All MIT tours ended with a short story on “why I applied to/chose MIT.” It’s probably the most exciting part to listen to for someone on the tour because it shows why people chose (and still enjoy MIT). However, it can be both super informative yet super generic. 

My college story isn’t that helpful for people weighing pros and cons. I chose MIT due largely to athletic reasons (MIT has one the best pools in the northeast — that ANY student can use), but now that I’m finally graduated, I have reasons beyond the pool why going to MIT was a great decision.

The people are some of the most brilliant people you’ll meet (and they’re friendly).

Imposter syndrome can really hit you when coming to MIT. It’s crazy what people can accomplish in high school and still have a social life. Throughout college, I had some friends who would take three graduate-level computer science classes per semester (I could only manage one a semester max). Yet, they were still humble and grounded and have helped me through my learning. It has been exciting to meet people and discover all the fantastic things about them. Everyone has what they’re good at and bad at, so it’s fun to be around all of them and learn and grow from each other.

Athletics aren’t just for athletes.

Our PE classes are a hidden gem for students. MIT offers super fun classes where you can dip your feet into different activities and sports. Archery, sailing, squash, ice skating, you name it! They are all available for anyone to sign up and learn.
Furthermore, club and intramural sports happen year-round, and anyone can create a team. Walk-ons to varsity sports aren’t uncommon either. As a corollary: varsity athletes can do other things outside of practice because of the less demanding schedule (one practice a day max) compared to D1 schools. 

Boston is the city to be in

It only takes an Uber 20 mins to get to the airport. On top of that, Boston is both walkable and bikeable (okay, maybe bikeable is a stretch during the winter months).
If you don’t like hanging out with MIT students, countless other colleges (Northwestern, BU, Harvard, Tufts, Wellesley, and more!) around Boston have just as amazing people! Even though MIT has a relatively small class, Boston still feels super young and like a college town with the added benefit of not being a college town.

College isn’t about learning; it’s about who you meet!

Sometimes I want to get into a discussion about whether or not python is a good programming language. Other times, I want to hang and not talk about anything intelligible at all. The people at MIT are THE thing people say about why they had a great time. To be clear, that applies to almost any situation — clubs (extracurriculars), classes, friends, etc.

No one’s life is the same, but I guess that is what makes every year of MIT that much more special. Go beavers!

Fin

I finally did it. Guess it took longer than 30 days (two years in fact)!

• 30 in 30 about MIT (0/30 @ MIT)
• FOP, the pre-orientation orientation (1/30 @ MIT)
• Forrest in the Libraries (2/30 @ MIT)
• Swimming and PE Fencing over IAP (3/30 @ MIT)
• Misconceptions on Admission Tours (4/30 @ MIT)
• Full Libraries and Empty Classrooms at MIT (5 of 30)
• Are you Course 6? Computer Science at MIT (6 of 30)
• Chinatown and the other side of the river from MIT (7 of 30)
• Where people work after graduation at MIT by major (8 of 30)
• How not to get lost in the buildings at MIT (9 of 30)
• Friends and Guest Lists at MIT (10 of 30)
• Where to play piano and music at MIT (11 of 30)
• Why you shouldn’t major in computer science at MIT (12 of 30)
• Adjusting to the weather and snow days at MIT (13 of 30)
• Free Food, Orientation, and ASEs at MIT (14 of 30)
• Getting free swag (and no internships) at MIT Career Fair (15 of 30)
• Restaurant recommendations near MIT (16 of 30)
• Power naps and nap spots on Campus (MIT 17 of 30)
• Extra Meal Swipes in MIT Dining (18 of 30)
• Bluebikes, the red line, and Ubers in traffic (MIT 19 of 30)
• Charles River, Esplanade, and walks around MIT (20 of 30)
• My extracurriculars/club memories at MIT (21 of 30)
• Rushing and Fraternities at MIT (22 of 30)
• Baker House Baker Home (MIT 23 of 30)
• Good advice for MIT students (24 of 30)
• PNR and Advising — Memories and Advice for first years at MIT (25 of 30)
• Should you get a Masters in Computer Science at MIT? (26 of 30)
• How to prepare for your Masters in Engineering, i.e. MEng? (MIT 27 of 30)
• Mental Health and Stress at MIT (28 of 30)
• A few classes that defined my time in college (MIT 29 of 30)
• This article! (30 of 30)