College Confidential - View Single Post - Why would you turn down other schools for MIT?

mathboy98 · 04-25-2009, 11:21 PM

Faraday, I really think the number of great schools where faculty respect the undergrads immensely should be pretty miniscule. The faculty of great schools are, in a sense, usually insanely, wildly, godly intellectuals, and they have no reason to acknowledge the presence of most undergraduates! I would strongly suspect that this culture is somewhat unique to MIT.

Though, here is my remark -- I've had a conversation with a few of my friends who're humanities majors at my school. And they seem to have had numerous fun little conversations with several of their professors. Most of my professors in mathematics have been utterly terrifying geniuses whom I approach with caution, and I'm pretty outgoing with professors compared to most. You do meet some very friendly ones, but the famous professors often can be very aloof.

Another thing -- I know from postdocs who have seen both MIT and several other schools that MIT seems to have a culture of relatively advanced folk teaching the undergraduates. For instance, supposedly (from a postdoc at my school who's going to be a postdoc at MIT next year) postdocs many times coach discussion sections to lecture courses? Mollie may back this up. This is relatively less common or unheard of in other schools; perhaps at Stanford, for instance. Generally, graduate students will coach these.

Now, of course graduate students at MIT are brilliant enough people to coach most of these sections. But, I want to (potentially invalidly) apply what is intuitively indicated to me, which is that very accomplished faculty, not postdocs, may routinely be teaching undergraduates at MIT, and as I'd believe Mollie's words that they seem to respect undergraduates, this can make for a uniquely stellar experience. It's not often that famous, wild geniuses are actually willing to talk to the likes of "lowly undergraduates," and routinely are in contact with them.

I recall from one of Mollie's posts that what makes MIT a great place to achieve is the amazing student body + who you're in contact with. It may be that you'll just push yourself more in such an environment. Well, extend this and say the kinds of faculty I described are routinely in contact with you, and think of how inspiring that could be. Could be just the kind of inspirational boost you need to do your best in college.

04-25-2009, 11:21 PM	#5
mathboy98 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Berkeley Posts: 2,128	Faraday, I really think the number of great schools where faculty respect the undergrads immensely should be pretty miniscule. The faculty of great schools are, in a sense, usually insanely, wildly, godly intellectuals, and they have no reason to acknowledge the presence of most undergraduates! I would strongly suspect that this culture is somewhat unique to MIT. Though, here is my remark -- I've had a conversation with a few of my friends who're humanities majors at my school. And they seem to have had numerous fun little conversations with several of their professors. Most of my professors in mathematics have been utterly terrifying geniuses whom I approach with caution, and I'm pretty outgoing with professors compared to most. You do meet some very friendly ones, but the famous professors often can be very aloof. Another thing -- I know from postdocs who have seen both MIT and several other schools that MIT seems to have a culture of relatively advanced folk teaching the undergraduates. For instance, supposedly (from a postdoc at my school who's going to be a postdoc at MIT next year) postdocs many times coach discussion sections to lecture courses? Mollie may back this up. This is relatively less common or unheard of in other schools; perhaps at Stanford, for instance. Generally, graduate students will coach these. Now, of course graduate students at MIT are brilliant enough people to coach most of these sections. But, I want to (potentially invalidly) apply what is intuitively indicated to me, which is that very accomplished faculty, not postdocs, may routinely be teaching undergraduates at MIT, and as I'd believe Mollie's words that they seem to respect undergraduates, this can make for a uniquely stellar experience. It's not often that famous, wild geniuses are actually willing to talk to the likes of "lowly undergraduates," and routinely are in contact with them. I recall from one of Mollie's posts that what makes MIT a great place to achieve is the amazing student body + who you're in contact with. It may be that you'll just push yourself more in such an environment. Well, extend this and say the kinds of faculty I described are routinely in contact with you, and think of how inspiring that could be. Could be just the kind of inspirational boost you need to do your best in college.
	Reply