<p>My son really liked the guy who interviewed him from MIT and the student who gave him the campus tour. However, he just did not like the feel of the campus as well as he did Caltech, which is a good thing, because MIT is very much into the diversity thing, and my son did not have that going for him. I really think you should apply to both places, because as others have said, one alumni should not be the basis of your decision. Even if you can’t visit both places yet, wait and see where you get in and visit before you decide. I know everyone kept telling my son to visit everywhere, but being in the middle of the country, we could just not afford it. We went on a car trek east before his senior year, and visited the places he got into and was interested in on the west coast in the spring of his senior year. I do agree with you that talking to people who have been there is key, but I would not write off a school that may be perfect for you based on a sample of one, so going there, if you have the time and the money, is really the best way to go, and you can save a few bucks by seeing where you get into first.</p>