Hi guys,
I just got accepted into MIT (which is insane! I still can’t believe it), and I remembered hearing something earlier about an MIT Summer Program for incoming freshman where they could take higher level math/science classes that their schools may not have offered to prepare them for freshman year. Is this a thing? Or am I possibly confusing it with another school’s summer program?
Thanks so much!
P.S. Sorry if I messed up the format somewhow- this is my first post here.
Swimtrackgirl, My daughter participated in this program…She really liked and helped to find friends before the first day of classes.
Thank you!
From the limited posts, that seems to be the consensus feedback of the MIT Interphase EDGE summer program.
My S22 is thrilled to have been accepted.
Appreciate any tips or suggestions please.
I can’t believe my 1st born is leaving for college in 3 weeks!
I was prepared for mid-August, but this June deal is throwing me for a loop. Yikes!
thanks,
Amanda
For those who were admitted into MIT and are looking for things to do over the summer prior to starting, might I suggest getting a head start on your MIT academic career? (Or if you are already enrolled at MIT, you can do this during your summer breaks)
MIT’s math department has a pre-approved list of Boston-area college classes that you can take for automatic college credit:
Pre-approved transfer credit from local Boston area colleges
The nice thing about this is that you only need to get a B- grade or better for the credit to be accepted for transfer. And the transferred credit shows up as an S grade on your MIT transcript. S is the transfer credit version of a P or Passing grade, and as such, does not impact your GPA. As such, someone who feels a little less confident about math can take a summer class at Harvard Extension or BU and if the grade is B- or better, can transfer the credit over to MIT, or if the grade is below a B-, can just disregard it, as it will not impact their MIT academic record.
I actually got credit at MIT for multi-variable calculus (18.02), linear algebra (18.06), differential equations (18.03), and probability and random variables (18.600) by taking pre-approved classes at Harvard Extension School and BU’s summer sessions over the course of 2 summers. Thanks to that, I graduated from MIT a semester early. (note: my time, MIT removed 18.03 from its pre-approved listings.)
As an MIT math major, it was nice getting 4 math classes out of the way during summer breaks. While I do regret that these classes did not count towards my GPA (since I got A’s in all 4 classes), taking these classes during the summer gave me more flexibility in choosing my MIT classes during the academic year.
Anyways, that was my 2 cents. I know this suggestion only works for those of you local to Boston and with your summers free, but taking pre-approved math classes for transfer credit over the summers was one of the best decisions of my college career. I enjoyed the lower stress of knowing I just needed B- grades from other schools, the piece of mind knowing that even if I messed up it would not harm my MIT GPA, and having more relaxed fall and spring semesters at MIT.
Plus, the cost of taking 2 Harvard Extension School classes + 2 BU summer classes was WAY CHEAPER than a semester’s tuition at MIT. As someone who did not qualify for financial aid, I actually saved quite a bit of money by graduating a semester early, even including the fact I paid for 4 summer classes elsewhere.
My only regret is that I did not take advantage of this more. I would have loved to have transferred 8 classes worth of credit instead of 4 and maybe graduate a whole year early. But oh well…
Thanks for the info!!!
Do you know of any other summer classes outside of math department that may be eligible for transfer? I tried searching, but tbh didn’t find any.
It is also possible to test out of these (and other) subjects by taking an Advanced Standing Exam.
Hundreds of freshmen take them every year, and MIT student newspaper published pass rates annually. Here are the most recent results:
You CAN try taking classes at other colleges and universities and then try to get transfer credit for them at MIT.
HOWEVER… only the MIT Math Department has a pre-approved list of accepted schools/classes. As such, attempts to get transfer credit at MIT for classes taken at other schools are handled on a case-by-case basis.
During my time at MIT, trying to get transfer credit at MIT for physics or chemistry classes were usually considered nearly impossible. Either the scope of subject material or the quality of teaching at other schools were considered insufficient or not meeting what the MIT departments considered up to their level.
I did manage to get MIT credit for Japanese language classes I took at BU. However, the MIT Japanese language head instructor, after examining the syllabus, textbook, assignments and tests I took at BU, only approved me getting credit for MIT Japanese 1, despite me taking BU Japanese 1 and 2.
You will want to check with the appropriate MIT department ahead of time before you take a class at another school in hopes of getting transfer credit. Contact the other school’s subject instructor, request the course’s syllabus, textbook information, etc… then check with the corresponding MIT department to see if it is possible to get transfer credit for said subject. You do not want to invest time and money taking classes that you cannot get transfer credit for.