<p>Hi everyone,
I am a MIT alum, class of 2003. I have a B.S. and a M. Eng. degree from Course 3 (materials science and engineering). I currently work in New Jersey, but is about to quit my job to get my MBA. I am going back to MIT Sloan in September. I have been a MIT educational councilor for the past two years.<br>
I love my years at MIT. I would like to use this thread to answer any questions regarding life at and after MIT. My boyfriend got his B.S. from MIT as well (Class of 05' ) and is currently doing his phD there. I lived in Russian House (I am Chinese) and my boyfriend lived in a fraternity.
For high school students: you can succeed at any school, but if you have a choice, choose a school where you feel you will be happiest. MIT for me stands out as being a very entreprenurial place. It's a place for self starters and for doers. People who love action and love to learn will be very successful there. However, it is not the right school for everyone.
Ask me questions, and I will answer as objectively as I can,
Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for throwing your hat in here. It's nice to have an outside perspective. How would you say that finding a job post-MIT (although I see you'll be returning soon) was compared to looking for a similar job with a similar degree from a "lesser" school?</p>
<p>Here's a question that is often asked that perhaps you can put in perspective:</p>
<p>Is it worth it to pay the full price for MIT when other schools, of similar or nearby caliber, offer half or less price tuition?</p>
<p>To kcastelle: I had no problem finding a job when I was graduating. I am currently an engineer at J&J, making medical devices for the heart. I only applied for jobs in the medical device field, but a lot of my friends went into banking and consulting with their engineering degrees. A MIT degree comes with a lot of credibility, that's a huge benefit. My dream is to have my own business one day, so I've been talking to a lot of entreprenurers, when I tell them that I went to MIT, they show tremendous interest and often want to hire me.</p>
<p>Big companies hire from target schools, for example, MIT is a target school for J&J. I represent J&J and go to MIT's career fairs every year. J&J sponsors a research grant for MIT undergrads. Our VP is a MIT graduate. It's something to consider but not the most important. A good school draws many companies to its career fairs, a "lesser" school may not. </p>
<p>You can get a job regardless of where you went to school. I would say my friends from MIT are more ambitious. Many, including myself, want more than just a job. Several of my friends have started their own companies, a couple of them are quite successful. MIT fosters a strong entreprenurial spirit that makes you want to challenge the status quo and want you to think of ways to do things better. </p>
<p>To Spartan: I gave up a full scholarship from Cornell for MIT (I took out a $40K loan total). My boyfriend gave up a full scholarship from UW-Madison and paid full tuition for MIT. I think it really depends on your family situation. Money is a huge factor, I won't downplay it. But neither myself nor my boyfriend regret our decisions.</p>
<p>Regarding some questions about my best and worst experiences at MIT:</p>
<p>Best: </p>
<p>Freshmen year IAP: I took glassblowing and blacksmithing courses. I made a dozen paper weights and a very dull dagger. I was going to be a chemistry major, these two classes led me to switch my major to materials science and engineering.</p>
<p>Freshmen year summer: I went to Japan through the MIT-Japan program and worked at Toray Industries, the company that manufactures the super fast trains in Japan.</p>
<p>My senior research thesis: Not so much the work, but I met my boyfriend in the lab :)</p>
<p>Living in Russian House, a semi-independent living group. Everyone had to do chores. I learned to cook Russian food.</p>
<p>Staying up at night and talking to friends about random stuff. </p>
<p>Worst:</p>
<p>Freshmen year physics: I nearly failed.</p>
<p>First semester senior year: I kept on putting off my required classes for my major because I was taking classes in other departments. I ended up taking 6 classes in my major during that one semester in order to graduate. This is the only time during my MIT career when I felt burnt out by the coursework. Not very smart, not recommended.</p>
<p>Awesome, I like the Sloan School of Business too! That would be one of my choices for grad school.</p>