Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ / Prepare for MIT
What is Weekend Immersion in Science & Engineering?

WISE (Weekend Immersion in Science and Engineering) is a three-day experience for rising seniors to learn what it is like to be an MIT student. The program is completely free,…
FAQ / Prepare for MIT
What is MOSTEC?

The MIT Online Science, Technology, and Engineering Community (MOSTEC) is an online education and enrichment program, free of charge, that extends from the summer into the winter as students submit…
FAQ / Life and culture
What programs does Office of Minority Education offer?

The MIT Office of Minority Education, OME, provides a home base for many of MIT’s underrepresented minority students. OME’s mission is to promote academic excellence, build strong communities, and develop professional mindsets…
FAQ / Life and culture
Are the Arts active on campus?

Nearly 67 percent of incoming first-years have prior training in the arts, and more than half of all MIT undergrads enroll in arts courses each year—with nearly half of students…
FAQ / Academics and research
What’s the Deshpande Center?

The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation provides grants and resources to help MIT faculty and students move their ideas from the lab to the marketplace. The center empowers some of…
FAQ / Life and culture
What is Battlecode?

The 6.147 (formerly 6.370) Battlecode programming competition is a unique challenge that combines battle strategy, software engineering, and artificial intelligence. Student teams aim to write the best player program for the…
FAQ / Academics and research
What’s happening at the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies?

At the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, MIT, the Army, and industry-partners work together to develop technologies that advance Soldier protection and survivability capabilities. Team members collaborate on basic research to create new materials, devices,…
FAQ / Academics and research
What is the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory?

The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT focuses the talents of a diverse array of brain scientists on a single mission: unraveling the mechanisms that drive the quintessentially…
FAQ / Life and culture
What does “drinking from a fire hose” mean?

Getting an education from MIT has been likened to taking a drink from a fire hose—the sheer number of opportunities and rigor of our coursework can leave students feeling hosed. So…
FAQ / First-year application
Does MIT offer a foundation year?

MIT does not offer a foundation year program. Students currently enrolled in a foundation year program may apply for first-year admission if their foundation year is not considered the first…
FAQ / Life and culture
What are the residence halls/housing like?

More than 70% of our undergrads live on campus, including all first-year students. Housing differs across campus and we want each student to live where they feel best. Detailed descriptions…
FAQ / Prepare for MIT
Can you recommend some academic competitions?

It’s great that you’re searching for programs to challenge yourself academically. We have info on science olympiads, science fairs, robotics competitions, and maker opportunities on our Enrichment opportunities page.
FAQ / Academics and research
Is study help available?

MIT offers a variety of academic resources to provide support for any student facing a particularly tough academic challenge, from tutoring and study groups to time management tips and testing…
FAQ / Life and culture
What is “Tooling and Studying”?

Studying at MIT is on a different quantum level. Instructors don’t want you merely to reiterate the facts and formulas they’ve just taught you—they want you to understand the concepts…
FAQ / Academics and research
Can I take a summer session?

During the regular Summer Session, MIT offers a limited selection of the subjects available in the academic year, as well as a few subjects designed for special interests and needs…
FAQ / Life and culture
What career services are available?

MIT Career Advising & Professional Development guides all students—current and alumni—as they explore and prepare for careers. Whether you are planning for a career, searching for an internship or job, or…
FAQ / Academics and research
Does MIT offer exchange programs?

I don’t know why you would want to leave….but MIT offers a number of opportunities to study, work, research, and teach abroad.
FAQ / Academics and research
What is the Singapore-MIT Alliance?

SMART is MIT’s first, and to-date only, research center outside the United States. MIT faculty members have laboratories at SMART, mentor postdoctoral associates and graduate students, and collaborate with researchers…
FAQ / Academics and research
What is the Koch Institute?

The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Cancer Center, is a state-of-the-art cancer research facility as well as the hub of cancer research on the…
FAQ / Academics and research
How does MIT help student entrepreneurs?

The MIT Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) supports innovation and entrepreneurial activity throughout the MIT community by matching both prospective and experienced entrepreneurs with skilled volunteer mentors. VMS uses a team mentoring…

Frequently Asked Questions

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