I Really Want to Love MIT, But...

Hi! I’ve really liked MIT for a really long time, but lately it seems like it’ s not really even worth me applying, because it doesn’t seem to be a good fit. Let me explain, and if someone can contradict these reasons, I would be more than happy. First, I want to major in biochemistry, which isn’t offered. I’m fine with majoring in chemistry instead or trying to more or less create a major, but it’s not a thrilling prospect. Second, I visited the campus about a week ago, and I was rather underwhelmed by the campus. I didn’t really like that I couldn’t quite tell where the campus ended and the city began. Now, 1) we didn’t see all of the campus, 2) I get that some people really like that urban feel, and 3) I am a fairly cheerful person, so I will learn to be happy wherever. That being said, I’m looking for something that feels a bit more stereotypically collegiate (I liked how Harvard is in the city but it has some more idyllic areas as well). I did see a quad-type thing against the water, but it was mostly abandoned and felt less welcoming than the equivalent at other colleges I’ve visited (it could have been the time of day). I couldn’t tell on campus, but how unified are the MIT students? I’m not a sports person, but I’d like a college where it feels like the students are united in some way rather than just attending classes together.
Again, I really want to like MIT, so if you can tell me that any of these thoughts are wrong, please let me know. But if what I describe seems to be accurate, please tell me now so that I can save the application fee.

“and felt less welcoming…”

Having spent 4 years at MIT, and gotten a degree there, I can say that there are a lot of words that can be used to describe MIT. At least IMHO “welcoming” is not one of them.

MIT is academically very strong, and academically very demanding. Many students find it stressful. You don’t go there to have fun and to attend rah rah athletic events. You go there to work hard, then work some more, and learn a lot.

There are a lot of very good schools in the US. Many students want to go to the ones with a big name. It sounds to me that you are starting to think about what it is like to attend different schools, and what would be a good fit for you. This is a very good thing for you to think about.

If it’s any consolation, my D said ‘no’ to MIT this week ( recruited athlete that committed to a D1 program). The MIT coach could not comprehend that a student would choose another school for " fit"… Afterall, it is MIT! she chose wisely.

Sounds like you like the idea of MIT more than the school itself, based on very limited exposure. I’d keep an open mind, and keep your options open. If you’re fortunate to get in, go to CPW and experience more. MIT is the greatest place for those who want to “drink from the firehouse”, but it’s not for everyone; but thete’s no need to rush to a decision prematurely.

MIT’s Course 7 is actually biochemistry despite being called biology. There is also Course 5-7 which allows students to study biology and chemistry simultaneously.

I agree the campus isn’t pretty like Princeton and Yale, but you may come to appreciate its uniqueness. Almost all the buildings are connected above as well as below ground which is great during the winter. Being located in a city, especially Boston which is an exciting place to be a student, definitely has its advantages.

Are the students unified? Maybe not in the way you are imagining. I think MITers are more unified than most other schools because everyone there shares a passion for the sciences. Students rally around nerdy activities like engineering competitions, hackathons, puzzle mystery hunts, the Pumpkin Drop, and hacks.

LOL, I would have to agree.

If you need to “feel” welcomed then MIT is probably not the best place for you. Your observations about green space, and city/campus lines, are all spot on.

Students are unified though. They are up against monster classes that will challenge them beyond their capacity. They unify to collaborate on problem sets and fight the beast!

Though the football team has been good recently, what really packs the house are the design competitions. Check out the size of the audience the largest lecture hall on campus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9ijA4UBCQ0

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MIT absolutely is urban and winter urban does grind some students down a bit. But I have to say that I found
MIT to be a very accepting place, and I felt really welcomed when I visited both Tufts and MIT in my senior year of high school, I stayed overnight at Baker House. At that time, women were rare at MIT so that may be why I had such a good visit experience, back in the 1970s, and in my visits to MIT now, it does feel different.
Biochemistry, MIT is top. There is no way to not get a good science education at MIT. Whether you are in course 7 or course 5, you can take literally hundreds of biochemistry classes, including graduate classes if you are ready, and then get your PhD in biochemistry, you will get into grad school, if thats your goal, to become a scientist with an MIT undergrad degree. The MIT science degrees are just the best on the planet.

Many students do hang out in the great court, but winters in Boston are rough. MIT has an amazing community and alumni network. Cambridge is basically the most hip college town on the planet, and you can cross register at Harvard and Wellesley to round out your education. Think restaurants, early music, intellectual lectures, Boston Symphony, all of Boston is WALKING DISTANCE if you like to walk. But yes, its urban grit in Central Square, with urine smelly subways, and homeless people, when the economy crashes.

To clarify, MIT is interdisciplinary, so do not be fooled by the degree title on your diploma. You can specialize
in biochemistry at MIT as an undergrad. , If you are aiming for a PhD in biochemistry, all graduate programs will look in detail at what undergrad classes you take and you can take the right ones at MIT for certain.

To be happy at MIT, you have to want to take a science and math core, year of physics, semester of biology and a year of calculus, as well as chemistry, which will not be required at a liberal arts college. At MIT, every biochemistry student can start research right away, if you are ready and want to get into a lab.

Save your application fee; there are lots of other schools. My son loved his time there, but it’s not for everyone.

Save your application fee; there are lots of other schools. My son loved his time there, but it’s not for everyone.

Its curious given MIT’s endowment and resources they can’t put some more welcoming architecture on campus. And its dorms—really an embarrassment for a school of MIT’s stature. I really love MIT for its academic rigor and excellence. Its a just pity that some small investment that would have great returns was not made.

