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Q: I got a question...Referring to the application fee:“Full name of the applicant must be on the money order”. How can I indicate that someone else is providing the fee?

A: Just make sure that YOUR name appears on the money order! Bugs Bunny, Santa Claus, Miley Cirus......, it really doesn't matter who is writing out the money order. We just need to know which students have paid their fee so we can go ahead and read your application. Get it? Got it? Good.

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Q: I have a question about one of the short answer questions. There is one that asks applicants to describe a situation/project/idea in which they used their creativity. If the situation I describe doesn't relate directly to the field or major I want to apply (i.e. doesn't convey an obvious love for math or science), will the admissions staff get suspicious about that or question the sincerity of the career choice(s) that I may mention elsewhere in the application?

A: Great question (Unnamed applicant)! I should start by saying that we are NOT trying to trick you or be maliciously deceptive with our question. You can write about ANYTHING that you like. If the project that you want to discuss relates to your major interests; SUPER! Kudos to you. However, if it doesn’t relate to your intended major (or science & math), that is COMPLETELY fine as well.

For instance, what if a student indicated that she was interested in majoring in nuclear engineering and wrote about a high school project that she was working on that involved highly enriched uranium........that would be problematic for us. In this example, having experience does not work to your advantage.

The question is designed to allow you the maximum flexibility to write about science/engineering OR non-science/engineering related projects. So go ahead and write about whatever you like, just make sure to use your creativity. ;-)

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Q: Quinton McArthur. What's good? I have registered for the November 7th SAT and have subject tests December 5th. I really want to apply early to MIT. Can I take the SAT I during the November date and my SAT II subject tests on the December date and still be considered for Early Action?

A: Well (Unnamed applicant #2), I would start by saying that standardized tests are just one part of our holisitc admissions philosophy. Yes, we do consider test scores in the admissions process, but typically they play less of a role than students sometimes assume. If you are applying for Early Action (November 1) you can take the November test date and still be considered for Early. If you are applying for Regular Action (January 1), the last test date that you can take is in January. Just because I care, here is the link for the College Board so you can check the dates. You're welcome. You're all welcome!

In your specific case, you will have to be considered for Regular Action because your SAT II subject tests will not be completed until December.

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Q: Hello Quinton. I go to a small private religious school, and my whole senior class has only 35 people. With that said, does my class rank really matter?

A: Great Question “Anonymous Applicant #3”! At MIT, we practice something called holistic admissions. In a nutshell, holistic admissions means that we will take into account a variety of quantitative (Standardized test scores, GPA, & yes, class rank…. if your school ranks, etc.) and qualitative factors (extracurricular activities, interview, letters of recommendation, etc.). To be very honest with you, the quantitative factors are helpful, but only to a degree.

Class Rank means different things at different schools. Some schools are really huge and have 2,000 or more students in their senior class (Shout out to all those TX, CA, FL, & IL high schools). Others, like yours are pretty small. Some of the students at MIT have not even attended formal high school. (We have a wonderful population of home-schooled students here and others with non-traditional academic pathways that sometimes do NOT include gradation from high school.) During the evaluation process, we are looking for students who are the best fit and match for MIT. Sometimes, those students who are the best fit for MIT are also the valedictorian of their high school. Many times, students who are NOT the valedictorian of their high schools are the best fit for MIT. We accept plenty of students who were not the valedictorian of their high school. No need to get bent out of shape because you are not the valedictorian. Just do your best, enjoy your high school courses and if you are a great fit for MIT, I am sure that it will come through loud and clear in your application.

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Q: What is the difference between MIT & _____________ (Fill in the blank with your choice of “Prestigious Big Name University with lots of money”)?

A: One of the biggest differences between MIT and a bunch of other very cool schools is that, regardless of major, our educational experience is fundamentally quantitative and analytical. You will take a core curriculum (General Institute Requirements or GIRs....by now you know that we love acronyms) that is designed to give you a platform from which to learn how to solve problems!

And then there are the somewhat more difficult aspects to articulate. For instance, paper airplanes…..

This is how most people (including me) make a paper airplane! See? Yaaayyyyyyy!!!!! Fun, right?

This is how MIT students make a paper airplane (I found this one day laying in Lobby 7)……

When I was in Dallas, I was trying to explain this very phenomenon to a young man by using the paper airplane example. He listened to what I told him, paused for a moment, then asked me for one of the publications on my table. He proceeded to fold the exact same paper airplane that I had just shown him (See it in his left hand?). Needless to say, I was impressed.....

