molliebatmit

For the past two years, I've started a thread around this time dedicated to the last-minute questions people need to have answered before they can whether to come to MIT or not.

The first year I started the thread, I said
So what do you need to know?

(You can also check out the homologous threads from 2006 and 2007.)

KnightMair

I'm more than willing to take questions too. I'm a freshman male affiliated with a fraternity looking to major in Course 6, but with 14, 15, and 18 interests as well.

LauraN

Same for me- I will probably never get to a question before Mollie does (I really don't know how she does it) but will happy to jump in (or answer PMs of personal/sensitive questions) related to athletics, course 2 (mechanical engineering), study abroad, and of the million clubs I've been in over the years. I'm also an EMT, so I can probably handle a lot of questions anxious parents have related to medical services.

Also, dorm life. I know FAR TOO MUCH about dorm life.

tennisgirl08

Will the financial aid office reconsider your aid award in light of other colleges' financial aid offers (i.e. from the Ivies)? There's a large, significant difference between MIT and a few of my other schools. Would this "qualify" my MIT finaid to be re-reviewed? Or am I stuck unless I have another compelling reason to go through the appeals process (there is another personal family reason, but would probably not result in a sizeable enough change). Initially, I was about to cross MIT off my list because of the financial difference, but after CPW, MIT has jumped up and I'm considering it again...and thus am worried about the financial aid situation once again. I don't know; I don't feel very comfortable asking for more money?? But I want to?? ....

lalaloo6

Ok, I know it's been asked before, but I have some rather specific questions regarding the choice between MIT and Harvard.

First off, I am interested in an academic career in mathematics, though I'm not sure whether I like applied or theoretical (and as an undergrad, I expect to do a fair mix of both).
Things I wonder about Harvard vs. MIT:

People on this board really like to say Harvard ~= MIT in most respects academic. I believe that this is probably true. However, I know Harvard has a killer math department, and it also has more name recognition than MIT, in some sense. I hate myself for thinking of name recognition, as I would love to think that in the future I will get into grad school and get jobs based on my merit/institution. However, I'd like to know if, practically speaking, in an academic career in mathematics, having the "name brand" of Harvard would go farther than having the "name brand" of MIT, or are the two *really* equal in academic circles? I have a feeling MIT is clearly better than Harvard for engineering, but for academia and especially for math, are the two really equivalent in terms of employer views? I am supposing that graduate institution matters more anyway, but I'm basically just wondering about this point.

There's this aspect of MIT students vs. the administration at MIT, I find. on the one hand, I think that's awesome that MIT students are kind of irreverent, but on the other hand, I want to develop very strong professional, research associations while in college, and I am just wondering, how does students vs. administration come into play at MIT, how does it affect student life, and does it have any adverse effect on professor vs. student relations?

MIT students seem to generally have more homework than Harvard students. Does this help them learn the material better? I know it sounds silly, but maybe having more time to think about the material would be more valuable? PERSONALLY I AM A WORKAHOLIC AND WOULD PROBABLY CHOOSE MIT OVER HARVARD FOR THIS REASON, but I am wondering if MIT students actually suffer in the long run for this, in terms of networking as well as learning the material?

I'm almost sure that I'll be going to MIT, but the matters above are the only matters that concern me a little, so I'd love to get some honest feedback here! BTW I love MIT and think it totally rocks over Harvard, but I want to make sure I'm making the right decision for my career as well.

Coolphreak

In terms of research, how easy or difficult is it to get funding and support for an original idea? If I come up with something i want to pursue (not affiliated with a urop) will mit give me money/resources to pursue this? (assuming it's worthwhile).

molliebatmit

You're welcome to call or email the financial aid office to see if there are any circumstances they left out of your aid award, but they won't explicitly reconsider due to competing awards from other schools. But if you want to talk about your award, I'd definitely call -- the financial aid office will do everything in their power to fix your award if it needs fixing, or else to explain why your award is the way it is.

I can't speak specifically to math, but honestly, if a department is in the top 5 or so in a field, that's as good as it gets in terms of graduate school admissions and an academic career. The "name brand" in terms of graduate school admissions is all about getting high-quality letters of recommendation from well-known faculty members and doing sophisticated undergraduate work/research, not about the school's name per se.

The professors aren't part of the administration. The trouble with the administration is in student life matters -- dining, housing, that sort of thing. It's not academic. (I'd actually suspect that, if pressed, most professors would be on the side of students rather than the side of the administration -- the professors I know well don't have much love lost for red tape and bureaucracy.)

At MIT, you think about the material by doing homework, and by talking through problems with other students. None of it is just rote busy work -- problem sets are to help you learn the material and learn how to think about the material, not for you to plug and chug.

I can't speak specifically to Harvard undergrad homework (although my labmate spent a lot of time grading student homework last semester when she was TFing, so I'm sure she'd disagree that Harvard students don't have homework ), but I can't imagine learning science without working through problems.

There are always fellowships and prizes to apply for -- off the top of my head, I can remember one of my friends getting summer funding to design and build a rotary-wing airplane (through the Eloranta Fellowship, I seem to remember), and my husband and the same friend getting funding from their department to build lots of tiny remote-controlled airplanes another summer.

Sometimes it's logistically easier to be affiliated with a lab, though, even if you'd like to do your own project. At the very least, they have more tools in the labs.

The Speaker

As incredible as it may sound (everyone at CPW, fellow prefrosh and current MIT students alike, had serious trouble believing this was a dilemma for me), I am currently between MIT and "Big State University."

MIT obviously takes the cake in academics, opportunity, networking, grad school possibilities, research, and having a "global experience" (the kind where I can actually do something that makes a difference somewhere in the world).

