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Discover & explore

Why choose MIT? Our own graduate students have asked this very same question, and have shared their insights through insightful blog posts . Diverse students explore topics from choosing an advisor to balancing mental health and wellness.

Incoming students

We’re excited to welcome you to MIT! As you prepare to come to Cambridge, lean on these important updates and helpful resources .

Quick links

• Frequently asked questions
• Costs & funding
• Admitted applicants
• International applicants
• Master’s degrees
• Doctoral degrees

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visiting MIT

General information.

Find people on campus by searching the MIT directory online .

The annual MIT Facts booklet provides milestones in research and teaching , Nobel Prize winners , MIT history, annual reports , organization charts , the non-discrimination policy , acronyms and abbreviations , directions , and the campus map .

Everything you’ve heard about New England weather is true. Please visit Weather Underground to see how we’re faring on any given day.

Suggestions or feedback?

Admissions + Aid

Intensely curious and driven to explore, the people of MIT value rigorous analytical thinking, ingenuity, hands-on problem solving, and big new ideas . Stimulating, supportive, and playful, the MIT community becomes, for many students, a second home.

In our undergraduate, graduate, and professional admissions, we seek applicants whose strengths, interests, and values are a good match for MIT. Because the Institute is built on the idea that talent and good ideas can come from anywhere, we are a remarkably diverse community , drawing students from all 50 states and from 136 countries. Many are members of the first generation in their family to have the opportunity for higher education. Above all, our students learn not to be afraid of hard problems, making their MIT education a springboard for many careers — and practical preparation for life.

Undergraduate Admissions & Aid

All prospective undergraduate students apply through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions , regardless of their intended program of study. On the undergraduate admissions site, you can learn more about our application process and read  student blogs  about life at MIT. 

Top Resources

• Undergraduate Admissions
• Undergraduate Financial Aid
• First-Year Class Profile (2027)
• Undergraduate Student Blogs

Graduate Admissions & Aid

To pursue graduate study at MIT, you need to apply to one of our departmental programs . Each department has its own application website and admissions requirements.

• Graduate Admissions
• Graduate Financial Aid
• Graduate Student Blogs

Professional & Executive Education

For professionals in the workforce and for learners anywhere eager for MIT content without the full-time commitment of a traditional degree program, we offer a range of educational options — some online , some on campus, and some a blend of both.

• MIT Professional Education
• MIT Sloan School of Management Executive Education
• MITx MicroMasters
• MIT Bootcamps

Visiting Student Guide

During the onboarding process, we understand that there is quite a large amount of information to take in, which is why we have created this guide. This resource can be a valuable reference and includes various links to help you easily locate important information before and during your time at MIT.

We have organized the information, prioritizing what you need before your arrival at MIT, followed by additional details once you’re on campus.

Something is missing? Pl ease contact us ! We’re thankful for your edits in the Google doc here .

Once you set your communications (or even before the departure!) please subscribe to VISTA’s mailing list  to get updates about our most recent events. You can subscribe through your personal student profile at  engage.mit.edu . You are also highly encouraged to download and join our  Telegram  group chat (+500 current and former students are in it!) via the link on the  homepage .  

The information on this page and the links may not be current or up-to-date. It is essential to verify each piece of information before making any decisions. Your discretion is advised.

Navigating the Visa application process as a visiting student at MIT is crucial for your academic journey. The process starts by being invited to MIT as a visiting student, so obtaining an invitation letter and a mentoring plan from your MIT department. To access all the necessary information and receive assistance with this procedure, you can contact:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: +1 (617) 253-3795
• Website: https://iso.mit.edu/getting-started/visiting-students-faq/#Applying-to-MIT

Accommodation

MIT is located in the south of Cambridge, separated from Boston only by the Charles River. Please be aware that accommodations in certain areas of Boston can be quite expensive. When searching for accommodation, you have two primary options:

On-Campus: You can rent a room within one of the MIT buildings on the campus. MIT offers a variety of housing options — single rooms, efficiencies, one-bedroom, and multi-bedroom units — at different price points to provide MIT graduate students and their families with more choices. To book a room, please follow the instructions provided at MIT Housing and check for the open booking dates for visitors. Specifically, if you see the phrase “Available on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM ET,” this indicates that you should connect during that time window to reserve a room. Booking is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Off-Campus: If you prefer to live outside of the MIT campus, you can explore off-campus housing solutions through resources like MIT Off-Campus Housing , Harvard website open without Harvard ID ( https://www.harvardhousingoffcampus.com/ ) or Harvard-MIT Facebook groups ( GSD Housing , MIT Housing ). Please exercise caution when using Facebook groups or external websites, as there may be instances of rental scams.

