann '00 CAMBRIDGE - Conversations about chocolate typically revolve around the obvious: flavor, intensity, milk vs. dark. But for the students in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Laboratory for Chocolate Science, the discussion runs a bit more, well, technical.

By Chris S. '11 Too often, our society has imposed upon us ideals and molds - to get into MIT, you must have had done science competitions; to get into Harvard, you must score above 2300 on the SATs. Of course not. There are plenty of places where collaboration is encouraged - one glaring example is science: n...

By Shannon M. '12 My thoughts on majoring in MechE is that I would likely use it for biology or international development. ANYWAYS. Course 10B (Chemical Engineering with biology)- Like 5, only more engineering and biology- this is looking like a good way to potentially mesh the two.

By Snively '11 Roses are Red Violets are Blue If I went to Harvard, I'd hate myself too I've got wonderful stories about Harvard that I'll be more than happy to tell you if you come to CPW, but our first story about Harvard is brought to you by, well, Harvard. Dear Zug, Yours Truly, MIT

By Stu Schmill '86 Through our commitment to a science and technology centered education integrated with a strong humanities program that offers appropriate context, you will leave MIT with the background that is essential for any leader who will influence and solve the problems that the world faces to...

By Snively '11 Here's how it started, with an e-mail to me and Elizabeth (one of my teammates for toy design last year) about presenting ElectroPlushies at an upcoming MIT Science and Engineering Business Club event. Our toy design professor, Barry, sent us this: thanks! barry

By ARTalk Fortunately, MIT provides a reasonably simple solution. Since you need to have taken eight HASS—Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences—classes in order to graduate, why not make sure that some of those are writing classes? It will give you an excuse to read something entertaining and ca...

By Yan Z. '12 The truth is that MIT isn't right for everyone. Some people wish they had picked the state school that offered them a full ride, a free car, and the right to name a state park after themselves. Some people wish they had picked Harvard. The latter usually soon regain their ability to make reasona...

By Keri G. '10 Student house is a co-ed living space located at 111 Bay State, Boston MA-- right in the midst of MIT fraternities, BU dorms, Fenway Park, and Kenmore Square. Shuttles (Boston Daytime, Boston West) run daily during the year and help many of our 24 residents get to and from campus.

By Yan Z. '12 Today, I will dispel two common misconceptions about MIT: 2. Nobody at MIT hates me. In no particular order: 1.John Curtice Sorry, John. 2.Cafe Four 3.The MIT dining halls 5.Whoever designed the MIT piano practice rooms 6.The Coop 8.Professor John McGreevy

By Matt McGann '00 A 6-foot-4 guard, Bartolotta is averaging 27.8 points a game, best in the New England Men’s and Women’s Athletics Conference and third best in Division III. He has led the Engineers to a 16-5 record and their best conference start at 7-1.

By Matt McGann '00 He majored in Materials Science and Engineering, earning his degree in just three and a half years. After MIT, he went to Harvard Law (the latest MIT Careers Office statistics have MIT graduates with an admission rate to Harvard Law 1.5 times higher than the national average). From there he w...

By Yan Z. '12 That's 12 times up the tallest building in Cambridge. Continuously. There you have it, the story of how I went from being a poor undergraduate student to being a poor undergraduate student with a UROP. Now please excuse me while I go make sure my sleeves are glued on correctly.

By Yan Z. '12 If you're not familiar with it yet, that January 5th constituted my introduction to FIRST robotics. Every night for six weeks after that, we drove to the Alewife MBTA station or directly into Cambridge, depending on traffic, to sit in the basement of a Sloan building. (Sloan is MIT's busine...

By Snively '11 When I sat down late last April in front of my computer and went through the process of telling MIT that I would, in fact, be attending their school in the fall, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. MIT is, well, MIT, right? After reading the blogs for years and visiting campus during...

By Snively '11 Not all sciences are created equal. To be perfectly frank and honest, I hate math, chemistry, and biology. I used to loathe physics but I'm slowly warming up to it. MIT forces you to take chemistry, biology, math, and physics, whether you like them or not. Whether you understand them or not. Whet...

By Chris M. '12 I don't think there is a specific major in nanotechnology, just because nanotech is a very diverse field. That being said we do have Nanomaterials Labratory that I believe is used by people in Course 3 (Materials Science and Engineering). Materials Science may be something you'd be intere...

By Paul B. '11 As you hopefully already know, I am a sophomore in Course 20 here at MIT. Because we say everything here in numbers, Course 20 actually means that I am a biological engineering major. Moreover, even though I've planned on being Course 20* since before coming to MIT**, MIT students tend to all...

By Mikey Yang '05 But with several blog posts in the past few weeks about how terribly hosed people are, I thought I'd bring some balance to the conversation. I remembered a guest post I wrote a couple years ago (back when Ben was still here - BEN WE MISS YOU!) - this was actually in response to an admitted studen...

