to be honest about it, I want to go to MIT because it’s a place with students that are undeniably perceived as special (whether they are actually special or not i don’t know. i haven’t met them). because of this, the place and the people have a name for itself, and the students are given the privilege of expectation in any opportunity, whether that be an unconventional hobby or a new and unexplored idea in a research area. This privilege of expectation means that MIT students have the freedom to completely explore the ideas they want and will consistently be supplied with the exceptional support to do so, leading to them actually being special, if they weren’t already (as well as the success stories that MIT loves to boast about, like their students with brilliantly quirky fun side projects or their constant output of new and innovative discoveries). To me, it’s always been advertised as a place of normalized spontaneity, as a kid (and now, as a researcher) i’ve always wanted that kind of thing. It’s this quality that makes the college excel not only in the STEM it touts but also on the humanities side of things, and it’s also what produces more expertly well-rounded students.
Personally, I think this is kind of weird of me to say.