some more questions

Colleges & Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>Is it true that MIT has three day weekends (free Mondays)? Are there any pass/no record classes available after first semester of freshman year? Why is the med school acceptance rate (~73%) so much lower than other top schools such as Brown (~90%)? Are PE classes part of your GPA? Do you get grades for UROP? Thanks.</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>Yes, there are three and four day week-ends, but not every week-end. Here's the academic calendar. <a href="http://web.mit.edu/registrar/www/calendar.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://web.mit.edu/registrar/www/calendar.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li>
<li><p>Sophomore year you can designate one class each semester as an Exploratory Subject. "Sophomores may designate one subject as Exploratory in each of their fall and spring semesters. An Exploratory subject is one in which the student may either accept the grade awarded or change the subject from credit to Listener status. Any subject at MIT, including an Institute or departmental requirement, may be designated as Exploratory."
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/acadinfo/undergrad/academic-guide/sec8.html#Exploratory%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://web.mit.edu/acadinfo/undergrad/academic-guide/sec8.html#Exploratory&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li>
</ol>

<p>Jr. and Sr. year you can also do this: Juniors and seniors may designate up to two subjects to be graded P/D/F. These subjects may be taken both in the same term or in separate terms, including IAP. They cannot be used to fulfill an Institute, departmental, or minor requirement. (same site as in #2 above)</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Can't answer, but I would guess it's because med school admissions are very "number" driven, there is no grade inflation at MIT, and A's are harder to earn at MIT.</p></li>
<li><p>I don't know.</p></li>
<li><p>You can take UROP's for credit or for pay, but I don't believe you get a grade.</p></li>
</ol>

3

<p>
[quote]

Is it true that MIT has three day weekends (free Mondays)?

[/quote]

Haha, well we don't have three-day weekends every weekend! But it is true that we have at least one three-day weekend per month, and a four-day weekend (free Monday/Tuesday usually) about every other month.</p>

<p>
[quote]

Are there any pass/no record classes available after first semester of freshman year?

[/quote]

Yes. During your junior and senior year you can take two classes total on P/D/F -- the option is called junior/senior</a> P/D/F.</p>

<p>
[quote]

Why is the med school acceptance rate (~73%) so much lower than other top schools such as Brown (~90%)?

[/quote]

That's the million dollar question around here these days. My money is on the fact that a higher percentage of MIT premeds are engineering majors than are premeds at other schools, and engineering majors the wide world 'round tend to have lower GPAs than equivalently intelligent but otherly majored students.</p>

<p>
[quote]

Are PE classes part of your GPA?

[/quote]

No.</p>

<p>
[quote]

Do you get grades for UROP?

[/quote]

You can if you want. You can either be paid or get credit for UROP in any given term; you can't get paid and work for credit at the same time.</p>

<p>EDIT: Oops, cross-post. :)</p>

4

<p>Mollie - I'll let you post next time, as I'm sure you already knew all of this and I had to google it. But I'm glad to know I got most of it right.</p>

5

<p>I think multiple sources of information >>> a single source of information every time!</p>

6

<p>Thanks for both responses!</p>

7

<p>Is there a "shopping period" for classes?</p>

8

<p>We don't call it that, but yes, there is.</p>

<p>Add Date, the last day you can add a class to your schedule, is three or four weeks into the term, so you can clearly add a class to your schedule that wasn't originally in the schedule.</p>

<p>Alternately, Drop Date is very late (three or four weeks before the end of term), so you could just add a bunch of courses and drop the ones in which you end up not being interested.</p>

9

<p>Can you walk in on other classes if you want though?</p>

10

<p>Yea usually. There are some classes that are in big lecture halls so no one would really mind.</p>

11

<p>What do you mean by "walk in on"?</p>

12

<p>I think s/he means just sit in on/listen to the lecture.</p>

13

<p>Oh, god, of course. You can walk into any random lecture hall any random day you want. If it's a small class, I guess you might have to say "Hi, my name is X and I wanted to listen in on class today," but I can't imagine anybody would have a problem with it.</p>

<p>You can also officially take a class as a "listener", meaning you register, go to class and have it on your transcript, but don't get a grade or credit for it.</p>

14

<p>I'm back with more questions...
How many classes are you limited to take a term? Does tuition go higher if you take more?
Can UROP replace the lab requirement for a class?
Do all dorms cost the same?
If I join a sorority or independent living group, are the fees the same as the dorm fees? Does my dorm financial aid apply to living in sorority housing?</p>

15

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<p>I don't think so (if you mean just the lab part of the units of a class). Someone else can answer this, hopefully.</p>

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<p>I'm pretty sure that they are not the same fees, but I'm not in a frat/ILG, so don't take my word on that.</p>

16

<p>When are the breaks (winter break, spring break, etc.)? Is IAP 4 weeks long?</p>

17

<p>Here is a calendar showing all sorts of dates from this year, including holidays:
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/registrar/www/calendar.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://web.mit.edu/registrar/www/calendar.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>IAP is four weeks.</p>

18

<p>For the core requirements, can students fulfill them during any year or do some have to be taken during freshman year? Also, can students drop a core requirement class and then retake it another term?</p>

19

<p>who in the right state of mind will go over 4 courses at MIT freshman year anyways...or even after that...yeah maybe 5 ..but wouldn't that be like very hectic considering the lab work and psets to be done outside of class..( i think 4 courses is already like over 50hrs a week of work aint it...leaving out any UROP u might be doing)</p>

20

<p>hmmm i'm no MIT student..but i think the core makes the first year...and then in sophomore year you have to designate major...
I am pretty sure thats how it is at MIT and Caltech both..</p>