Dex

Mıt just math and science?
I hope so!

but its not

differential

MIT has in many ways literally shaped and started many fields of engineering, science and mathematics. MIT's students and faculty frequently appear in the news excelling at many different things, ranging from academics to athletics to the performing arts. MIT has over the course of a century established a reputation for producing both first class research and giving students a first class education. MIT has an extremely high number of student clubs and sports, as well as student government like structures. MIT's CPW and the MIT-Blogs are a unique university-prospective-student interaction among college campuses. MIT students who frequent CC give a down to earth and very reasonable portrait of regular MIT students. In summary, I believe MIT has made more than enough effort reaching out and showing the world why it's a great place to be.

If after all this, you are having serious doubts about whether applying to MIT is even worth it, simply because one EC interviewer didn't make eye contact with you, then you either didn't have particularly solid reasons to apply to MIT in the first place, or you are being pretentious.

kitkatkatie

It's really more that they would pick someone who is a bit awkward to represent their school. One would think they would screen people to determine what impression they're making on applicants. That said, he was very nice, and did make a good impression, though I'm sensitive to things other people wouldn't be as sensitive to, so it's different in this situation. You also have to realize that all the people applying to schools are freaking out about every little thing, and CC is the place we can post our concerns and have people assuage (and sometimes attack) our fears.

He was nice, and I am extremely grateful to have met more than just two people from MIT, and I told/emailed him that.

@CalAlum You're just as judgmental, if not more so, for calling me ungrateful and judgmental, especially as you haven't even met me. At least I'm commenting on someone I've actually met. And you're commenting on a university you haven't attended. That doesn't really help me much.

The people I've met from MIT have included someone who graduated 5 years ago, and someone who graduated 30 years ago. They didn't differ all that much on the "culture"" aspect, though the younger guy had more to say on the parties and newer research.

@Mikalye I see a lot about extracurricular activities and activities at other universities. The other schools I'm looking at offer courses on campus where I don't have to travel to another campus to take arts courses. And I do want to minor or double major in theater. Don't take that as being on the offensive, it's just that I see that MIT offers arts as an extracurricular activity, but not really as a major part of the curriculum. Of course it's an "institute of technology," so I should be expecting that. I'd really like to be able to explore in college and not have to take math/science every semester for a while (a semester of just english/arts would be a nice break so I don't get burned out). Don't get me wrong, I do want to have science as the main focus.

@Mollie I understand that there is choice. It's just that there are requirements for a science major that are quite extensive, and then there's the freshman year science requirements (physics and calculus). If you're taking humanities courses with science classes, you're still taking science classes. That isn't really a break- it's more work! I guess that if I'm even applying to MIT, I'm OK with a lot of work. My real concern is how MIT students avoid burn out when so many math/science courses are required of them.


I understand there are extracurricular arts, but how is there time to do any of them with the workload. I've talked to a friend that goes to MIT, and she does 10 hours of homework per night. She has excellent grades, but she is working so hard she can barely take it. I don't want to do 10 hours of homework a night. I mean, she gets almost no sleep.

noimagination

That post makes it seem like you consider math/science "work", as in something you are willing to do but don't enjoy. Why are you considering a science major (much less applying to MIT) if you don't like the idea of a lot of science?

k4r3n2

Sorry, I'm going to have to agree with everyone else here - if you're going judge other people for their social graces, you aren't going to fit in at MIT. I understand that the college application process is a stressful time, but I have really and truly never met anyone at MIT who's anything less than understanding about people's lack of social awareness. This is one of the most fantastic parts of MIT - I feel like I'm never being judged. But if you feel as though you won't be able to thrive in this sort of an environment, then you really don't belong here.

As far as the workload goes, this semester, I'm taking a relatively light load (48 units, but classes that are typically known to be not that much work), and I probably find myself doing 3 hours of homework a night on a good night, and 6 to 7 hours of homework a night on a bad night, as do most of my classmates. Assignments take on average 6-7 hours to complete and are given out once a week or so. Yes, it's a lot of work, and if you don't want to do it, you should consider going elsewhere for college. Pretty much everyone I know agrees that there is a lot of work, but it's interesting, and the only thing they really dislike about it are the time limits. I've been given many, many problems that I'd like to explore in greater detail, but I can't, because there's another problem due next week.