....and so were other people as well....

Nevertheless, the point is that MIT students are just a little bit different from most other students on college campuses. They have cooler paper airplanes.

My trip was a lot of fun!

I saw the Pacific Ocean……

….got lost on my way to Hollywood, but found Christopher Columbus, who pointed me in the right direction…..

……eventually found the Hollywood Walk of Fame and saw the stars of some of my favorite actors…..

He graduated from my alma mater Morehouse College.

FYI - That is my shoe on the right

….and even ate some strange fruit (Do you know what this is? No, it is not a lime. However, it does taste like an orange!)

I had a blast in California, but it is good to be back home in Cambridge. I got a warm welcome at the MIT Book Fair from an old friend.

Nevertheless, while I was on the road, there were a number of really interesting questions that I thought could be helpful to my nervous prospective student friends on the blogs. So with no further ado….the questions!

Q: I am really nervous about applying to MIT. Do you have any last minute suggestions for me?

A: I know that the application process can be really nerve racking. So here is the best that I have to offer

1. Take a DEEP BREATH…..In fact, take a few
This year you will have to multitask like never before. You have Honors & AP courses to manage, extracurricular activities to lead, jobs to work, family responsibilities to juggle, prom preperations, and on top of ALL of THAT, you are applying to college. Whewww….That makes me tired just THINKING about that list. In order to not go absolutely crazy, you will want to make sure that you have a solid plan in place to get everything done on time. But even before you begin to devise your plan, you need to take a DEEP BREATH and know that you CAN and WILL be okay. So breathe deep and have full confidence that your senior year will be challenging, but oh so worthwhile and enjoyable once you are accepted to colleges and have the opportunity to select which school you would like to attend in a couple of months.

2. Schedule your MIT interview!!!
With everything going on, don’t forget to schedule your MIT interview! The interview is a great opportunity to connect with an MIT alum (Who we call Educational Counselors or ECs for short), share more information about who you really are as a person, and learn some new information about MIT from someone who has actually graduated from the school that you would love to attend. Our ECs are the BEST ever (and I’m not just saying that because they buy me delicious dinners every now and then). Our ECs come from all over the world, have had really interesting and diverse careers, and are (most importantly) really nice people who want to talk to students just like YOU!!! In sum, help me to help you, make sure to schedule your interview!!!

3. Pay attention to your grades
Don’t forget the reason for the season. This is the college application season, and academics are the primary reason that you will be attending college. With that said, you’ve GOT to keep your grades up senior year. Sometimes seniors think that they can slack off since thee college applications are already submitted and in the evaluation process…… NEWSFLASH ----THIS JUST IN ----- Sometimes MIT will call your guidance counselors, teachers, or other references you have submitted to ask further questions about academic progress. You don’t necessarily have to be getting straight As in all of your classes (but if you ARE, that is great!), but you ABSOLUTELY should be giving your very best effort and working hard to do your best in school.

4. Take time to enjoy your senior year (I know that you have a lot to do this year, but you have to stop to smell the roses).

Go to the homecoming game (or parade). Audition for a role in the school play. Tell your favorite teacher “thanks” for being such a great instructor. Take a friend to one of the school dances. And don’t forget to make it to prom. Take lots of pictures, smile, and know that your future will open a whole new set of opportunities for you.

5. My last piece of advice comes from the wise folks at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, California. Shout out to all of the students, administrators, ECs, and fun people who I met out there. These are indeed, words to live by.

One of the things that I did not know about MIT before I began working here is that the students here absolutely LOVE music. While 75% of students participated in the fine & performing arts in high school, over 60% of accepted freshmen last year participated in music related activities before they enrolled at MIT. So for all of you who are looking to merge your talents in the arts with your passion for all things techie, look no further, you will be able to find a home here at MIT.

Recently, Professor of Music and Media Tod Machover has been getting quite a bit of exposure for his research in music and his involvement with Hyperscore which is a piece of software that will allow anyone to compose music.

Tod is a faculty member at the MIT Media Lab which is where the video game Rock Band was developed. The Media Lab is essentially an interdisciplinary research center where faculty and students from MIT work on cool projects. And yes, for all of you gamers out there, Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Rock Band, Rock Band 2, Rock Band Unplugged, & The Beatles: Rock Band all have been developed at Harmonix , a company founded by MIT alum who worked in the Media Lab.

Check out his talk at TED.....

Tod talks about the "Operabots with Personality" between the 8-9 minute mark.