By Chris M. '12 I'm fairly sure all of you are familiar with the fact that MIT has some pretty awesome classes and extra-curriculars to participate in. (If this comes as a surprise you may have been looking for that other Institute of Technology......) But one of the largest challenges, at least for me, has been f...

By Snively '11 A huge perk to living at MIT is living right across the river from Boston. A group called the "Banditos Misteriosos" runs flash mobs in Boston. I got an e-mail informing me that there was to be another flash mob, this time Halloween themed! Here's the gist of it:

By Chris S. '11 It was great. Cali was sunny. The students were enthusiastic. Splash ran amazingly well (due to the diligence in preparation of Michael '07 and his enthusiastic team!). Meeting so many MIT people in Stanford's grad school was actually pretty amazing - it's awesome to be talking about 8.02/5.1...

By Ahmed H. '12 I have an interesting MIT “story.” It wasn't my first choice school until very, very late in the game. Except then I got into MIT in March. This complicated matters considerably. It was family meeting time, and I realized how brash my decision was. My dad didn't force me to go to MIT, don't get me wr...

By Paul B. '11 When most people I know think of MIT, the first thing to leaps to mind is almost always computer science, physics, or some other aspect of science and engineering. As important as it is, international development isn't exactly something MIT is world-renowned for. Yet.

By Snively '11 I came to MIT wanting to be a mechanical engineer. I love building things, piecing things together, and constructing a product. I did not come to MIT to learn math, chemistry, or biology. As such, I struggled/didn't really enjoy these classes. Yes, I know, it's MIT, "we're" good at these class...

By Laura N. '09 When I do get to MIT, I'm planning to declare Course 2 (Mechanical Engineering) as a major and possibly minor in Course 17 (Political Science). WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG. Here's a photo of me posing with Susan Hockfield during Orientation of freshman year:

By Chris M. '12 I don't know if you can read that tiny text but apparently there is a low-res version for people with speeds "lower than 28.8 kbps" Lower than 28.8kbps?! I didn't even know that was possible!! Once again though, it's hard to blame them, I mean after all this is new technology, if we want an examp...

By Matt McGann '00 Rowing: 7 MIT rowers, 10 Olympic Games Fencing: 2 MIT fencers, 2 medals Track and Field: 2 MIT athletes, 1 medal Skiing: 1 MIT skier, 2 Olympic Games Rifle: 1 MIT marksman Skeleton: 1 MIT slider Tae Kwon Do: 1 MIT Taekwondoist Wrestling: 1 MIT wrestler

By Paul B. '11 MIT Medlinks MIT Emergency Medical Services (EMTs) MIT Police Homepage MIT Nightline: 617-253-8800 (anonymous peer-listening service run by student volunteers) Boston Area Rape Crisis Center: 1-800-841-8371 MIT Emergency Phone Numbers

By Snively '11 Click to read article I am a banana!!!" Hosoi, you win. 9) Did you know that there's a junior mint factory right on the edge of campus and that every so often (a couple of times a month) the air all around main campus will smell like junior mint?

By Matt McGann '00 I was in the middle of “freshman orientation week” at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, in a country where the legal drinking age is 21. It was a culture shock. How would a bunch of 18- and 19-year-olds — particularly MIT’s infamously geeky crop of scientists and engineers — s...

By Paul B. '11 Ben: Welcome Susan Hockfield MIT celebrates the inauguration of its sixteenth president, Dr. Susan Hockfield. Melis: 10 things I love about MIT Reason #11: MIT students make awesome lists. Technology Karen: Inbox Insanity This entry is so true. And kind of sad.

By Chris S. '11 Moreover x2, you don't have to fill up all 54 and 57 credits if you don't want to. Quite a few people just took 4 classes both semesters - so suit yourself and do whatever is comfortable for you. Before you ask - yes, this is an American high school in Taiwan. =p

By Karen F. '11 Basically, some kids with bikes from Harvard and MIT meet up on Thursdays for a nice bike ride to a new ice cream place around Boston. Did you HEAR that?! Ice cream, biking AND inter-collegiate-ness. If that's not the best idea ever, I don't know what is.

By Paul B. '11 There are many things that make MIT what it is. But when you get right down to it, I believe the most important part of MIT - the reason I feel in love with this place, over any other school - is the students who go here. And I think there are many students who have stories that deserve to be told.

By Cambridge Program The Cambridge-MIT Institute was founded to make two of the world's best universities better. In 1970, Dean of Institute Relations at MIT, Benson R. Snyder, published a book entitled "The Hidden Curriculum." In this book, Snyder provides a sweeping critique of MIT and a culture of bible-co...