Here's where it appears Big State would have the edge:

Finances: OK, so everyone expects Big State U to be cheaper than MIT. But it's more than just difference in cost: we're talking the difference to getting a solid undergrad (Big State isn't U Mich or UIUC, but it also isn't an engineering school to just sneeze at) for close to FREE vs. finishing my bachelor's very much in the hole, maybe OVER $100,000 in debt. That's a lot. Is it worth it?

School "Close-ness": At "Big State," being a (school mascot/symbol) is like breathing. It's what everyone wants to be, and on game day everyone is full of school pride and spirit. So what unites and binds MIT students? Is there a sense of community at MIT, maybe in school spirit or not?

Social-ness: No, I'm not talking about the party scene. I know MIT students party hard (and a heck of a lot smarter than the "parties" that sometimes happen on big state university campuses). But I just mean socializing in general. It seems like at State University I'd have more time to devote to clubs, organizations, friends, etc. At MIT it seems like academics reigns supreme over all else. I'm a people person. Will I be happy at MIT?





I had an absolutely awesome time at CPW. To be honest, finances aside, I think I'd outright pick MIT. I love the feeling of being at a place where everyone is not only willing, but capable of doing something amazing. It's just these little nagging questions (and that potentially big debt) that leave Big State University a very real possibility.

collegealum314

lalalo6, if you are interested in an academic career in mathematics, networking as an undergrad is not important. Also, mathematics is a heavily performance-based field--even moreso than science, so the difference in name recognition is irrelevant. Even if it was important, the difference in the math faculty is pretty non-existent. Is Harvard even ranked above MIT? I would think they would be tied at #1. The only place where Harvard might have a slight edge on MIT in terms of name brand is with your relatives.

So go wherever you would be most comfortable and where it will be easier to work the hardest. Go with your gut feeling.

cellardweller

There are good reasons why very few students turn down MIT for State U. and that includes schools like Berkeley, UCLA or Michigan. Admission statistics show that less than 3% of admitted students chose a State U. over MIT.

Finances is generally not a compelling reason not to enroll as MIT engineering grads get some of the highest starting salaries in the country. In addition, many of the top employers of MIT grads do not even recruit at State U. Especially when the economy is shaky and employers are cutting back on new hires, places like MIT will be the last ones affected.

A $100,000 debt for a starting engineer from MIT is nothing compared to the incremental ROI from the MIT "brand". You may actually find quite a few employers covering a substantial portion of that debt as a sign-on bonus.

In regards to community spirit, MIT only has around 4,500 undergrads and you will end up knowing a large number of your classmates as everybody takes the same introductory classes and all students have to live on campus freshman year. A strong collaborative spirit is part of the MIT culture as much of the work is done in groups. Many students also join fraternities and sororities which provide a strong social network.

You would also be surprised at how many MIT students are involved in sports with over 41 varsity teams, and hundreds of other activities. MIT students tend to be driven types and virtually everyone is involved in at least one significant extra-curricular activity to provide a balance to the intense academics.

If you are good enough to be admitted to MIT, you can handle the challenge. The MIT experience is certainly transformational and the constant interaction with some of the most brilliant students and faculty in the world is an incredible thrill. if you turn it down you may always have the lingering question about what could have been.

molliebatmit

There is absolutely a sense of community at MIT, and a very strong sense of community at that. It just isn't tied up in sports.

Academic pursuits are really important at MIT, but almost everybody consciously makes time for something else. Personally, I double-majored and worked ~15 hours a week at my UROP, but I still made time to be involved in my dorm's government and to be on (and junior year, captain) of the cheerleading squad. There's always going to be time to do something you want, although sometimes you have to get good at time management to do it all.

One of the biggest things I miss about MIT is the sense of social community. In my dorm, I was never more than a few steps away from my closest friends, and we would all do homework, watch TV, and just hang out together every night after class and extracurriculars. I miss having that big group of people when I come home every night.

The debt, I think, is a more serious question, but it's one that everybody has to address personally and within their families.

LauraN

The Speaker:

Finances are in fact reason to consider your decision carefully- this is unfortunate but true. Call the financial aid office and speak to them, sometimes they will reconsider your award. As Mollie said, it's something to discuss with your family, not with us on the Internet. ;-)

Sense of community: What Mollie said. But also, I totally understand how you feel. I play a varsity sport, and while I love the culture and community at MIT, I sometimes think "man, wouldn't it be cool if lots of people showed up to cheer us on?" I went to a nerdy engineering high school, and while I loved it I sometimes thought, "you know, I kinda miss pep rallies." There are two very different cultures, and you really can't have both at the same time, so in the end you just sort of have to make the choice. I think you'd be happy either way, but also, no matter what you pick, you'll spend at least a little time sort of wi****lly wondering what life would have been like otherwise. Some people on this board might tell you that they NEVER had feelings like this, and that's probably true- MIT was just the absolute right place for them. But you seem to think a little more like me, and while I'm definitely happy with my choice, to some small extent it was still a choice I had to make, at the expense of the other. So just give it careful thought.

Social-ness: Oh yes. Do not at all concern yourself with this. MIT students are more involved in extra-cirriculars than is probably good for them. ;-) Over the years I have been involved in dorm government (in many, many ways), UROP, campus job, newspaper, an engineering club, EMS, and some other things I'm forgetting now. People study in groups, people cook and eat together, people do all kinds of things together. I promise you will not be lonely here. In fact, I sometimes find myself wishing that my floor were less social, because there are some days when I would just like to be left alone...

LauraN

Ok, apparently this board thinks the word "wist fully" is a curse...

sunshine_breeze

I know that MIT is very diverse place, racially and otherwise, but is there alot of self segregation on campus, eg Asian students hanging out w/ only Asian students, etc ?

lalaloo6

^@ Laura: LOL I think the board just blocked out the "s t f u" in the middle of the word... pretty tricky...