<p>Since Stanford people can take 3 quarters of classes in a year(fall, winter, spring) whereas MIT people take 2 terms(fall, spring), how do these two compare? It seems like Stanford people can end up taking a lot more classes? Is the learning really crunched up in the quarter system?</p>
<p>You get to take more classes, which is a plus in my opinion. You will take probably 8-10 with semesters and 9-12 with quarters. The learning curve is fast--you might have midterms beginning in your third or fourth weeks, but that also breaks the material up into smaller, more digestible chunks. The material for each course is less expansive, meaning more focus.</p>