If you are still craving more, check out the 80-minute version at FORA, right here….

And if you are interested in the new The Beatles: Rock Band , you know where to find it….....Yes, click the link.

One of the best things that I have found about the MIT community over the course of my time here is that the students are absolutely incredible. They are some of the most talented, accomplished, interesting, and fun people that I have ever met. Andrea Campos is a senior Course 15 major who has been a campus leader at MIT for the past 4 years. In addition to working in the admissions office and assisting with the recruitment of Black, Latino, and Native American students, she has juggled many roles and been active on campus. Last week, I sat down with Andrea and got a chance to hear what she had to say about her experiences at MIT. Check it out!

So Andrea thanks for sitting down with me to do this interview. I know that you are really busy and involved in a bunch of things on campus, so I really appreciate you finding time to fit me into your schedule.

No problem. I always have time to share my story and tell prospective MIT students what MIT is really about.

Perfect! That’s just what I wanted to hear, so let’s start at the beginning. Where are you from?

I’m from North Hollywood, California, which is in the San Fernando Valley of the greater Los Angeles area. My neighborhood is mostly Latino. It’s the type of place where you can get around just speaking Spanish. There are far fewer Filipino, White, and Black families in my community. I attended Francis Polytechnic High School , which is a public school in Sun Valley with a population over 4,000 students.

How did you get to MIT?

I guess it all really started in middle school. I was doing well in my classes and one of my middle school teachers encouraged me to apply to a math & science magnet school. At the time, I was apprehensive about joining a magnet school and parting ways from my middle schools friends. However, I realized I wanted a more challenging school curriculum and due to proximity to my home, I ended up applying to Francis Polytechnic High School , which had a math, science & technology magnet program.

In 10th grade I heard about a couple of seniors in the magnet program who were the first from my high school to be accepted to universities such as MIT and Stanford. The students who were accepted into those schools had good grades, and I had good grades too, so I figured there was no reason why I shouldn’t be able to get into a top school too.

So in 10th grade, MIT became the dream school. I was interested in civil engineering and architecture. I was very talented at drawing and thought that MIT was a great fit for what I wanted to study.

In my junior year I applied to the MITES program, having no idea about the competitive acceptance rate and prestige of the program, and I was accepted. When I applied, I didn’t mention it to my dad because I knew he would not like the idea of letting me leave home for a whole summer. You have to understand that my parents didn’t go to college and they didn’t know what the MITES opportunity meant. Eventually, after begging and pleading with my dad, he allowed me to attend the MITES program. He warned me not to get too excited though, because he definitely wouldn’t let me go to college all the way across the country!

MITES Summer 2004: Students coming out of dinner at Vinny T’s on Boylston St, Boston with Admissions Officer (Andrea Campos on far right)

MITES was great for me! For the first time, I met students with the same work ethic and level of ambition as me. Once I finished MITES , I knew that if I was admitted into MIT, the experience would be very challenging but I would absolutely have to accept the offer. I loved the place.

Sure enough, I applied to MIT, was accepted, and my parents were extremely opposed to letting me move away to Cambridge, MA. In fact, my whole family (aunts, uncles, cousins, everybody!) was opposed to letting me leave the Los Angeles area. After numerous conversations and explanations about the prestige of MIT, my parents eventually gave me their blessings and approved my plans. It took a lot of work to convince them that attending MIT was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I think they were more afraid I would resent them for not letting me pursue my dreams so they ultimately decided to accept my decision and support me.

Wow! That’s a really incredible story! It sounds like you really had to make the a great case to your family for coming to college 3,000 miles away from home. Were the finances a big issue that your parents were concerned about?

For me, the finances were thankfully not an issue. I had the full tuition paid for by MIT. I also had an outside scholarship to help cover the other costs, so I didn’t have to ask my parents for money. My parents’ concerns were more about their family ideals than anything else. In a traditional Mexican family, the expectation is that a daughter does not move out of her family’s home unless she is getting married. It was unacceptable to allow me to live across the country far from any parental supervision or family presence. Even after my parents came to accept my decision, they still faced opposition from our extended family, but over time I have set the example for my younger cousins, who now aspire to attend college outside of California.

Now, the time has flown by and I am almost ready to graduate!

When you got onto campus, did anything surprise you about MIT?