So. If you would like to go to a school where everyone's poised and articulate and where you get 8 hours of sleep a night, you shouldn't come to MIT. But if you're willing to have an open mind, and you'd like to tackle interesting problems and live with amazing, kind, and giving people, then perhaps this is the school for you after all.

If this is really your attitude, you should look elsewhere for college.

kitkatkatie

I do enjoy science classes. That's why I'm on my third year of college science classes at the local university. I could graduate next year with two degrees, but I'd like to go somewhere else to get a bit of variety. I'd just like a bit of a break (like, a semester) from all that intense science in college. Is that really too much to ask?

And I think I'm completely justified in saying that someone is socially awkward, especially when it is true. And, I've only commented on his social skills because that's what made me have doubts about MIT... I could have talked about him actually understanding my research project when so many people don't, or him being very kind when I talked about my terrible home life, but I didn't because it wasn't relevant to my question/issue. I'm not ragging on MIT here, I'm raising some questions that I have about the only thing that is detracting from the school in my mind. Yes, MIT has my dream research lab (Stephanopoulos), and it's in an excellent location for the arts and business (Boston), and it has the best study abroad program for the sciences I've ever seen. I love all these things, but they are not a part of the doubts/questions, so I did not post them.

Of course I wouldn't apply to MIT if I didn't like science- duh! I'm just saying that I have broader interests than that, and I've been heavily focused on science, and I'd like a semester break from it. Yes, I know about the extracurriculars. I'd like to have some classes that aren't science, but are challenging- something that I haven't gotten as of yet. Seriously, if that is so foreign to MIT students, then I should withdraw my app right now. Having a break and not burning out on a subject? That should not be foreign o any student, and it will be a part of my college career.

I thought MIT was the perfect place for me, but after considering the social awkwardness already present in my nerdy group of friends, and then seeing the EC be a bit awkward, it was a bit too much and I needed a bit of reassurance from someone who actually knows MIT. I have social skills, and I'd like to have some friends at college that have social skills. That's all.

k4r3n2

I feel like you're missing the point - people at MIT do have social skills. Part of having social graces is being able to interact with a variety of people, regardless of how 'awkward' you may think that they are. This is an area in which many MIT students excel - they're capable of seeing that someone who doesn't make eye contact really listens to what you have to say, for example, or perhaps someone with a weak handshake really has his stuff down when it comes to organic chemistry. It is a very important skill to be able to look past someone's exterior and be able to recognise that, despite his or her quirks, he or she is an engaging and interesting person, and one who you'd like to get to know better. If a little bit of awkwardness is going to make you doubt that MIT is the place for you, well, in all honesty, it's probably not.

kitkatkatie

It's more that the awkwardness freaked me out when I'm considering going through a ton of hardships in going to MIT. I'm sure there are socially adept people there, and I just needed some reassurance. All I got was a couple helpful comments and a tons of people jumping down my throat. I'm not reducing the EC to an awkward person- I'm just saying that was something that concerned me when combined with other experiences. If you had read my post, k4r3n2, you'd see that I see other things that I like about the EC.... I mean, he's a person.

I get your point about the social skills not defining academic skills. yes, that is true, and a lot of my friends are like that. i can a do spend time around those kinds of people having fun. I would like to spend time around people that know their organic chemistry and have a good handshake. That combination is something not present at the local university here- either you party and skive off school, or you're a complete nerd (I know there's a medium, but there are waaay to many party-ers here). I'd like to hang out with people that can speak articulately, be socially comfortable, and have mad science skills. That's what I was hoping to find with the people at MIT, especially as the interview component of the application is so heavily weighted. I need to find the balance. There are some articles on the mitadmissions website talking about this balance, and that's part of what had me excited about the school.

Do you understand where I'm coming from?

btw, I'm actually studying for a diff EQ exam now, and enjoying it. Hmm, I bet there's a lot of that at MIT.

kitkatkatie

oh, and thanks to mollie for the blogs on the arts. they are really helping!

k4r3n2

All I've really seen is people telling you not to freak out or make snap judgements about an entire university based on your negative experience with one person. Perhaps you should wait and come to CPW if you're still nervous that MIT is full of socially awkward nerds.

la montagne

This thread is making me want to tear my hair out.

I side with k4r3n2. I could go into it, but I think everyone is on edge enough now that any response I give would just be seen as an attack on somebody.

kitkatkatie

you guys are making me want to withdraw my app. seriously.


