Frequently Asked Questions

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• FAQ / First-year application

  How does MIT consider extracurriculars?

  We read applications from students interested in everything from apiculture (beekeeping) to building nuclear reactors in their garages. We realize our applicants are very committed to their schoolwork and with…
• FAQ / Life and culture

  What does the Office of the First Year do?

  The Office of the First Year supports a number of programs that enrich and support undergraduate education at MIT, and serves as your first year headquarters as well as a resource…
• FAQ / Academics and research

  Can I test out of some classes by taking Advanced Standing Exams?

  Advanced Standing Examinations are one way to earn credit for MIT subjects outside of the classroom itself. If you’re confident that you’ve already mastered introductory coursework at MIT, then you…
• FAQ / Academics and research

  How does pass/no record work?

  Here’s something else to love about MIT! The first semester at MIT is graded on a pass/no record basis: if you pass the class you get a “pass” on your…
• FAQ / Life and culture

  How do I contact a current student?

  MIT doesn’t provide names or contact information for current students. To learn more about MIT from a student’s perspective, please spend time on our site learning about academics and life…
• FAQ / First-year application

  May I apply before I have begun my final year of high school?

  We do not require you to have earned a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent before you enroll. As a university for students with unusual interests and aptitudes, our philosophy…
• FAQ / Life and culture

  What kind of student support services are available?

  Being a student at MIT can sometimes feel like drinking from a fire hose and Student Support Services (S3) is available to help you manage the water pressure. They are a friendly…
• FAQ / Academics and research

  Can I join the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change?

  You may! Understanding the complex, long-term changes in our land, air, and water requires breakthroughs in measurement, modeling, and prediction. Responding to these changes requires innovative policies that comprehend agriculture,…
• FAQ / Academics and research

  Can I study Global Change Science/Climate?

  The MIT Center for Global Change Science (CGCS) at MIT was founded to address fundamental questions about climate processes with a multidisciplinary approach. The Center’s goal is to improve the…
• FAQ / First-year application

  Will there be a wait list this year?

  Each year we aim for a class of approximately 1,100 students. Based on our estimates of the percentage of admitted students who will attend (known as the “yield”), we admit about 1,400…
• FAQ / Life and culture

  Does MIT offer Army, Air Force, Navy ROTC?

  MIT is proud to offer Army, Air Force, and Naval ROTC programs on campus. Military training has existed at MIT ever since the Institute opened its doors in 1865. Since…
• FAQ / Transfer

  How do I apply as a veteran?

  If you are a veteran and interested in learning in any way, shape, or form at MIT, please know that we appreciate your interest and thank you for your service.…
• FAQ / Prepare for MIT

  What is Splash?

  For one awesome weekend each November, thousands of high schoolers flood MIT’s campus to take classes, taught by MIT students, on anything and everything. From music theory to Hungarian history…
• FAQ / Life and culture

  What kind of study abroad programs are available?

  Interested in studying abroad for an academic year in the U.K. or a semester in South Africa? Want to improve your foreign language skills by spending a summer in China…
• FAQ / Academics and research

  What kind of things can I do during IAP?

  If you think MIT is all work and no play, let us take you for a spin in the big, wacky, comfortable chair called IAP. Sandwiched between the spring and…
• FAQ / Life and culture

  What is MIT Code?

  MIT uses numbers for everything. You could be in 10-250 taking 18.06, which is 4-0-8, for 6-5. At MIT, all of your friends would understand exactly what you’re saying. Translation:…
• FAQ / First-year application

  Can I take a gap year?

  We encourage students to take a gap year to explore and grow. Every year we have a number of students apply to MIT after a gap year and more students…
• FAQ / Life and culture

  How hard are courses at MIT?

  Learning at MIT is not about memorizing formulas, but understanding how to use them. Professors aren’t as concerned about if an experiment didn’t work, but rather if you understand why…
• FAQ / Life and culture

  Can I join a fraternity/sorority?

  MIT’s Fraternity, Sorority, and Independent Living Groups (FSILGs) include 26 fraternities, 10 sororities, and five living groups. With core principles of leadership, scholarship, and citizenship, the FSILG Office encourages and…
• FAQ / Academics and research

  Can I join the IDEAS Social Innovation Challenge?

  One of the highlights of MIT’s yearly academic challenges and competitions, the IDEAS Social Innovation Challenge, connects students with the passion and talent to improve the world with the experience…