Massachusetts Institute of Technology Visit Report by Delos

Visit Activities:

Admissions Interview: No - MIT has students interview with representatives in their home towns.

Information Session: Yes - Fast paced, informative, a little dry. No powerpoints or video clips, just an admissions staff member sitting in a classroom with a group of visitors.

Campus Tour: Yes - Our tour guide gave a helpful tour that clipped right along through the campus.

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Campus:

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Everyone we ran into was friendly, and several students chatted with us freely.

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Beyond the regular info session and tour, MIT set us up with a specific tour of EE/Computer science from a student named Dylan, who was terrific.

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Very rainy day, which didn't help, but in its very urban way it is impressive.

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Much more so than other campuses we have seen, MIT's buildings are clearly workplaces, and they come across that way. So they look lived in but taken care of, too.

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We did not visit a dorm, but the students we met seemed content with them.

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Again, it's an urban campus, but things looked safe enough.

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Different, but good. This likely isn't anyone's idea of an idyllic college campus. This place is about learning, on steroids.

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Off-Campus:

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The setting on the Charles River is attractive. Cambridge adjacent to the campus is so-so.

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Although we didn't have time to do much touring, the bottom line is that MIT is a mile from Harvard Square and a mile from Boston Common, give or take. Plenty to do.

Campus Visit Notes for Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Visit Description:

MIT has a very different feel than anywhere else we have been. This place doesn't kid around -- it's about the work. The best physical examples were the utility and mechanical lines overhead in the "infinite corridor" and the plywood furniture of the Stata center (a very incongruous touch given the exterior of that strange, interesting building). The tour guide was very enthused to show us the reading room under the great dome. Honestly, most third tier state schools have more impressive spaces. But despite that, we felt encouraged by everyone's assurance that students had plenty of fun, too, and that this was a collaborative learning environment, not a competitive one. And you can't help but notice that you cross the street from MIT and immediately start walking past numerous major tech businesses that clearly are there because MIT is there.

For us, it was a very good visit because we really felt it gave us the flavor of the place. If you want a college campus where you can occasionally read under a leafy tree, you don't want MIT. If you don't need that, and want a place where you are going to drink from a firehose, here you go. Make sure you have the thirst for it.

Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:

The Le Meridien MIT is perfect, because it's just a ten minute walk to MIT. Even in the rain, not a problem. The room was very nice. The price is what you'd expect, of course.

Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:

Didn't have much chance for this as our stay in Boston was short. The lunch food at the cafe in the Stata Center was actually quite good.

Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):

We took a taxi from the airport, then walked to campus. Not much to tell.