Hey everyone!

I'll be joining MIT this fall as an international grad student in Mechanical Engineering (super excited!) and I’m trying to figure out housing — which is a bit overwhelming from abroad 😅

I’m really interested in Graduate Junction because it looks super new and clean, and I like the idea of a 4-person apartment — but I’ve seen a few comments about fire alarms going off frequently at night?? Anyone who’s lived there recently: is that still a thing, and is it actually disruptive?
Also, it seems a bit farther from campus than other options — does the distance feel like a hassle in daily life?

I’m also considering Ashdown, Edgerton, and Sidney-Pacific, but they seem a bit older based on what I found online. Have they been renovated lately? What’s the general vibe in those places — quiet, social, clean, comfy?

Also wondering:
– Which dorm would you recommend overall for a good grad experience?
– Any big differences in atmosphere or culture between them?
– Is it better to go for a single room, or live with 3-4 roommates?

And finally — are there other dorms or housing options you'd recommend I look into? It’s hard to get the full picture from abroad, so I’d really appreciate any insight 🙏

Thanks so much!!

I am a Visiting Research Student (Undergraduate) who'll be staying and working at the institute from July to December. I am looking for housing for that period, it would be really helpful if someone could direct me towards the right places for searching.

Also, if someone is willing to sublet a room or part of a house in an on campus housing facility that will be really helpful, cause I am honestly scared to live outside the campus in the current political environment. Even though I'll be coming on a non-immigrant VISA with an official invitation from MIT, I do not want to be mistaken for, as a protestor and get detained.

So, if someone knows some options for on campus housing for the duration of July to December that would be really great. Thank you for helping out.

P.S : I am sorry if my insistence for being apolitical offends someone, but I am not putting forward any political opinion in this post or during duration of my stay. I just want to fulfill the purpose I am there for and learn some new skills and meet some new people.

In the context of a student who will be a varsity athlete in fall and spring, can IAP actually provide 12 units of credit (the max allowed) to lighten the semester load, or is it just courses that don’t really apply to the requirements?

EDIT: Thanks everyone, your comments are very helpful. Just clarifying, by “requirements” I mean not only GIR, but anything required within the major as well. Any major, but I think it’ll be course 6 (EE/CS).

What percent of undergrads spend the month of IAP In some credit-earning endeavor versus those who spend it at home on an extended winter break? Also, across four years of undergrad, how many IAPs did you spend each way?

hi!! im a prefrosh interested in pursuing course 2 (probably 2A w a concentration in biomed?) and I’ll be getting a laptop for college.

What I really want is something light / slim that has really good battery (aka a macbook but ik solidworks doesnt work on mac 😞)

However, I realized that even the windows laptops I was looking at might not be suitable for mechE since CAD and all that would need a strong GPU and the ones Im looking at have no GPU or weak ones.

Is a strong gpu required for this or is the stuff ran on a cloud at mit (not super sure if Im wording this right) aka no GPU would be ok?

Thanks a lot!!! (MAN I JUST DONT WANT A CHONKY BRICK BUT HONESTLY I THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE ONLY OPTION ARGHHH)

I'm a MIT alum considering joining Harvard Club NY (https://www.hcny.com). IIUC MIT alumni are eligible to join the club. Primary reason for me to join is to use the amenities and also make some connections. I am curious about whether people have some experience to share. I wonder whether it would be a bit hard for MIT people to fit in.

Generally speaking, if you do all your psets in any typical course at MIT, and you understand the material/answers to those problems, are you pretty much going to do well on the tests, or do you need to take it to another level to be ready?

How was it! Were their interviews, average test score GPA, insane awards needed? What was it like!

Prefrosh here. I’m horrendous at guitar and interested in practicing but I don’t want to potentially annoy my dorm-mates. Are there private places around campus where I can practice without fear of causing disruption/being in the way?

So I’m trying to narrow down my school choices and I was just offered a scholarship yesterday that makes it possible to attend MIT financially but it requires me to keep a 3.0. I’m nervous about that bec well it’s MIT and all I hear is how hard it is.

