Test scores and grades aside, would MIT be a good fit for me? I am probably going into the humanities, but I also like science- biology, chemistry. The problem is that I really hate math.
Their website says they have a good humanities program, but I keep getting the vibe that only math people go to MIT. Is there any space for the humanities?
I know there are a hundred other liberal arts colleges I can apply to, but I am interested in MIT because of its financial aid.
Most of the elite private universities (and many non-elite…) have very good financial aid, and they are not as STEM-focused as MIT:
Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, UChicago, UPenn, Dartmouth, Duke, Brown, Cornell, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Rice, Washington U (WUSTL), Notre Dame, Georgetown, Emory…
Elite LACs are also very generous.
I’m not sure how many STEM classes are required at MIT, only that STEM is its bread and butter (and Econ…). I imagine anything that’s available at MIT is very good; I’m just not sure how Humanities-centered an MIT student’s coursework can be.
Doesn’t MIT require Calc I and II for all students?
All of the programs at MIT are great, otherwise they wouldn’t have the rankings they do. It’s a world-class uni. Just because their focus is in STEM doesn’t mean they’re going to offer subpar classes. That would make their ratings plummet. They hire some of the most prestigious researchers in the field. The education you’ll receive will be just as good as any of the STEM-oriented courses.
If you like science and humanities then MIT is a good fit in that respect. However they DO require SAT math scores. If you’re not good at math, unless your other qualifications are through the roof and you can present yourself amiably to the AdComs, then it’ll be a reach. Still, apply.
That aside you should be looking at all facets of MIT. Any elite college will be generous with their aid because of their massive endowments and donations, not just MIT… getting into any of these unis is the toughest part.
MIT is actually grossly underrated in non-STEM fields, particularly in fields such as Business, Economics, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science and Psychology. It excels in all of those fields.
That being said, I am not sure MIT is a good fit for a person who really wishes to focus in the humanities. In many traditional humanities, such as Classics, History and Literature MIT is still lacking. And if you wish to avoid Mathematics, MITs first year will be a nightmare.
You are also likely to find yourself in a very small minority of humanities students on campus. If you want a cohort that includes the usual gamut of art history, psych, poly sci and languages majors, you probably want a school that doesn’t have ‘Tech’ as part of it’s name.
First you can never look at a school saying “test scores and grades aside”. If you are not academically qualified for a particular school (and I have no idea if you are or are not) don’t waste time thinking about it.
I would not go to MIT for humanities. Other equally hard to get into schools have similar aid and more of a focus on your area of interest.
Having met and worked with MIT graduates over the years my sense is that to be successful at MIT you would need to have strong math skills and do well in “basic” courses in the sciences. I put “basic” in quotes because MIT introductory courses in physics, chemistry, etc. would be considered advanced most everywhere else. And by the way it’s impossible, in my opinion, to do “science-biology” and chemistry at an advanced level without deep math skills. And “advanced” is what MIT is about. So minimally you need to be technically talented and enthusiastic about math related courses. Otherwise if you’re accepted and go to MIT you may find yourself with hard courses that you dislike and end up with a low GPS which would prove a burden when you apply to grad school or high-end positions.
On the plus side, increasingly many high-level “non-science” “non-engineering” professions today require deep technical savvy, as for example expertise in statistics, database, etc. And they require analytic skills. Excellent math skills are often essential in many of today’s professions. MIT is a great place to acquire those skills.
For your humanities courses, as an MIT student, you’ll have the option to take classes at Harvard.
To be more specific, I want to major in Urban Planning. (Is that a considered part of the humanities?) MIT has a good program in Urban planning, which is part of what attracted me, but I really hate math. Will I be able to survive at MIT? I see myself as more right-brained, and I keep getting the vibe that only left brained math people go to MIT.
I actually like biology and chemistry, but it’s really just math that I hate. That being said, I can do well in math classes, but not without a considerable amount of struggle and frustration.
I have MIT-level test scores and I’ve taken a math and a science subject test, so in that regard, I have okay chances of getting in, but I’m sure that the SAT Math 2 subject test is nothing compared to the problem sets at MIT. Once I get there will I be swamped with math? Or is math just a first year requirement?
I know there are a hundred other liberal arts colleges I can apply to, but I am interested in MIT because of its good Urban planning program and its good financial aid.
@kasamias9 MIT requires 18.01 and 18.02 (single- and multi-variable calculus), or equivalent, regardless of major.
Almost but not quite true, IMO. I do know a course 11 student though.
Probably not; Course 11 doesn’t seem that math-intensive. Your GIR’s will probably end up being the most math-intensive.
There were flyers last spring asking for students across (about) three different fields of study to join in on this massive cross-disciplinary urban planning “experiment” going on there last year. It involved tracking what was in garbage, recycling and sewage, and the extrapolation from that the kind of predictive medical, sociocultural and material environment that might best serve the future needs of the demographic in the test area, as evidenced by their contemporary consumption and disposal of items.
They also invited people to join them on a “tour” of the water tunnels and infrastructure in NYC. At the same time, I saw a flyer on the wall about a presentation being given by Theodore Zoli, leading bridge designer of cable-stayed bridges, and National Bridge Chief Engineer.
I found all of this fascinating, which quite surprised me.
Go for it. Give it your best shot, and believe there is something there which will help you meet your career goals. Believe you have something to offer, particularly if you know you are able to meet much of the admissions criteria. (There may be a math monster in you yet.)
Listen to MITer94 about the math courses, and then go forth from there.
Thank you @Waiting2exhale !! This was very helpful. It gives me the motivation to to complete my essays!