Prepare for MIT

An MIT education combines deeply analytic thinking with creative hands-on work to empower students to solve the toughest problems in the world. Building a strong academic foundation before you come to MIT shows us that you’re ready to do the work and helps you make the most of the Institute when you’re here! No matter where you're starting from, there are lots of resources out there to help you prepare to study at any college and pursue a fulfilling STEM career—even if you don't come to MIT.

Key resources

  1. 💡 Khan Academy—founded by MIT alum Sal Khan ’98—offers free test prep for the SAT and many AP classes. You can also use their Get Ready interactive lessons to prepare for math coursework, from elementary school fundamentals through AP Calculus.

  2. 📚 Does your high school not offer foundational or advanced STEM courses you’d like to take? There are many free or low-cost options to supplement your studies, like dual-enrollment at a local college, online classes, and certification through Schoolhouse.world.

Learn how to prepare yourself to reach for the stars.

what our students and staff have to say

MIT blogger Cami M. '23“My hall has come to represent much more than a dorm to me—it’s a living space that houses some of my most favorite memories, events, and people, and it’s an integral part of my MIT experience.”

– Cami ’23, Humanities and Engineering

 

MIT student blogger Shuli J. '22“And then I came to MIT, and I realized that there was much more to the world than I thought there was.”

– Shuli ’22, MEng ’23, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

 

MIT Director of Admissions David duKor-Jackson“The factor that is both most salient, and most likely to swing an admission decision in a highly selective process, is what an applicant makes of the opportunities that are available to them…we may look just as favorably on the trajectory and distance traveled as we do on the heights achieved.”

– David duKor-Jackson, Director of Admissions