Hello,

I'm a current MIT frosh, and I have various things on my mind, but I am not quite sure who to ask. I am planning on majoring in course 8, with plans to do graduate school after MIT (in physics). I am finding that I am struggling quite a bit. I believe I will average B's this semester (this is honestly a best case scenario) and will probably do so for the rest of my stay here. I find myself barely being able to keep up with pset due dates and have done horribly in just about every midterm/final I have taken.

I have also been UROPing since the fall in a physics lab for added context.

(i.) How bad will a B (or lower) average impact graduate school applications (specifically referring to a funded physics program)?

(ii.) If I fall below the 4.0 GPA, is double majoring in something like 6-5 out of the picture? In any case, is double majoring worth it as a safety net for not getting into a physics graduate program with funding?

(iii.) Truly, what can I do to improve?

• CO29 admit

im taking a 1-semester-only elective course on an advanced STEM topic that i had little to no experience in, and it's hitting me like a bus. ive studied, gone to academic help, and completed all my work on time, but ended the quarter really badly. we've only had exams for the grades besides HW, and HW is weighted very little. It's possible for me to end the semester with a B overall (only semester grades show up on transcript) if i try really really hard (boy will i be studying my a off), but it's likely that I'll end with a semester C. the grades in all my other classes will be a semester A unless something unusual happens, but how bad will this look? has anyone had one C out of all As otherwise and gotten a stern email? my parents don't know about my grade and they're going to be furious if they find out. the only bright side is that it's not over yet and i can still work hard this last quarter, and that i could have my teacher vouch for my efforts if it comes to it. but im so stressed holy. it's hard to enjoy my acceptance when im scared of getting rescinded

I’m so incredibly blessed to have been admitted to both schools recently! I’m really debating which one to go to—MIT has been my dream for a long time, and I love the collaborative quirky culture it has. However, the intense workload has me a little concerned. I’m interested in majoring in bioengineering, but it’s not really set in stone and I might switch into chemical engineering, or biochem. Any advice or insights?

tl;dr: email et-summer-housing@mit.edu if you're looking for week-to-week rent starting as early as MIT’s move out date

Looking for cheap summer housing near campus? Consider staying at ET! We're an ILG (independent living group; think co-op type situation) in Brookline and we're looking for boarders for the summer (all students welcome, regardless of MIT affiliation). We charge rent on a weekly basis rather than requiring you to be here for the whole summer like most FSILGs! Email et-summer-housing@mit.edu if you're interested or visit our website (https://et.mit.edu) to get a sense of our v i b e s.

Details - Rent is $260/week or slightly cheaper if you're staying all 13 weeks of the summer - Singles -> quads (Act soon if you want a single! They usually go fast!) - May 22nd-August 17th - First available move in date is the same day as MIT's move out date, unlike most FSILG's summer housing - Late move-out through August 30th may be available upon request

Amenities: - Well-equipped industrial kitchen 🍳 - Air-conditioned common area and sleeping area (plus you’re free to bring a window air conditioner for $25/week) 🌀 - Free laundry 👕 - An endless supply of board games (plus cool, nerdy people to play them with!) 🎲 - Close to Target, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, CVS, and more 🏬 - Locked bike shed 🚲 - Limited parking space (extra fee applies) 🚗 - Convenient to the green line 🚝 - Nearby several parks (including one right across the street) 🌲 - Literally hundreds of rubber ducks 🦆

Hi, I'm a current prefrosh whose looking to finally invest in a laptop and was wondering if anyone had any reccomendations. For further context, I'm looking to go into coures 18 and have a budget of around ~1k

Thank you!

Admitted student here. When are freshmen first expected to arrive on campus? During orientation or some period of time before? Also, how and when does choosing your dorms work? I’m going to be out of the country for the entirety of summer, and I want to make sure I get back on time. Thanks in advance!