When I came to CPW (Campus Preview Weekend), I learned about the Mexican American community on campus. I was surprised to find a sizable and vibrant community of Chicana/o and Latina/o students. Initially, I thought that I would be solely surrounded by nerdy, introverted people who I would not relate to. But that wasn’t the case at all. People were very down to earth. Many students were just like my friends back home, but they were also as academically driven and ambitious as I. MIT students are generally down to earth and everybody here has some nerdiness in them.

Student Photography - Winter 2009 by Evelyn Gomez, Class 2010

What do you like most about MIT?

The housing options at MIT are pretty nice. My first three years on campus, I lived in La Casa Castellana (Spanish House), which is a community within the New House Dorm. One of the best things about La Casa is that you will never miss a home-cooked meal, because everyone in the house cooks. Sunday through Thursday, two people are assigned to cook food for the entire house that consists of approximately 30 members. And if you don’t know how to cook, that’s not a problem because we pair you with someone that can teach you!

This past year, I decided to move out of Spanish House. Now I live a ten-minute walk away from campus in a 3-story condominium! I have three other roommates who are MIT and Tufts grad students. One of my roommates is a good friend from Spanish House, so it’s almost like I never left because we always have Spanish House friends over.

Spanish House Group Picture Spring 2005: Andrea Campos (far left, front row) on 2nd floor balcony of Spanish House

That’s pretty special to have home cooked meals while you're living in a dorm! When I went to college, I would actually have to go to someone’s home who lived in the area for a home cooked meal…..I wish that I had had home cooked meals when I was in college…Nevertheless, I digress. What have you been involved in at MIT?

Since freshman year, I have been heavily involved in LUChA (La Union Chicana por Aztlan), the Mexican-American cultural & social student organization on campus. I served on the executive board as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and President. Now that I’m on my way out, I act as a senior advisor to the organization.

LUChA Chicano Graduation Class of 2008: Seniors w/ Mexican sarape stoles

Early this year LUChA had a big conference at MIT called East Coast Chicano Student Forum. This conference is hosted three times a year by the Chicana/o organizations at different elite east coast colleges. The theme of LUChA’s conference this winter of 2009 was “Desarrollando: Developing our Chicano Communities” and had approximately 150 student attendees. In the primary conference workshop, participants competed in creating their own development projects & proposals and presented them to expert city planners, economists, and other professionals.


ECCSF@MIT Winter 2009: Student participants focused on hands-on workshop

ECCSF@MIT Winter 2009: Student participants enjoying traditional Mexican meal w/ Jarritos drinks

ECCSF@MIT Winter 2009: Live performance by Baile Folklrorico de Aztlan of Harvard University to start off the ECCSF reception

ECCSF@MIT Winter 2009: Live performance by Mexican Conjunto from New York City for dance party following the reception

You really have been busy during the school year on campus. What have you done with your summers? Have you had any internships?

Absolutely! I’ve done and internship every year since I have been at MIT. Freshman year I searched for an internship on Craigslist
and found one with a start up company that imported organic food products from all over the world, Essential Living Foods . It was a very hippyish office. It was nice to work at the start up because everything you do can have a really large impact. I created a sales manual for all of the company’s products. I critiqued some of the products. I was a general business, marketing, & accounting intern.

Sophomore year I worked in the human resources department at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne , an aircraft engine manufacturer. I got this internship through INROADS , a nonprofit organization that places talented minority students in internships with different companies so that they can develop corporate and community leadership.

I worked in the Human Resources department and soon realized I wanted to be at the forefront of the company instead. I knew this would not happen if I was a business major working at an engineering company. PWR was still a good experience and I got to go river rafting, see a rocket launch in person, and visit the launch center. It had its perks. They also sent the California interns to the Pratt & Whitney headquarters in Connecticut for a couple of INROADS intern events, which was pretty awesome.


Pratt & Whitney Summer 2007: Andrea Campos (middle, top row) river rafting in Kernville, CA with fellow employees & interns

Pratt & Whitney Summer 2007: Andrea Campos (middle) with fellow interns at INROADS conference in East Hartford, CT, Pratt & Whitney’s headquarters

Pratt & Whitney Summer 2007: Andrea Campos (far right) with fellow interns visiting rocket launch center

Junior year I decided I wanted to work on Wall Street in New York City. I diligently searched for NYC internship opportunities and attended company presentations at MIT. Eventually I received an IAP externship offer for the month of January and had the opportunity to live in Harlem while interning at JP Morgan Chase . I worked hard to do a good job and impress everyone. I worked 12 hours a day and was exposed to the areas of sales & trading, investment banking, and research. Luckily, everyone who I worked with was really nice and helpful. My direct supervisor was an MIT alum, and everybody at JPMC really was open in providing me with advice and perspective on their experiences. At the end of IAP, I was offered the opportunity to return over the summer.


