Sorry for the blog vacation guys. We're scrambling to get ahead in our work before we retreat to selection committee tomorrow. (Don't get too excited, the whole process takes about a month, so we're still right on schedule to mail decisions in mid-march.)
MyMIT has been pretty static recently, I know. This is because we've been working hard behind the scenes to change things around a bunch - some portlets will be retired; some new ones will be added. We've hired some student "experts" on subjects like UROP and Arts. I am SO excited to roll out the new layout and content.
For the record, I have eaten Anna's every day for lunch. I will be heading over there as soon as I finish this post.
A parent sent me a disturbing article today. Reality-television-culture meets college admissions. A girl basically paid a consultant to help her reinvent her entire identity (including mailing address and activities) just to match the profile that "colleges are looking for." Absurd. And supposedly the girl is a freshman here at MIT now, although I have no way of proving that.
The irony is that I read it immediately following our pre-selection meeting, in which Marilee (our dean) talked about how insane the world is becoming in terms of competitive college admissions and how we (meaning all colleges, not just MIT) have a responsibilty to find a way to take the pressure down a notch - otherwise the lives of high school students are destined to become 100% about getting into college, which is wrong, wrong, wrong. Life is for living.
Below you'll find an article that was published in March 2004 in the Boston Globe. After you read it you'll know why I love MIT, and even moreso, its dean of admissions and the office she has built.
-----------------------------
(following article copyright © 2004 The Boston Globe.)
|
The Pleasure Principle "Tell us about something you do for the pleasure of it." That question, on the MIT undergraduate admissions application, may look innocuous. But it represents one woman's attempt to change the world -- and so far the world has barely budged. Although MIT's admissions dean, Marilee Jones, has the support of her school, she is pretty much a revolution of one as she tries to push her counterparts on other campuses to lower the pressure on students competing for slots in America's elite colleges. "It's like an arms race out there," said Dean Jones in a phone interview, referring to the competition between schools to get top ranking on national lists such as the annual US News & World Report college survey. That race to get the best students drives high schools, parents, and students to try to meet an ever rising bar of excellence, which, according to Jones, "rewards people who are obsessing to the max." Two years ago Jones revamped the MIT application and interview process to learn more about the human being and to tap into what she defines simply as "joy." Students answering the "pleasure" question on the application -- and another about dreams and aspirations -- get beyond lists and rote responses. "They talk about their friends or their dog or how they like to cook or write poetry, and you see a very different aspect of the person than you see when they're writing about why they want to be an engineer," said Jones, who began taking her crusade national last year with an article on aggressive parents in USA Today. She is also talking to admissions deans and plans to hit them hard at a May conference at MIT that will include Stanford and the Ivy League schools. In addition, she will address the Consortium on Financing Higher Education in June and talk to high school guidance counselors this summer. Go, Dean Jones! And may you never get discouraged no matter how deafening the silence from administrators who might not see themselves as part of the problem. The blame can be widely shared, of course, to encompass an entire culture, which has become an ulcer machine for adults as well as their kids. Economic pressures are immense, with some people working two or three jobs and with corporations insisting on higher productivity even as they downsize. Technology has made work a keystroke away, and consequently a lot of people never leave the office even when they're on vacation. The lazy weekend is no more in households where conflicting sports schedules, errands, and briefcases or backpacks full of homework make everyone too aware of the clock. "Tell us about something you do for the pleasure of it." The question is profound and deserves society's joyful contemplation. |
Like I said, I love this place.
Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)
Posted by: Fabrice on February 15, 2005
Posted by: Fabrice on February 15, 2005
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkyJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2NjQ2ODE1
Posted by: Fabrice on February 15, 2005
Posted by: Ben on February 15, 2005
I think that's definitely what attracted me to MIT, the impression I got that kids there love what they do and do what they love, both before and in college.
Posted by: Nelson on February 15, 2005
So... with that in mind, if I could ask you guys to keep it relatively clean in the comments, I'd appreciate it. (And if I need to pull or edit a comment, please know that it's not personal at all.) Personally I really enjoy all humor, no matter how crass - but unfortunately that's a personal preference - as this is linked from MIT, I gotta keep it in line with what MIT is comfortable with.
Thanks for understanding and thanks for all of your comments!