Edit: Yeah, this is kinda what I expected from reddit of all places tbh.

hi, i’m a class of 2029 admit and i’m stuck in a dilemma between harvard or mit…ik harvard is more known for liberal arts but they’re well rounded whereas mit is very stem focused. here’s a general rundown of my situation:

Schools: Harvard v. MIT Intended major: chemistry (might go into something synthesis or pharmacology later? but definitely theoretically based etc) Similarities: research opportunities and funding, prestige, proximity/location

Harvard School 1 Pros: - very well rounded - my interviewer said there’s a lot of formal events like galas and stuff - lots of funding - research and top of the line tech for chemistry like spectrometers etc - prestige - THE college - was a bit of my childhood dream (who’s isn’t?) - curriculum known for being amazing - is top in nation for ORGANIC chemistry - is top(ish??) for inorganic chemistry - has DUAL DEGREE FOR PHD:MD OMG - can take MIT classes while there still - old money, old school vibe that i love

School 1 Cons: - known for being liberal arts - more old - heard some bad stuff about ivies dorm quality bc so old - it’s 10k more than MIT per year (but i might get a scholarship full ride and also my parents said they’re covering all of it (?))

MIT School 2 Pros: - newer college - also lots of research opportunities and funding - also top of the line tech but idk how different it is from harvard, if it’s better, etc. - more closely with STEM and i’m full immersed in STEM - can take classes at harvard too - was a bit of my later dream school but i thought it was realist i wouldn’t get in until i did… - MIT hacks - just being quirky and weird and the environment i think, from what i’ve gotten so far and i love that - 10k cheaper per year (check above) (maybe i can appeal harvard using mit offer?) - pirate certificate :D

School 2 Cons: - i didn’t think i’d get in so i prioritized other schools like even harvard - isn’t this like…all engineering - i canNOT engineer - doesn’t take any aps except for ap physics c, which is not offered at my school (and i took 22 aps ;-;) - idk anythingg about being a chem mostly major at MIT or a doctor

Tiebreaking considerations: - tech quality esp for chemistry - RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND QUALITY - stuff for chem majors - student vibe

Hey, I'm a junior rising senior who's been interested in taking the STEM summer internship that MIT offers. Only problem is that the page for the internship says it's been suspended for the foreseeable future, which I'm rather confused about because checking other sites and places say it's still ongoing, and applications are still open. I just wanted to ask them if anyone here knew anything about it and could tell me if it's still occuring.

Which MIT program did NCAE rely on to provide accreditation?

NCAE - Legacy Designee or CAE-R - No Program of Study

And how have you ended up doing?? Were the loans worth it, MiT seems to be one of the few schools where undergrads are encouraged actually take out loans for a private schools

Rising freshman next year, considering pursuing this path above angling to go into robotics (or a related field). I have a good chunk of AP credits that can count for HASS alongside Calc BC and AP Lit / Lang. Any ASEs I should aim for?

Current admitted student, interested in quant. Lucky to have been admitted to Stanford, MIT, Caltech, and Princeton.

MIT seems to be the most optimal school when aiming for quant. (Also a big plus that it's on the east coast since I get to try out a new environment coming from California). I've heard about the MIT pipeline and how it might be better to be on the east coast since most firms come from the east coast.

However, with the large pipeline, a worry I have is the potential competition. It seems that MIT sends a lot of people to quant firms, because there is a very large interest and in turn competition. Also, MIT as a whole seems like a much harder school than Stanford (the two I'm most interested in at this point).

How competitive is MIT when it comes to recruiting? And is MIT really that hard of as a school? I want to have time for extracurriculars and allat.

I’d appreciate any thoughts on this or experiences you guys have.

Get it before it’s gone!

Hi guys, I recently got admitted into the class of 2029 for MIT and plan on going to the Campus Preview next month. Last night I registered before the deadline, and in the screenshot, I was wondering if they're saying that I should email "Partners Travel" or that I will get an email from "Partners Travel" within 24 hours of registration. If I'm supposed to email Partners Travel, can someone provide me with the correct contact information?

And also was that more common in the past or now?