New York City Winter 2008: A night out in Times Square with best friend, fellow MIT student, Maricela Delgadillo (right)

This summer I will be doing finance research for Banco de Mexico in Mexico City. I got this internship through the MISTI Mexico Program , which sponsors MIT students to participate in internships and study programs in some of Mexico’s greatest cities. I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to go abroad and experience the work-life and culture of a different country. I will be living in the very center of the city and hope to come back with lots of stories and pictures!

What advice would you give to a high school student who is interested in MIT?

In general, I think that you should get involved in things that you love or interest you, because you need to be passionate and shine in those areas.

Work hard and be the best at the things you do. Don’t just be a bookworm either; be involved in other things outside of academics. If you have breaks from school, you better be productive with your time and not just veg out at home. Do your research to understand what MIT is all about and figure out if this is a place where you will really fit in. MIT is a place for very talented people who want to change the world through technical fields. Make sure that those fields are what interest you if you are going to come to MIT. Above all else, you better like to work hard because MIT is no joke. You will work hard and play hard. Expect to be challenged here.

Throughout MIT’s history, Greek life has been an important part of the social and extracurricular fabric of the MIT community. In fact, the first sorority ever founded at MIT was the historically black organization, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) in 1977. The second sorority ever founded at the Institute in 1980 was the distinguished Xi Tau chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Keep in mind though, Greek life at MIT is as diverse as its student body and includes NPHC (Divine 9) organizations as well as historically Latino fraternities and sororities ( NALFO ). At MIT, like many New England institutions, NPHC & NALFO
college chapters are intercollegiate meaning; the members in a chapter include students not only from MIT but often other schools within the greater Boston area providing immeasurable opportunities for meeting students all over New England.

In keeping with MIT’s Latin motto, Mens et Manus, “mind & hand”, our historically Black and Latino Greek organizations keep in step through pioneering community outreach projects. Members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity participate in the March of Dimes every year raising thousands of dollars for premature infant research endeavoring to save lives. The AKAs & Deltas participate in Boston’s annual Walk for Hunger to combat the hunger pervasive in many of Massachusetts’ communities and families. The women of Sigma Lambda Upsilon Sorority, a newer organization to campus, promote adult literacy efforts.

In an effort to introduce you to a slice of our Greek community, each organization offered a snapshot of their own, unique chapters below. For those who will be attending the whirlwind extravaganza that is CPW in April, all of these organizations, as well as many others, will be present to meet with you!

Enjoy!!!!

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

On the ice-cold Tuesday of December 4th, 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated was founded on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY by seven dynamic individuals whom we affectionately refer to as the fraternity’s Jewels. It was the FIRST institution of its kind for collegians, a precursor to the other intercollegiate, historically black Greek-letter organizations. The Rho Nu Chapter of Alpha was founded on Tuesday, September 26th, 1989 and encompasses the campuses of MIT, Harvard University, and Tufts University. We, as a fraternity, pride ourselves on upholding the ideals of our brotherhood, which are Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for all Mankind. The Rho Nu Chapter stands firmly on these principles and is always in active pursuit of innovative ways to serve our community.

During a time when society offered minorities “narrowly circumscribed opportunity”, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated was founded in order to promote a culture of leadership and excellence among African-American men, to aid them in the service and uplifting of their communities. Alpha men have made invaluable contributions to our society, and have helped to shape our nation’s history. The likes of Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr., Duke Ellington, and Cornel West number among our ranks. The Rho Nu Chapter upholds this legacy of excellence, housing within our lineage not just doctors, lawyers, politicians, CEOs, entertainers, but agents of change. We celebrate the diversity of the students who join our organization, and every brother from each school contributes something unique and valuable.

If you are interested in learning more about the Brotherhood dedicated to the uplift of our communities and the better making of men, please do some research about our organization. Ask questions. Seek answers. We, the brothers of the Rho Nu Chapter, pride ourselves on being approachable and are always more than willing to speak about our Fraternity; be proactive by reaching out to the Brotherhood. Men of Alpha are the first of all; we are the servants of all; and we shall transcend all. Good luck in your studies and look out for our next program.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated was organized on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC during the 1907-1908 academic year, making it the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-trained women.