Posted by: Ben on February 15, 2005
Life is for living, alright. Until MIT one day builds that elusive time machine, now is all we have. We may find ourselves one afternoon sitting in the halls of Prestigious College XYZ, gazing around us at the pinnacle of our "success" and asking that fateful question: Was this worth it?
I hope there won't even be a moment's hesitation on your part.
I'm with you, Marilee.
Posted by: lulu on February 15, 2005
Posted by: a fat sheep on February 15, 2005
*just mailed the tax return to collegeboard...*
Posted by: a fat sheep on February 15, 2005
Posted by: a fat sheep on February 15, 2005
Posted by: Nbot1 on February 15, 2005
Posted by: Nbot1 on February 15, 2005
to lower the intensity of the college process, one would need to change not only the mindset of society regarding higher education as a whole, but also remove certain key components of human nature - pride, competitiveness, insecurity, ambition... etc etc.
So, really, I see that as impossible.
There are ways to ALLEVIATE or redirect the competitive mentality of the applicant pool nowadays though, and I definitely appreciate the efforts by all those who are conscious enough to identify the problem and proactive enough to do something about it.
I, personally, would like to see a lot more emphasis placed on character. More extensive interviews, compulsory interviews, lesser stacks of paper and more contact with the applicants. Obviously, there are flaws and difficulties that would accompany this approach, especially when you get into the applicant pools of tens of thousands. But perhaps if there were more work involved in applying to a single school, kids wouldn't be machine-gunning applications into the top XX ranked schools on USNews.
That said - common app is the devil.
Posted by: lulu on February 15, 2005
Posted by: Katharine Chu on February 16, 2005
Posted by: lulu on February 16, 2005
Posted by: Fabrice on February 16, 2005
Posted by: KP on February 16, 2005
Unfortunately, some people believe there is a magic-formula to admisisons. It would be nice, but I have been told otherwise. Some people are angry at a particular college (I saw one person post on a college forum) because he believed they he had done everything necessary for an EA admit (to Harvard) but was painfully deferred. I'm trying my hardest at school, and am having a great time, but I do recognize that I need to be responsible.
I've done my research on MIT, and it's a school that I plan to apply to next year Early Action. I chose MIT because of its community, atmosphere, research opportunities, technical focus, and staff. I hope I can make it, but if I don't there's always graduate school.... or Cal-tech :-D
Posted by: David on February 16, 2005
I feel absolutely terrible for the students who feel that they need $25,000 worth of help to get into a prestigious college. They have to have one hell of a sense of inferiority. I've tried my best to not let the process encompass my entire life, but I understand that it's hard. Personally, I wouldn't want to go to a school that happily accepted molded personalities. I'd rather go somewhere, like MIT, that happens to like what I want to do with myself.
Posted by: Katie on February 17, 2005
Posted by: Ben on February 17, 2005
...unfortunately it's too late at this point to submit supplemental materials. It's not that you can't send it in; it's just that it is highly unlikely that the selection committee will ever see it. All of the folders have moved from the records room to the committee room - from this point on, an applicant's supplemental materials will be held in the records room until the folder is returned (which happens after a decision has been made).
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it *is* a good 6 weeks after the RD deadline...
I wouldn't worry too much about it though; supplemental materials at this juncture are unlikely to influence a decision. Most of what we receive is either consistent with the rest of the application, or alternatively a last-minute attempt to counter previous blemishes (which unfortunately pretty much never works, in my experience)...
Posted by: Ben on February 17, 2005
and good Luck!!! it's like 25-28 days left...
Posted by: Meder on February 17, 2005
I'd have to agree with you. I plan to fight my uphill "battles" in life, not in the admissions process. As *anyone can tell you, I'm such an Amazon
Posted by: Katharine Chu on February 17, 2005
If we are spending some time on campus, would there be any way of meeting you adcoms (say this weekend)?
Posted by: Akash on February 17, 2005
Posted by: Laura on February 17, 2005
Posted by: Ben on February 17, 2005
By the way, how are the hacks lately? Please do share!
Posted by: Wendi on February 17, 2005
I was accepted EA to MIT, my dream school throughout all of my high-school career.
I was just notified of my "candidate" status at Olin.
Money is a huge issue, and I don't think MIT will be able to match the 100% at Olin.
I don't know what to do
Posted by: ScaredInCali. on February 17, 2005
First of all, don't be scared! It looks to me like you get to choose between two of the best options in the entire world to continue your education. That's not scary - it's totally exciting!
