Pages: WISE 2024

WISE is a three-day program taking place October 6–8, for rising seniors to learn what it’s like to be an MIT student.

The Weekend Immersion in Science & Engineering program is completely free, including the cost of transportation to and from MIT. We strongly encourage students from underrepresented and/or underserved backgrounds to apply, including students who come from low socioeconomic means, live in a rural area, or might be the first in their family to attend college.

Please note: You must attend high school in the United States or one of its territories to be eligible to attend.

Program overview

WISE begins in the afternoon on Sunday, October 6, and concludes in the afternoon on Tuesday, October 8. (Yes, we know it’s no longer really a weekend.) Participants stay on campus with a current MIT undergraduate student and learn firsthand about academics and campus life. As a participant, you’ll experience our campus community by working with and getting to know current students and faculty. You’ll also attend workshops on the college admissions and financial aid application process.

Travel

The cost of transportation to and from campus is covered by MIT for all participants. Details on booking travel are provided to all participants who confirm their attendance. Please do not make any travel arrangements on your own. Participants book their travel through our travel partners.

Accommodations and meals

Participants are hosted by current students and stay with them in their residence hall. This may be a single-sex or co-ed hall. Participants fill out a host-matching form with housing preferences prior to attending the program. All meals are provided for the entire program.

Application details

The application for the 2024 program is now closed.

There is no application fee and completed applications are due by August 2 at 11:59 PM ET. We will notify all applicants in early September. Make sure to check with your parents, teachers, and coaches before applying, as the program takes place during the week and you will miss ~two days of school. And, don’t worry, we’ll provide you with a participation letter to take back to your school if you need one.

What you need for the application

There are a few things that you should have ready before you start the application:

• An unofficial copy of your high school transcript(s)⁠01 There are no formal academic prerequisites for attendance to WISE itself. However — <a href="https://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/highschool/">as we say in the “Prepare for MIT” section of our site</a> — we find that students who are well-prepared for MIT have at least some exposure calculus and physics by the end of 12th grade. If you do not have access to these courses through your high school, we recommend <a href="https://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/highschool/#:~:text=If%20you%20don%E2%80%99t%20have%20access%20to%20a%20calculus%20class">several programs</a> that can supplement your studies. This guidance applies whether or not you attend WISE.
• An unofficial copy of your AP score report,⁠02 You can download your AP score report by logging in to your College Board account. if you have taken AP exams⁠03 We do not require you to have taken AP classes or exams prior to WISE, but if you have taken exams, we do require you to submit your scores.
• Any PSAT, SAT or ACT test scores and dates you took them⁠04 Standardized testing is required for the MIT application process; you can read more about why <a href="https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/we-are-reinstating-our-sat-act-requirement-for-future-admissions-cycles/">here</a>. To best assess a student’s potential fit for the program, we require testing for the WISE application. <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/digital-sat">We recommend the SAT preparation materials from Khan Academy</a>.

Short answer questions

We also require responses to the following short answer essay questions. We want to learn a bit more about you, and why you’re interested in WISE. Be yourself; there’s no right or wrong answer!

• Why are you interested in attending the WISE program? (225 words or fewer)
• What experiences have most shaped your educational journey thus far? (180 words or fewer)
• Which MIT major/department is most interesting to you right now? For more information about what each department at MIT offers, click here.
• Based on your previous answer, why does this major/department at MIT interest you most? How does this major/department contribute to your interest in STEM (the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)? (200 words or fewer)
• If you had unlimited money to start your own business, what would it be and why? (150 words or fewer)

How to apply in three easy steps

Please read all of the steps below before beginning your application!

1. Create your account in our application system if you don’t already have one. It’s easy and will only take a couple of minutes. If you already have one, jump to step two!
   Create your account
2. Click the link below to apply. You are able to save your progress and come back to the application as many times as you need. Save the link or come back to this page to access your application in progress. The button will magically reappear in late June for the 2025 program, so check back soon!
3. Once you have everything the way you want it, hit submit!

Once you’ve submitted your application, there’s nothing else that you need to do! We’ll be in touch when we notify applicants in early September.

Still have questions? Just ask!

WISE is an MIT Admissions program.⁠05 However, please note that admissions decisions for WISE are independent of those made by for first-year admissions, and whether or not you are admitted to WISE has no bearing upon the consideration of your first-year application. If you have any questions, email us at [email protected]. We are happy to chat!