By Derrick B. '08 But that's not what this entry is about. It's about my experiences with undergraduate research. I'm sure all of you know by now about MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. Click here if you want the official site. But the basic idea behind UROP is to take undergrads and expose t...

By Chris S. '11 Around the same time, the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon invited Susan Hockfield over for dinner. Over a classy dinner at the fraternity house, we discussed everything from the vision of MIT, the state of the Institute, even about iHouse (the "living-learning community" dorm) that I'm li...

By Melis A. '08 March and April are so busy around here that even if Paris Hilton did come to MIT, we wouldn’t even have the time to find rotten tomatoes to throw at her. This past weekend was an extended holiday because of Patriot’s Day on Monday (can anyone say “Boston Marathon”? Congrats to Bryan for compl...

By Bryan O. '07 Since this is ostensibly a CPW entry, I guess I should talk about my CPW. Overall, my CPW was pretty tame. Keep in mind this is saying tame for CPW - this is a lot like saying west campus people are normal (they are, for MIT). the housing/dining info session

By Paul B. '11 I ended up obtaining another shirt from the Arab Students' Organization (ASO). This one is my favorite shirt since it spells “Massachusetts Institute of Technology” in Arabic. Yeah, you wish you had one of these. While on the subject of the ASO, let me go off on a tangent and say that I am very im...

By Snively '11 This story is not really meant to be depressing, it's meant to show that MIT can be too hard, absolutely, but you'll know it. Many of my classes are hard (2.001, 8.02, 18.03, etc) but I can do them if I put in the work. Sometimes it's not fun, but it is feasible. If you get a class that seems impossible bu...

By Melis A. '08 I love the river. The majority of dorms are by the Charles River and in Baker, for example, 80% of rooms have a river view. I also can’t imagine a better a college town than Boston. For more about the community service and fun opportunities in Boston, read one of my previous entries here

By Paul B. '11 Out of everything I have experienced at MIT - my first classes, turning in my first p-set, the clubs I've become part of, fraternity rush, several awesome hacks, finding a UROP, more classes, more p-sets, more studying, more researching, more everything - the aspect of MIT that I enjoy th...

By Paul B. '11 Finally, we come to the humanities section of my life. Because MIT requires all students to take 8 classes in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, most students fulfill that requirement by taking one "HASS" class each semester they're here. Last semester, though, I took four scienc...

By Sam M. '07 Yo, I'm in grad school. How's that going? Well, not too bad. In a way, I can't seem to ever get away from MIT. Half the books I use in my graduate classes were written by my MIT professors. During the first week of my product design and development class last semester, we were assigned a reading abou...

By Melis A. '08 The Undergraduate Association (UA) is composed of elected students who represent students in matters concerning the Institute. The goals of the UA include planning undergraduate events, voicing student concerns, and serving as a link between the student body and the Institute admin...

By Melis A. '08 I did a little bit of web surfing to compose a (brief, and possibly incomplete) list of some majors that require a thesis: Mechanical Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, Architecture (optional), Chemistry (optional, but strongly encouraged for graduate school preparat...

By Matt McGann '00 One of IAP's most exciting activities is the annual Mystery Hunt. In short, Mystery Hunt is a weekend long competition at MIT where students and others team up to solve lots of puzzles, with the ultimate goal of finding a coin hidden somewhere on campus. For a more in-depth description, you s...

By Matt McGann '00 Science & Research programs Minority Introduction to Engineering & Science (MITES) Research Science Institute (RSI) Student Science Training Program (SSTP) Summer Science Program (SSP) Young Engineering and Science Scholars (YESS)

By Jess K. '10 MIT-EMS (Emergency Medical Service) is a student-run volunteer ambulance service that provides basic life support to the MIT campus in Cambridge, as well as part of Boston, and runs 24/7 - which means a large number of greatly desired overnight shifts, many of which I have been taking la...

By Jess K. '10 I'm certainly not trying to pawn off my indecision entirely on our education system - in many ways I was very lucky, because I got to take and experience a diverse selection of classes that covered a lot of academic bases. It was very easy to take all the challenging classes in math, science, E...

By Karen F. '11 Luckily, it's not in Chicago. It's in Massachusetts, and not a day has gone by without me thinking "TGI Boston" (even though we're actually in Cambridge) at least once. This is because Boston is an unbelievably cool city. From the music scene to the history and diversity and proximity of othe...

By Paul B. '11 A lot can happen in a semester, especially a semester at MIT. In retrospect, I realize that - in spite of reading the blogs, in spite of talking to upperclassmen and alumni, in spite of going to CPW - I really had very little idea of what college life is like. People talk a lot about the "transitio...

By Ben Jones My first interviewee is Michael Epstein, who graduated from MIT with a Masters in Comparative Media Studies and then went on to create Untravel Media with three other MIT grads. If you visited MIT in early September, perhaps you even used one of their mobile media tours to explore the Stata...