I don't know much about Olin's system, but *hopefully* you don't have to tell them your response until after you get MIT's financial aid offer. Then you'll know where you stand financially with each school.
Thereafter, the absolute single best thing you can do is to visit both schools. Their cultures are definitely different - both awesome - but different. Spend a few days at each place (preferably CPW at MIT if you can) and then make your decision based on your visit experience coupled with the financial considerations.
Hope this helps!
Posted by: Ben on February 17, 2005
The comments are as informative, interesting and thoughtful as the actual blog entry!
Keep it going, guys! MIT Rules! And its people too!
Posted by: Prashant on February 18, 2005
"This of it as an investment rather than a burden. Going to MIT will be such an investment, and you can expect it to reap handsome returns in the long run."
Posted by: Prashant on February 18, 2005
Posted by: Prashant on February 18, 2005
Posted by: expatmom on February 18, 2005
Do you think you could serenade us with a couple of songs your band has written for CPW? That'd be awesome...
Posted by: Katharine Chu on February 19, 2005
Posted by: Ben on February 19, 2005
Posted by: Fabrice on February 19, 2005
My niece is now 18 months (boy, time really does fly) and it's just amazing to see how fast she learns about everything. She's such a prankster and trickster. It's simply amazing to watch her learn language the same way we've been discussing in AP Psychology. Anywho, I digress.
Go MIT. I'm proud of Ms. Jones for standing up to the rest of the world and trying to make MIT a true meritocracy (or as much as possible) rather than anything else.
Later,
Mike.
Posted by: Michael Borohovski on February 19, 2005
Anthony and I were wondering if the MIT ID #s are all designed to be easily retainable.
That is to say, they repeat digits like aab-cdc-eef.
We figure that allows 2,460,375 combinations, which we think is good enough for the population.
Also, do they allow digits to repeat across groups, like aab-cac-eef? That would restrict it to only 510,300, which considering every person who pays $65 gets one, may be a little tight over time.
Anyway, I know it was a little off topic, but we were wondering if they are like that. See you monday.
Mike
Posted by: Michael Axiak on February 19, 2005
Posted by: oO on February 19, 2005
Posted by: Shahab Umer on February 20, 2005
This way of thought which you possess is something that is totally lacking where i live.Everyone here is mad about college admission,and they are willing to kill to take your place in a competitive admission college.To make the long story short,i will apply to MIT this year,in summer,and i look at the whole process as that:An admissions process. Not a turn point in my life.
Thanks for being YOURSELVES.(down to earth admission officers and great people )
hoping to see you in person as a MIT '10.
PS:Mr Jones i had promised to write to you in person before christmas,but i lost my internet connection due to a technical failure.I will write to you as soon as possible.take care,and good luck.
Posted by: manofallseasons on February 20, 2005
When I was deciding what colleges to apply to, I made a list of a lot of pretty prestigious places. I then went through it, one by one, and attempted to envision life there. For most of them, even my fantasies were miserable. Clearly, this wasn't working, so I thought, "What are my passions, and where can I receive an education and an environment that will best further them and help me to achieve my goals in life?" As my passions do lie in math and science, I now had a great way of narrowing that list down. So I made a list of just a few colleges that I thought fit my criteria, and started applying. Around that same time, everyone else was applying as well. It astounded me how many people hadn't done the same thing I had. Maybe it's due to my family, or just my experiences in general, but I got over the whole "prestige" or "conversation-stopping" ability of a college a few years ago -- and with that, the idea that college is an end in and of itself. At the same time, people I knew who were at my level of academic achievement and shared my interests were applying to all the Ivies they possibly could, as well as MIT. I read over the "dreams and aspirations" essay for one. In a nutshell, my advice to him was, "It's not a dreams and aspirations essay unless you ACTUALLY put some dreams and aspirations in that you think MIT will help you with." His response? "I don't really have any right now...I just want to get this essay done." I honestly could barely believe that he had that kind of view towards the whole process. He and many others I know, in turn, can't believe that I hate having to tell people I got into MIT. I mean, I love MIT, but I like conversing with people too, and I don't want that conversation to stop just because I got into a college I liked. So I tend to skirt the issue unless someone flat-out asks me to list the places that I got into.