Sounds like a bad fit, don’t force it. There are too many other schools out there, especially with MIT level stats. There is unity within social groups, but nothing like the camaraderie of sports fans which unifies total strangers. The quad in front of the student center and auditorium is more lively than the one by the water.

https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/biochemistry-rankings
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/biology-biochemistry

I agree - don’t force it.

Look for a place where you’ll be happy for the next four years.

@jpm50

What they said!!

Dont force it!! I know Doctors who did UG at Univ of Houston, Alabama, and Louisiana. Engineers working side by side from MIT, OSU, and Tulane.

Go where you will be happy and thrive dont get caught up in a name!!

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OK, I do this a lot, but would like to suggest you look at WPI and it’s university wide project/research based program @ https://www.wpi.edu/project-based-learning/wpi-plan. The Biochemistry major is discussed at https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/chemistry-biochemistry.

My niece is an MIT graduate who graduated with honors and a double major in the bio-chem area, but lost her interest in the planned research PhD as it was run into the ground by the constant grind. Her undergraduate education was not wasted and she is a patent lawyer today with a prestigious Boston law firm.

WPI is hardly asleep at the wheel and has a very well developed focus in this subject area. It even has a real campus and a supportive community environment. The program is widely recognized as a pioneering improvement in the project studies/undergraduate research area. Yes, some students have turned down MIT and Harvard for WPI.

You can check out research and resources @ https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/chemistry-biochemistry/research-resources:bz

I agree with @retiredfarmer, that WPI has an outstanding chemistry and biochemistry department.
Disagree that MIT dorms are worse than any college we toured, Carnegie Mellon’s are falling apart,
Georgia Tech is a sterile dungeon for freshman dorms and Case Western, pretty much the same as Georgia Tech.

Dorms are not important to college life, but MIT does offer LIVING GROUPS, which are important, four years
of support, and friends. Only MIT, a few Ivys and Rice University have this level of living group support. Every other school, you move every year, to different houses, and better make your own friends, NO SAFETY NET.

MIT’s living groups are a safety net.

Its as welcoming as any institute of technology I would say. I mean, if you want to study science, its a long long haul. Not every person is suited to biochemistry research, at MIT OP will find out , might be better than wasting ten years in PhD and post docs, only to become a patent attorney! Thats happens way more than scientists want to admit.
The cut comes after TEN YEARS of slavery as a low payed scientist.

Good luck.

And I AM in patent law, prior art searcher and former US Patent examiner, with science background, so I really
know how the drop off works, in the sciences. Its all good. those of us who are verbal with PhDs go into patent law. Lots of money to be made and MIT grads become expert witnesses as well. Very well payed, much better than the biochemists are making!

My son’s dorm, and dorm life in general, was so important to my son. He’s made lifelong friends through his deep involvement in his dorm government. I’m so thankful he had such a positive experience.

I loved my time at MIT. I grew up in a very rural environment, so I was very excited to go to a very urban school… I loved walking along the Charles River, taking the T to Porter Square for some Japanese food, doing some shopping in Harvard Square, watching ducks in Boston Commons, and having dinner dates along Newbury Street. (PS. eating at Top of the Hub is way too expensive. Beautiful view, but overpriced food.) Boston is a bustling place, with cinemas, theaters, museums, and concerts galore.

However, I can understand that MIT’s urban environment may not be for everyone.

In some respects, MIT can be rather hard. Unlike some Ivies out there, MIT is not known for grade inflation. I know that I personally found MIT a bit overwhelming when I first started out. I was use to coasting thru high school, so I was a bit shocked at home long some homework assignments would take me. Also, I struggled with some courses starting out. I let my pride and independence prevent me from seeking out help initially.

But what I loved about MIT was that it provides a lot of support systems to help you survive and even thrive… if you look for it. Professors and TAs provide office hours, where you can ask questions and get additional instruction on materials you are weak on. Once I accepted that I needed help, I started attending office hours religiously. There are even tutoring services available, such as HKN, which provides free computer science and electrical engineering tutors that are paid for by the school.

My first month into 6.042J, I was getting a D in the class. So, I went to every office hour I could attend, and also got an HKN tutor. I managed to get an A in the class at the end of the semester. I attended 8.02 office hours, even when my grades were okay. I made office hours a habit. It was not only educational, but also a bit of a social experience as well. I found it fun. Plus, it does not hurt to have your professors be more familiar with you and see your drive/enthusiasm. I had gotten a lot of recommendation letters from professors that way when I applied to grad schools.

MIT also helps ease the pressure and gives you a chance to explore interesting classes by providing such things as Freshman Pass/No Record, Sophomore Exploratory Option, and Junior/Senior Pass/Fail. I used Sophomore Exploratory Option when I was taking 6.042J. As I had mentioned earlier, I was a D student in the class. Instead of dropping the course, I designated the class Sophomore Exploratory. So, if I did not like my grade after the semester was over, I could retroactively drop the class. If I liked my grade, I could just keep the final grade for the class.

You may not be thrilled by the MIT campus, and that is fair. But consider the advantages MIT has to offer. It can be academically challenging, but also provides support mechanisms to help you thrive. You do not have to decide right away what you want to major in. You can start off taking the core Institute requirements, and explore different courses and majors. I did not decide on my major until the end of my sophomore year.

Also, MIT charges you tuition by the semester, not by the number of credits you take. So, if you are ambitious, you can take a heavier course load if you want to without paying more. You can even save money on tuition if you take a heavier load in fewer semesters if you want to. I finished in 3 years that way.

MIT offers, in my opinion, a surprising amount of flexibility and freedom, great undergraduate research opportunities, and an assortment of extracurricular activities. Heck, I even learned how to figure skate, and did that for most of my Physical Education requirement.

It’s not for everyone. I loved the Humanities Library and studying from a chair overlooking the Charles. It sounds like you want something else. Just move on.