All About The Author by Ben Jones

Hi folks,

My name is Ben Jones and I work in the MIT admissions office. My job, among other things, is to manage this site. I write stuff, I edit stuff, I design stuff, I format stuff, I code stuff. I try to keep my finger on the MIT pulse and chase people around campus to get stories and tips.

My team is a force. We sleep outside offices and dorm rooms when people try to hide from us and our pursuit of content. And we promise to serve you well in your quest to learn more about MIT.

Let me begin by telling you my thoughts on this new portal.

Lots of schools have web sites for their admissions programs. These sites are great sources of information – academics and research, athletics, student life, application materials, etc. We of course have this resource as well.

But these informational pages are helpful in the same way that a college viewbook might be, written for a large audience with widespread interests. Great for getting a taste, but what if you really want a closer look? What if you hunger for details and snapshots, the bits and pieces that make a community both human and alive in the context of your own experience?

Being MIT, we weren’t satisfied to simply recreate our print materials in the online space. That would be ignoring the full potential of the web’s interactivity. And MIT doesn’t ignore potential; we create it.

Thus, say hello to the all-new MIT admissions site. Think of it as a viewbook written (and frequently rewritten) specifically for you.

I have the best job in the world, because I get to explore MIT on behalf of all of you. I’m new around here and so are you. I’m looking forward to sharing this experience with you – so please don’t hesitate to contact me with ideas or requests.

Before I finish up this entry I’ll tell you a bit about myself. I just turned 30, which means I’ve been out of college for eight years. Every fall I’ve lamented the fact that I won’t be going back, registering for classes, getting swept up in the energy of a new academic year. But this fall, I am going back, and it feels great.

In college I double majored in Literature/Writing and Environmental Studies. Since then I’ve been a paralegal, a web designer, a writer, and an art director. In my spare time I play in a rock band all over Boston. I am married to the love of my life and have an awesome little boy who has just learned to walk and talk. The passion with which he explores the world reminds me of things I see here at MIT every day.

I’ll write more soon. Until then, have a great rest of the summer.

Ben