The small group of women who organized the Sorority was conscious of a privileged position as college-trained women of color, just one generation removed from slavery. They were resolute that their college experiences should be as meaningful and productive as possible. Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded to apply that determination.

The Lambda Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated was chartered on October 8, 1977 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The inspiration for the Chapter was Mary Hope, a dean at MIT, who felt that an effective group was needed through which Black women on predominantly White campuses could communicate and help each other. Lambda Upsilon's membership consists of women from MIT, Harvard University, and Wellesley College.

Through the years, Lambda Upsilon has been committed to sisterhood and Service to All Mankind. It has participated in community service in the Cambridge and Boston communities. It has also hosted service projects on each of the five Sorority’s platforms involving entrepreneurship, economics, the Black family, technology, and health. Some of our events have included “Improving, Strengthening, and Troubleshooting Friendships and Relationships in Black America”, a “Financial Fitness” workshop, and “AKAerobics”.

Through annual events, the Chapter fulfills the purpose of the Sorority, which is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college life, and to be of service to all mankind.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

For over 25 years, the Xi Tau Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated has proudly served Cambridge and surrounding communities. Committed to Sisterhood, Scholarship, and Service, the sophisticated women of Xi Tau are actively engaged in public service initiatives, social action programming, and political reform.

Xi Tau Deltas are innovative and creative women, who never rest upon tradition, but continue, in the manner of our noble sorority's distinguished history, impacting the lives of African Americans.

The women of Xi Tau hail from the eight schools of our charter: Babson College, Bentley College, Brandeis University, Harvard University, Lesley University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, and Wellesley College.

Women of Accomplishment, Xi Tau Deltas continue to achieve academic excellence, make strides in our chosen career fields, and remain sisters to each other. Among our ranks are dozens of Harvard Business School graduates, several doctors, lawyers & judges, professors, women of the cloth, accomplished authors, community leaders, two Rhode Scholars, and too many prestigious scholarship recipients to name.

Please click on the links to visit our national and chapter websites!

If you have any questions about our chapter, contact us at dstxitau@gmail.com

Happy Holidays blogosphere. Some of you may be wondering where I have been for the past few months. Well, I’ve been in Cambridge, same place that I used to be. I have been trying to help TIM the Beaver get an internship in Iceland for the summer (unpaid internship, of course). I bumped into him at a book fair in November and he told me that he was deeply concerned about the financial state of Iceland and wanted to lend his expertise to the challenge. TIM has been taking some courses at Sloan and is looking to embody the MIT motto ‘mens et manus’. Nevertheless, we have been spending quite a bit of time together assembling applications and preparing for interviews. We finished the application process and are now waiting for responses.

See?

On Christmas morning, I sat down at my kitchen table with a hot cup of tea and opened my hometown newspaper ‘The Star Ledger’ to casually peruse the headlines and get a sense of what was going on in the Garden State. I had just finished an article bemoaning the loss of the VHS tape (do any of you remember VCRs?) when I happened to come across a fascinating article that characterized the President-Elect, Barack Obama, as a geek!

Since MIT is the epicenter of Nerd Pride, I thought that we should weigh in on this conversation. So what do you think? Is our President-Elect Obama a geek, nerd, or none of the above?

Obama to Boldly Go Where No Geek Has Gone Before

WASHINGTON (AP) — Get ready for the geek-in-chief.

President-elect Barack Obama used to collect comic books, can't part with his BlackBerry, and once flashed Leonard "Mr. Spock" Nimoy the Vulcan "Live Long and Prosper" sign.

That and other evidence has convinced some of Obama's nerdier fans that he'll be the first American president to show distinct signs of geekiness. And that's got them as excited as a Tribble around a Klingon.

Obama is good at "repressing his inner geek, but you can tell it's there," especially when he goes into nuanced explanations of technical matters, said Benjamin Nugent, author of the book "American Nerd: The Story of My People."

"One imagines a terrifying rally of 'Star Trek' people shouting, 'One of us!'" Nugent said, in an interview conducted by e-mail, of course.

Others see only some geek qualities, qualifying the president-elect as merely "nerd-adjacent." After all, he's an athlete and kind of cool, some experts demur. Still, there's enough there for geeks to celebrate.

Psychology professor Larry Welkowitz of Keene State College in New Hampshire hopefully speculated that there's a shift in what's cool and that "smart can be in. Maybe that started with the computer programmers of the '90s. The Bill Gateses of the world are OK."