I'm done with this thread/conversation. I have other stuff to do- like actually completing my apps.

Bye.

molliebatmit

I'm not sure which major specifically you're considering, but the science majors with whose requirements I'm familiar (brain/cog sci, biology, physics) all have lots of room for elective courses, and you could choose to take your electives in any department. I ended up doing a double major with my extra elective space, but others make different choices.

You could also consider a program like 21S, which is essentially a design-your-own major combining a humanities field and a science field.

This is something that varies quite a bit from person to person, and one thing to keep in mind is that it's something of a virtue at MIT to exclaim loudly about how much work you're doing an how little sleep you're getting.

But for me (as someone who's not a super-genius by any means), I had time to complete a double major, cheer on the cheerleading squad, work in my undergraduate lab, spend time relaxing with my friends and boyfriend, and sleep about 7 hours a night. It took time management skills, for sure. But even in my busiest semesters, I was not doing homework 10 hours a day, and nobody I knew was doing 10 hours of homework a day, either.

My feeling, if it means anything, is that you should apply and worry about going if you get in this spring. I am completely confident that you can find a group of people at MIT who will make you happy.

Mikalye

I can speak to this as I have been involved in recruiting and selecting EC's. It is not as easy as it sounds. For starters, my territory is big, I need to fly to get to parts of it, and as a result, I have EC's working in my own territory that I have never met. Now before I sign someone up as an EC, I want to communicate with them, usually by e-mail and phone to validate that everything seems right, and assuming that it all does, then they become an EC.

EC's are some of the finest, most wonderful people that I know. They are all MIT alums that are so enthused by their MIT experiences that they are willing to share them with a crowd of eager applicants each year. For me personally, it takes roughly an hour to do an interview and around three hours to write the report. The deadlines apply to us also, and heck, MIT even grades each interview report we write on how useful it is to the admissions office. So when I am recruiting EC's I am looking for articulate, motivated giving folks who are willing to put in many, many unpaid hours to assist MIT and applying candidates.

And the wonder of it, is that it isn't harder to recruit ECs. The six EC's who live closest to me are a banker, a computer programmer, a fashion designer, a musical composer, an HR director and a management consultant. They come from all walks of life, and are united only in their enthusiasm for MIT, and their willingness to help.

Now in some regions, I have a surfeit of EC's and I can afford to be quite picky. But I lost three EC's in one part of my territory in the last few years, leaving me seriously shorthanded there and any reasonable and articulate EC expressing interest there is almost certain to be accepted. There are some 2850 EC's all over the world. The overwhelming majority of them are exceptional people, but if there is the odd one who is "very nice" and makes "a good impression" who nevertheless has minor social failings, then I am not at all surprised.

Mikalye

OK, now you are talking about stuff I can talk about. I did study theatre at MIT. I got out and worked professionally in theatre and held an actor's equity card. I know of several people who have done this, and I never took any courses off campus. Don't misread what I was saying. The arts cross-reg program isn't for everyone. The advantage of it, if you are into the visual arts, is to take courses at a design school, both MassArt and SMFA are specialist visual arts schools offering programs deeper than those offered at any general university.

However, for the performing arts, lets talk about what is available on campus. In the music department, twenty-three professors and lecturers who specialize in composition, performance, music theory, and music history offer a wide variety of classes. In the theatre program courses are taught on campus in acting, stagecraft, set, costume, and lighting design, playwright and directing.

You speak of extra-curricular groups and there are many of these from the musical theatre guild and the Gilbert and Sullivan players, Roadkill Buffet (the improv comedy troupe) and the Black theatre guild.

However, there is a great deal of faculty led training. Professor Janet Sonenberg develops work with students that is eventually produced in the professional world. Most recently, she commissioned a play between MIT and the Royal Shakespeare Company of the UK, on which the MIT students served as dramaturgs and creators.

Plus the 4-1-4 academic calendar allows you to use IAP to tour. Nothing gave me more useful theatrical training than the January touring schedule. Last year Dramashop toured the UK.

Now don't get me wrong. There are far better theatre programs in the US. Yale, Northwestern, UCLA, NYU, Vassar, Brown and others all have better programs than MIT. But at none of these schools are you able to do theater while still having "science as the main focus." It cannot be done. These programs are solely for people who have drama as the main focus. And if you do not, then you are limited to a wide range of extra-curricular activities.