Visiting MIT this summer (part 1) by Matt McGann '00

It is now high season for visiting colleges. I plan to do a series of entries on how to visit MIT and Boston this summer. For those of you who plan to visit, please leave your questions in the comments; I will answer them in future entries. For families who have already visited, feel free to leave your advice on visiting MIT and Boston in the comments; I will pass that advice on in the posts to come.

A visit to Boston to visit colleges is quite appealing to many families. There are more than 50 colleges and universities in Greater Boston, making it easy to visit a variety of colleges from one base. Most of the major universities are on subway lines, so renting a car (and trying to navigate Boston roads) is not necessary. And Boston is an exciting, historic city that offers something interesting for the entire family.

MIT offers information sessions followed by campus tours twice daily, at 10am and 2pm, every weekday (except July 4th) throughout the summer. The summer information sessions meet in the Lobdell Food Court at the Stratton Student Center. No reservations are necessary.

The information sessions are 45 minutes in length and are conducted by admissions officers (I do about 2 of those sessions each week). The information session provides an overview of MIT: its culture, academic environment, etc. The admissions officer will also discuss the application process and financial aid.

At the conclusion of the tour, student tour guides lead a tour of campus. Stops include the Athletic Center, the Student Center, academic buildings including “Main Campus” and the Stata Center, Killian Court (have your camera ready), libraries, and, during the summer only, a student dorm room. The tour lasts approximately 75 minutes.

After your session and tour, we encourage you to explore MIT a bit on your own, visiting departments, labs, food establishments, and more. You can visit the Admissions Reception Center (Room 10-100) to get a campus map, the brochure “The Exploration Equation” which suggests some interesting places to visit at MIT that aren’t on the tour, and, of course, some friendly advice. We can also suggest some good places to get lunch or dinner on campus or in the neighborhoods around MIT.

In future entries, I’ll answer your visiting-related questions, post advice from previous visitors, discuss transportation to & around Boston, give some tourism advice, and suggest some good places to stay and eat. Also, see today’s sidebar entry, a listing of session & tour times for major Boston-area colleges.