The Obama transition team would not comment on the president-elect's geek qualities, even when it was suggested those could be positive. And his old college friends give the geek idea a split vote. While Margot Mifflin, now a journalism professor in New York, said she saw no geeky signs in Obama as a freshman at Occidental College in California, Amiekoleh Kimbrew Usafi recalled it differently, despite the lack of technology back in 1979.

"He's a geek because he was smart," Usafi said, noting that Occidental was a geeky school to start with, billing itself as the Yale of the West. "I remember he would be hitting his books. I would see him in the library. ... There were a lot of girls that liked him because he was cute, but he kept his head in the direction he was going in. I would see him studying all the time."

Wired magazine first crowed about Obama the geek, complete with five reasons in its GeekDad blog. A lot depends on definition of geek, which to Wired is more a compliment than insult.
GeekDad contributor Matt Blum, a software engineer in Reston, Va., defines geeks as having high intellects, embracing technology, "getting excited about things in the future especially, particularly fiction," having a science viewpoint and being steeped in the geek culture of science fiction and fantasy.

Geeks know and use references from "Star Trek," "Dungeons and Dragons" and comic books. And, he added, they are nit-picky, unafraid to correct mixed science fiction metaphors, such as confusing Star Trek's Andorians with "Star Wars" Iridonians.

So a quick geek cultural check for Obama:

_Technology. Click that icon. He's the candidate who tried to announce his vice presidential pick by text message and embraced Facebook as a campaign tool. He's seldom seen without a BlackBerry and talks of a chief technology officer for the nation.

_Comic books. As a youngster, Obama collected Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comic books. His Senate Web site used to have a photo of him posing in front of a Superman statue, and in October at New York's Alfred Smith dinner he joked: "I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father Jor-El to save the planet Earth." Jor-El was the father of Superman, born on the planet Krypton.

_"Star Trek," the long-running TV show. According to the actor Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock in the series, Obama flashed him the split four-fingered Vulcan salute when the two crossed paths last year. In May in Des Moines, Newsweek caught Obama teasing wife Michelle about her belt buckle, saying it was studded with Star Trek-powering dilithium crystals and adding, "Beam me up, Scotty!" As he laughed at his own joke, Michelle Obama rolled her eyes, as geek wives often do.

Yes, geeks have wives. That's one of the things that separates them from nerds and dorks.

"A geek is someone who has the knowledge of the geeky type stuff and has social graces," Blum said. "A nerd is someone who has the knowledge but not the social graces and a dork is someone who has neither."

By that definition Obama is a geek, not a nerd or dork, Blum said. Nerds are the type who live in their parents' basements until they're 45, whereas geeks are more normal, he said.

"I'm a geek because I'm a dad," Blum said. "I managed to find a woman who wished to marry me and have children with me."

Blum said Obama qualifies as the first geek-in-chief because George W. Bush was too much a cheerleader and Bill Clinton too wonky and not technological enough. The other presidents came of age before geek culture did, so don't qualify.

But don't discount John Quincy Adams as a geeky guy who steeped himself in government as a teenager, contends author Nugent (who just by adding that historical reference reinforces his geek expertise).

In some ways, though, experts say Obama is just too cool, too athletic, too normal to wear the geek cape. Obama did use drugs and was a high school athlete, missing out on two prime nerd qualities, Nugent said.

Dan Sarewitz, a professor of science and society at Arizona State University, said calling Obama a geek is unfair both to the president-elect and geeks.

"He's too cool to be a geek; he's a decent basketball player; he knows how to dance; he dresses well," Sarewitz said. "It's too high a standard for geeks to possibly live up to."

All the nerds at home can at least try, though, courtesy of a heavily muscled "beach blanket Obama" action figure for $29.95.

So is Obama a geek?

In the words of Alan Leshner, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which had two past leaders appointed by Obama to high posts: "I hope so."
___

About two weeks ago, I received an e-mail from the Muslim Student Association (MSA) inviting me to attend a Faculty and Administration Dinner for Ramadan. The dinner was to be held on campus at the Multipurpose Room of Sidney-Pacific graduate dorm on Thursday.

While the prospect of a free dinner is typically enough in itself to entice me to explore new opportunities, this invitation was even more alluring because the MSA invited Yasir Qadhi to present a lecture entitled “The Future of Islam in America: Challenges and Fears." After learning that Yasir Qadhi is an accomplished scholar of Islamic Studies who has already authored several books and is in the process of completing a doctoral program at Yale University, I was sold on the event and I immediately sent my RSVP to the MSA.

