<p>I'm visiting MIT this weekend, and unfortunately I can't visit on a weekday so I'm going to miss the tours and the info session. Can any students give advice about what they recommend I see to get the best possible feel for the school? I'm not entirely sure how to go about it, or if it will be worthwhile.</p>
<p>I would heavily suggest doing one of these two programs:
[MIT</a> Admissions: Staying Overnight](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/youmit/staying_overnight/index.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/youmit/staying_overnight/index.shtml)</p>
<p>Wandering around campus on your own not knowing where things are happening will likely be boring.</p>
<p>So you’d suggest signing up and going up there again? Would you recommend before or after I apply?</p>
<p>I’m just kind of upset, because there are so many students, but when I contact the admissions offices to see if there is any way I can meet with one, they are kind of curt. I know that the admissions offices are closed but it’s hard for me to get transportation all the way up there on a weekday… Haha I know it is dumb to pick a college based on how friendly the admissions people are, but it turns me off (yeah i’m quite sensitive).</p>
<p>Er, what are you expecting them to do exactly? Do you want to line up an overnight stay, or do you want them to lasso a current student out of the hallway and have them talk to you?</p>
<p>yeah, you’re right it was dumb of me.</p>
<p>Does anyone who graduated from your HS go to MIT with whom you could stay this weekend and maybe show you around?</p>
<p>It’s not that it’s dumb, it’s that I can’t really give you advice if I don’t know what you’re trying to do.</p>
<p>If you just want to talk to a current student, MIT kids are often described as “pathologically friendly”. If you politely introduce yourself to someone as a prospective student, they’ll probably be more than happy to talk to you about their dorm, coursework, experience so far, whatever you’d like to know.</p>
<p>If you’d like to do an overnight, depending on when you’re getting here, it might be too late to set one up through the regular overnight program. However, if you have a friend from high school, you can probably sleep on his / her floor.</p>
<p>We haven’t had anyone from our school go to MIT, or I would definitely try and contact them. Yeah, I just want to talk to students but I don’t want to bother them… Or for it to be awk. Would it be better if I just walk around by myself without my parents and just go up to people?</p>
<p>People are generally pretty friendly, I don’t think it would matter if you were with your parents or not. I’ve definitely talked to random prefrosh and prefrosh with their parents.</p>
<p>I’m just shy in front of groups I guess. Went to Olin today and I got a potentially lasting uneasiness about the school because I was too shy to go up to this group and they were the only ones out… My mom said it seemed like I was stalking them. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go to MIT now because I don’t want a similar experience to turn me off. I just don’t really know what to say… Is it a lot easier for other people?</p>
<p>^It’s totally normal! (Lord, walking up to a group of people and having to start a conversation is pretty much my version of hell.)</p>
<p>At MIT, you could go to the Student Center, and there will be people in groups and by themselves at any hour of the day, so you could select your group size.</p>
<p>Of course, you could always do an informal visit now, and wait to talk with people until Campus Preview Weekend in the spring, when there are lots of other prefrosh and there’s more of a structure for meeting people and talking about MIT.</p>
<p>I’m sorry about this whole issue, because it does sound really frustrating. </p>
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<p>Nope, it’s not. I would hesitate too to go up to random people to start a conversation if I were in your situation. A good idea may be to walk around the school by yourself for a while and see whether there’s a student sitting somewhere by herself and try to start a conversation that way… It’s easier that way than trying to speak to a group of people. </p>
<p>I don’t go to MIT or else I would offer to take you around. But if you’re coming to visit Harvard and desperately need a tour or something, let me know :).</p>
<p>Thanks! I felt so silly but you guys made me feel a lot better. I appreciate the advice mollie! I think I’m going to schedule an overnight somehow because now I’m certain. I’m applying here ea. Should I try and do it after I get my admissions decision instead of before? I walked around today and. finally got the vibe everyone was telling me I. needed. I’m doing a self guided tour tomorrow 
AlsoxrCalico, I’m going to harvard tomorrow afternoon so I’ll let you know if I like it too!</p>
<p>Yay vibe ^.^</p>
<p>I highly, highly suggest coming to CPW in April (if you get accepted). If you can only do one visit up here, make it CPW.</p>