Should I go to MIT?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>Ok, so obviously MIT is an incredible school, and im really happy that i got in, but im not sure if it is a fit for me. I got accepted into a couple of other schools that are not quite as good academically, but they are schools where i think i would fit in more. Here are some of the fears I have about MIT:</p>

<li><p>I am not a huge math/science person. Would this alienate me? I do like science, but i consider myself well-rounded in terms of the classes i like. (I want to take spanish, english etc. in addition to classes like bio and math) Would the science requirements make this difficult?</p></li>
<li><p>I’m scared I am going to be playing catch-up all of my 4 years there. I am in no way a genius and the scores and grades i have gotten have been mainly a product of hard work. (2210/ 3.9) ← and these are probably lower than a lot of people’s scores</p></li>
<li><p>I am a social person and out of the friends i have now i am one of the most studious. im scared i wont be able to make friends–not because i think all people at MIT are nerds–but because i just dont think i will have the same interests and priorities as they do. For example, at CPW it seemed like everyone was really excited to talk about math/ see science experiments done etc. whereas i like to pursue non academic pursuits in my free time…</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Also, I am considering playing a varsity sport. If I made the team (the coach said i probably would) i would be one of the worst players and probably wouldnt get much playing time. Do you think I should try out? Is it worth the time committment if you arent playing much? I like the sport, but the main reason i would be doing it would be to create a social network for myself/ stay in shape.</p>

<p>Overall, I think my main fear is that I didnt deserve to get into MIT. im afraid i
will be struggling both academically and socially if i go there, but at the same time i really dont want to give up on such a great opportunity if it only means
putting in a little extra work. i do care about academics, but i am afriad i wont be able to find a support system of friends who are like me.</p>

<p>any advice would be appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Sure, not everyone is going to come in prepared to be top of the class, but the question is, are you excited about the challenge? If you are apprehensive and not the least excited, you shouldn't come to MIT. Also, if you're worried about being the worst player on an MIT varsity team, I dont think going to any other school except maybe Caltech would help</p>

3

<ol>
<li> If MIT accepted you, you're good enough to do the work.<br></li>
<li> The science and math requirements aren't burdensome to people who like science and math.</li>
<li> MIT is not known for classroom discussion. If that's what you want, go elsewhere.</li>
</ol>

4

<p>
[quote]
1. I am not a huge math/science person. Would this alienate me? I do like science, but i consider myself well-rounded in terms of the classes i like. (I want to take spanish, english etc. in addition to classes like bio and math) Would the science requirements make this difficult?

[/quote]

The science requirements don't make this particularly difficult. If you come to MIT with no AP or advanced standing credit, and you take four classes a term, you will take a total of 32 classes. Eight of those will be required humanities classes, and nine will be required science classes. Your major will require a certain number of classes (mine each required 8). This leaves you with seven or so totally elective classes -- almost one per term. If you come in with AP or advanced standing credit, or if you're willing to take more than four classes per term, you can take as many electives as you want.</p>

<p>
[quote]
2. I'm scared I am going to be playing catch-up all of my 4 years there. I am in no way a genius and the scores and grades i have gotten have been mainly a product of hard work. (2210/ 3.9) <-- and these are probably lower than a lot of people's scores

[/quote]

People generally feel that freshman year, and first semester in particular, is a big leveler. People come in with all sorts of backgrounds, but after taking the GIRs at MIT, they are all basically at the same level of preparation.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I am a social person and out of the friends i have now i am one of the most studious. im scared i wont be able to make friends--not because i think all people at MIT are nerds--but because i just dont think i will have the same interests and priorities as they do. For example, at CPW it seemed like everyone was really excited to talk about math/ see science experiments done etc. whereas i like to pursue non academic pursuits in my free time..

[/quote]

There are lots and lots of people like this at MIT -- maybe you just weren't looking in the right places at CPW? There are a huge variety of social experiences at MIT, and I am pretty comfortable saying that no matter what you're like, there's a group at MIT for you.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Also, I am considering playing a varsity sport. If I made the team (the coach said i probably would) i would be one of the worst players and probably wouldnt get much playing time. Do you think I should try out? Is it worth the time committment if you arent playing much? I like the sport, but the main reason i would be doing it would be to create a social network for myself/ stay in shape.

[/quote]

If the main reason you're doing it is to stay in shape and meet people, then of course it's worth it! :) For what it's worth, I loved being an athlete at MIT, because I felt like it really helped me to prioritize and to do my schoolwork without procrastination. (Well, that's not the only reason, of course.)</p>

<p>
[quote]
i do care about academics, but i am afriad i wont be able to find a support system of friends who are like me.

[/quote]

It's very rare that people genuinely don't find a group -- as I said above, there's a huge variety of people at MIT, and if you look hard enough, you'll find a group of people who will support you and be awesome. Have you read any of the info about different dorms and living groups? Is there a dorm or FSILG that seems to fit your personality?</p>

<p>Ultimately, if you don't feel like you're a fit for MIT, you owe it to yourself not to come. Nobody should come to MIT "because it's MIT" -- if you come for the name or for the prestige, you're setting yourself up to be unhappy. You should choose MIT if you want the experience, if you like the people, and you want to take advantage of the resources.</p>

5

<p>"3. MIT is not known for classroom discussion. If that's what you want, go elsewhere."</p>

<p>What do you mean by that?</p>

6

<p>I don't know what Greennblue's talking about in terms of lack of class discussions...being a management major at the Sloan Business School, discussing is all we do in class. One aspect of it may be that many of the other majors are taught in lecture style format...a format that's pretty much comparable to any school you'll go to. As for the discussion based classes, management classes are just an example: the professor teaches concepts by leading discussion. Even the assignments are group work where you have to do 2-4 page write ups. The same applies to humanities classes. Humanities classes are generally smaller (about 25 students usually) and you get even more face time with the prof. </p>

<p>MIT highly encourages collaboration and discussion among students and faculty. But I should warn that you will sit through your share of boring lectures.</p>

7

<p>thanks for all the advice, i will definitely keep these things in mind while making my final decision.</p>

<p>i dont mean to make it seem like i have a difficult personality-- im sure ill be fine with whatever school i choose.</p>

<p>i actually have a sibling who goes to MIT who says i should be fine.. i just wanted to get some different perspectives.</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

8

<p>Fit is highly personal. When I visited MIT prior to enrolling, I didn't actually sit in on any of the science or engineering courses which I presumed would be superb, but I visited a lot of humanities and arts courses, as there I was not sure.</p>

<p>I was very pleased. There was a lot of discussion, a lot of classroom interaction, the classes were small (smaller than the equivalent at Harvard for example, just as the MIT physics classes were larger), and the faculty was very strong.</p>

<p>So I went, and it was the right thing for me. But I had friends at Harvard who would simply not have enjoyed MIT, whereas I always found Harvard a bit precious for my taste. </p>

<p>If you can possibly afford it, visit all of the schools you think that you might attend. See if you can see yourself being happy there for four years. Whether you "fit" is a highly personal decision, and nobody can really give you useful advice.</p>