Last Thursday evening rolled around and after a full day of work, I made my way over to Sidney Pacific graduate dorm. When I arrived, I was immediately greeted with a warm smile and inviting “Good evening and welcome to the MSA dinner!” by one of the students in the MSA. He quickly helped me locate my nametag, invited me to help myself to a beverage, and led me into the multipurpose room. As people began to fill up the room, I noticed that there were undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty members, and Institute administrators. The atmosphere was casual and inviting. People mingled and chatted casually until Iman Kandil came to the podium to begin the formal presentation.

The presentation kicked off with some words of introduction by Iman Kandil who is a senior and has been involved with the MSA for all four years at MIT. I had a chance to meet Iman and talk with her for quite a while after the formal presentation ended. I also met Nour who is a sophomore from the great state of Maryland. She welcomed me warmly to the MIT community and thanked me for coming to learn more about the MSA and then immediately told me that I should keep my day job as an admissions counselor and warned me to stay away from attempting to rap (she read my Fresh Prince intro blog).

Talking with Iman and Nur, I learned that the MSA has over 100 members at MIT who seek to promote understanding between Muslims and people of other faith communities through interesting activities such as the Ramadan Faculty Dinner, lectures, BBQs and other festive events. All folks are welcome to attend the events and participate in the activities. All in all, the experience was one of great food, interesting conversation, and enjoyable people. The MIT MSA is a wonderful group that is promoting cross-cultural understanding and dialogue between the multitudes of faith communities on campus.

Check out my pictures from the dinner!

Dr. Robert (Bob) Randolph, who is the Chaplain to the Institute, attended the dinner and offered words of introduction. He has been a member of the Institute for 29 years and has held a number of different positions over the course of his tenure. If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Randolph or religious life at MIT, you can check out his blog.

The keynote speaker for the evening Yasir Qadhi.

My new friends from the MSA Nour and Iman!

Finally, I would like to thank Paul, Snively, Mikey and the rest of the bloging community for coaching me through this entry. I think that I am in business now!

Now this is the story all about how
My life got flipped turned upside down
And I’d like to take a minute just sit right there
I’ll tell you how I became the Assistant Director for Minority Recruitment at MIT…..which is in Kendall Square (I know, I know….give me a break, my title is long and I’m not a rapper)

In Piscataway New Jersey born and raised
In the backyard is where I spent most of my days
Chillin’ out maxin’ taking life real slow
Just playing Whiffle ball with my little bro

When I finished 12th grade and finally understood
I had to get out of my neighborhood
I got into one little school and my folks were real proud
I told them I was moving to Atlanta to attend Morehouse

The first degree was fun so I did it again
So I earned a master’s at UMD and now I’m a Terrapin
If anything, I can say that this experience was rare
But I learned a whole lot and I have more knowledge to share

I walked up to MIT on July 7th, 2008
Made sure my shoes were shiny and my tie was straight
Looked at my office, I was finally there
To sit at my desk as the Assistant Director for Minority Recruitment (I told you that I’m an admissions counselor, not a rapper)

Check 1, Check 2…..Is this thing on?

Hello blogosphere! So, now that you have read the abridged Fresh Prince inspired version of my autobiography, allow me to reintroduce myself and give you a slightly less abridged version of my story. My name is Quinton McArthur and I am the Assistant Director for Minority Recruitment. I work in the MIT Office of Admissions and I am a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park for a master’s degree, Morehouse College for a bachelor’s degree, Piscataway High School for my high school diploma, and Theodore Schor Middle School for fun (We had a ceremony, but no degree).

After I finished Morehouse, I landed a really sweet job working in college admissions at Rowan University in my home state of New Jersey. I worked for RU for three years and I realized that I wanted to learn more about higher education and the field of college admissions. So I packed my bags and headed to College Park, Maryland where I worked with college access organizations, educational policy organizations, and research teams while completing a master’s degree at the University of Maryland. Shortly after I finished my degree, I returned to college admissions in a full time capacity.

Over the course of my career, I have worked with many different types of students (urban kids from Los Angeles, rural kids from West Virginia, affluent kids from Bethesda, and kids of every type of background from New Jersey). I look forward to lending advice to all of you through your college application and search processes. This blog will pay particular attention to issues of concern that are most typically associated with Black, Latino/a, and Native American students. Does this mean that students of other backgrounds can’t participate in this forum? Absolutely not! I welcome all students to the table to learn more about MIT and participate in the conversation.

With that said, away we go….