I definitely support Marilee in her effort to change the world of college admissions, but at the same time, I'm not sure there's so much she can do about it unless she makes everyone in the world go through the same kind of thing I did over the course of high school. How do you change the views of people like my friend, who don't seem to be applying for a great education and challenging and stimulating environment, but rather to say that they got in? How do you make people understand that it's not the name, but rather the idea of how you'll be spending those four years, that really make the difference in applications? How do you show the world that interests and passion rather than "conversation-stopping ability" should determine what they want to do with their lives?
Honestly, I don't know how, and I don't know if there's any way you can screen out the ones who actually exhibit certain traits from the ones who pretend to exhibit them. The article and subsequent comments just so happened to spark my wrath. However, I think I can safely say that, even if MIT hadn't been my top choice to begin with, it would have gotten there just because of the admissions process -- something that actually tries to understand people as a whole rather than as a set of numbers and achievements. I don't know if my friend will get in or not, but I'm sure the MIT admissions office will make the right choice about his application.
Posted by: ranting admit on February 21, 2005
Posted by: NoCreativity on February 21, 2005
Posted by: Fabrice on February 21, 2005
Posted by: Prashant on February 21, 2005
Replies to specific questions:
Mike - I have no idea but I sent your comments to some folks who should be able to tell us. I'll keep you posted.
Shahab - not yet. We'll blog it when we start selecting int'l.
NoCreativity - if it's been that long (a month) you should probably give the main office a call. Something must have happened; as slammed as they are, I don't think it would ever take them a month to get back to someone under "normal" circumstances...
Posted by: Ben on February 21, 2005
http://web.mit.edu/mitid/www/
Posted by: Ben on February 21, 2005
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5626585/site/newsweek/
An excerpt: "MIT Admissions Dean Marilee Jones says she's looking to enroll 'emotionally resilient' students. 'If we think someone will crumble the first time they do poorly on a test, we're not going to admit them,' she says. 'So many kids are coming in, feeling the need to be perfect, and so many kids are medicated now. If you need a lot of phar-maceutical support to get through the day, you're not a good match for a place like MIT.'"
I happen to need pharmaceutical support to get through the day but that is what allows me to be functional enough to be a good match for MIT.
Posted by: mel on February 23, 2005
Marilee was misquoted in that article and she (along with the whole office) is very angry about it. She wrote a long response to the MIT community which was published in The Tech. I will try to find out if it's published online and link to it; if I can't, I'll try to get the text from Marilee and publish it here.
Please know that the above quote, though credited to Marilee in the article, does not represent her words or her sentiments.
Posted by: Ben on February 24, 2005
I could not locate Marilee's editorial on The Tech's site, so I asked her to send me the text. Here it is:
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To Members of the MIT Community:
The September 6 issue of Newsweek magazine featured a story entitled "Dealing With Depression". The story, which was written in June and discussed the challenges that students have with pressure seeking success in education, included quotes from an interview with me that took place earlier this summer.
In the past few weeks, I have received a few emails from angry people, including members of the MIT community, related to a quote attributed to me regarding MIT's view of clinical depression. Like those who have contacted me, I too was very surprised and disappointed to see a quote stating that I believe students on anti-depressive medications ("needing pharmaceautical support to get through the day") should not be at MIT.
This is untrue, and the quote is a mistake by the reporter, with whom I had a lengthy phone conversation about the topic of student depression, but also about how we admit students and why. I am frequently interviewed by the media and have learned to do these interviews by email whenever possible to avoid misquotes. For a variety of reasons, I was unable to do that with a reporter from Newsweek, who also spoke with Dr. Alan Seigel from MIT Mental Health for this story.
I want to assure members of this community that I never said this and that the statement is not true. We rarely know anything about the literal health and well-being of applicants from their applications and even when we do, we do not discriminate against anyone for medical reasons.
In the undergraduate admissions process, we look for students who will thrive - not just survive - at MIT. We look for characteristics such as self-initiative, willingness to risk, emotional resilience, desire to participate in MIT life. I told the reporter that MIT is not for the faint-hearted. We do not admit students whom we feel are inappropriate for MIT, such as students who cannot tolerate being less than perfect or students who take less rigorous classes to maintain their GPAs, since we know that MIT, by Prof. Sadoway's description a "swashbuckling" environment, will challenge even the brightest student. But 'not for the faint-hearted' is not the same as 'not for students on anti-depressant medications'.
Even the best reporters sometimes get it wrong.
Marilee Jones
Dean of Admissions
Posted by: Ben on February 25, 2005
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