natim1

I'm pretty good at math (but certainly no genius, I have an A in Calc II, but I have to try a bit; I suck at those AMC things). I love AP Biology, indifferent toward AP Chemistry and HATE HATE HATE AP Physics. I want to major in Economics. Is MIT, academically, right for me?

mathboy98

I'm not even a student there, and I can tell you most students will tell you that you need to give more information, plus that it really is a personal decision you have to make after visiting.

You can get a tough math/science education in a ton of universities, and learn the material about as well. MIT is distinguished by its student culture and concentration of certain kinds of minds. A strong interest in math and science probably helps a lot. I doubt you have to like all forms of it, but that said...what you feel about certain fields of science and math can almost be irrelevant until you go a little deeper. Sometimes your initial gut feel will be right, but it must really be substantiated further with knowledge of what is to come in higher level material.

natim1

Well, I can't visit SO...CC will have to cut it. My question is, I guess, whether or not MIT is solely for math/science. Are humanities/more creative people just not a good fit?

Nocturne

Disclaimer: I'm an MIT student, class of 2013.

Economics at MIT, as at most top universities, is strongly quantitative. Many economics majors here and elsewhere minor or even double major in mathematics or other highly mathematical disciplines. That said, almost everyone has to try at least "a bit" to do well in mathematics courses, and the AMC and subsequent such exams test concepts that you are unlikely to have been exposed to much of in high school (which is kind of the point of the tests) -- I doubt that's much cause for concern.

The most important factor is how much you enjoy and/or care about the material that you're learning -- dedication will trump a skill differential at onset any day. If you are truly dedicated to economics, you'll learn it fine. If you find that you prefer another field, our programs in pretty much everything else are among the best in the world as well. This emphatically includes biology and its more applied and quantitative cousin, bioengineering. It also includes business, if you find that you prefer application to theory. MIT, unlike a number of other top schools, is a very open place academically. Major declaration does not occur until the beginning of sophomore year, and it is easy to cross departmental lines to pursue your interests as they continue to develop. In fact, this was a major factor in my decision to attend.

I haven't spent as much time at other schools as I have here, for obvious reasons, but I have met and interacted with plenty of very creative people. Also, while our humanities departments are fairly small due to our generally technical emphasis, the classes themselves are on par with those of other elite institutions. MIT's overall philosophy sees the humanities largely as complements and context for more technical fields, so while there may not be as many offerings as at another school, overall quality will still be stellar. Many students minor or even declare a second major in a humanities field, and at a minimum all undergradutes must take at least eight humanities, arts, and social sciences ("HASS") courses to graduate. That said, if you decide to declare a primary major in certain (by no means all) humanities fields, you may find your electives to be more constrained than they might be at another top school. But if that actually becomes a problem, which is honestly quite unlikely, you can cross-register for courses at Harvard with a minimum of paperwork and no financial impact whatsoever. Likewise, Harvard students can cross-register here.

Continue to research your options, but keep in mind that impressions garnered over the Internet are often exaggerated (speaking from personal experience -- I spent at least a hundred hours doing similar things). Honestly, though, if you get into any one of HYPMS or another top school, you will be absolutely fine. I have friends at all of them, and they are all absolutely amazing institutions. It's often a matter of personal taste in atmosphere and some generally slight comparative advantages when you're deciding at that level, honestly, so apply to a lot of top schools -- in spite of cultural differences, they're more similar than they are distinct (something I wish I would have known earlier). Even if you can't go on a campus visit before applying, though, be sure to spend some time at any school that you are admitted to and actually considering attending -- there really is no substitute for firsthand experience. If you get into MIT, on that note, we hold Campus Preview Weekend specifically to make it more convenient for students to make the most of a visit, and I would highly encourage you to come. Lastly, whatever you do, don't forget a safety or two.

Best wishes!

neuron39

I believe you will be required to take Physics as a Core Requirement (GIR).

k4r3n2

Yes, you'll have to take 2 semesters of physics. That being said, I'm a very poor physics student who absolutely hated it in high school, and I managed to get through it just fine. You don't need to love it, you just need to pass it.

littlemikey4

MIT has great humanities programs, its different than Caltech where you'd be wasting your time and setting yourself up for major failure if you didn't love math/science

la montagne

<quote>Well, I can't visit SO...CC will have to cut it.</quote>

False... look at the blogs. MIT Admissions. They're much more representative, and much more interesting.

PiperXP

I love you. Particularly, I love the title of this post.

As Karen said, you will have to get through two terms of physics - can you do that if you hate physics? What do you hate about physics now? Sometimes you have to deal with a class you hate, sometimes it's just not worth it - that's up for you to decide.

As la montagne suggested, read the admissions blogs. That's what they're there for. Try to get a feel for the school. If you're worried about academically being able to handle it, don't -- admissions decides that when they do or do not let you in. But wanting to be a part of the culture is of very great importance ^.^