Please note that if you come across the term “ sublet ” it signifies that a room is available for temporary rental, and this practice is legally permitted within MIT’s on-campus rooms. Typically, this is done by students who will be away for a short period and wish to sublease their room. Please note that the term “ roommate ” can refer to someone with whom you share a bedroom or, in many cases, it can also refer to someone with whom you share a house/apartment, each having their own private bedroom. Please verify the specific meaning in your context

Medical Insurance

As a visiting student, you will be responsible for paying a monthly tuition fee. This fee can typically be covered by your MIT department and includes MIT’s medical insurance coverage.

The MIT Student Health Insurance Plan (MIT SHIP: https://medical.mit.edu/health-plans/ship ) offers a range of essential services, including primary care, urgent care, mental health and counseling services. Additionally, it covers tests conducted at MIT Medical’s onsite radiology and laboratory facilities, as well as appointments with most MIT Medical specialists. For certain services, the coverage may be partial, and it’s advisable to verify the details on the website. The dental assistance is not included, so you should consider to have MIT Graduate Student Dental Plan or any other external insurance. For detailed information on the covered costs, please visit the Gallagher website . You can find a PDF containing all the information and a summary table under the “Plan details” section.

As Private Insurance Plans (not endorsed by ISO or MIT):

• HTH Worldwide
• VISIT Travel & Medical Insurance Program
• Compass Student Insurance

Social Security Number (SSN)

A Social Security number (SSN) is a taxpayer and benefit identification number issued by the Social Security Administration. It does not grant permission to work, nor is it proof of US citizenship or permanent residence. Once you obtain a SSN, it is your number forever and may be used on subsequent visits to the U.S.

To access all the necessary information if you are eligible and receive assistance with the procedure, you can contact:

• Website: https://iso.mit.edu/employment/social-security-number-ssn/

MIT ID Card

An MIT ID is a digital or physical credential enabling community members to authenticate themselves to card readers on and off campus.

Once arrived, community members with an active MIT Kerberos account (that is is your online identity at MIT https://ist.mit.edu/accounts ) can use the MIT Atlas mobile application (app: https://apps.mit.edu/ ) for iOS or Android to get their MIT ID or to print on campus. See instructions here .

The Atlas Service Center can provide new or replacement MIT ID cards to members of the MIT community in person or by mail. Please note that there may be a fee associated with replacing the MIT ID card.

The Center is located on the first floor of E17. General hours are 8am–5pm, Monday through Friday. You can also contact them at [email protected] or 617-253-3000.

Get Harvard ID

Visiting MIT students can get Harvard ID to access Harvard museums and more for free. Fill the form , pick an appointment, and collect your Harvard ID. Please visit the website for more information.

If you are interested in opening a bank account in the US, choosing a bank is up to you really. You might want to open an account in a bank close to your accommodation or campus, a list of the most popular banks in Boston is found below. To open a bank account, you need a valid, government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID or passport. It is not necessary the Social Security Number. Note that that some banks offer up to $200 welcome gifts for opening a new account.

• Bank of America (student account no fees under 25yo or classic account 12$/month fees that can be avoided by having at least 1500$ on the account). Nearest MIT Bank of America Financial centre to open the account: 92 Ames St, Cambridge, MA 02142.
• M&T Bank
• MIT Credit Union ( https://www.mitfcu.org/ )

Otherwise, you can opt for online banking, which is convenient for international student and short-term visits to the US

• Wise ( https://wise.com ) 
• Revolut ( https://www.revolut.com/en-US/ )

Communication

If you want to buy an American phone number, we recommend you to get a sim card from US Mobile or Mint, which is a very convenient telecommunications company. Both offer eSIM and have easy-to-use websites. Free Mint physical SIMs are available at the ISO office in building E18 . You can just put it in you phone and follow the instruction to immediately activate you new phone number.

In case you have any questions related to other topics, you can always email the international student’s office at [email protected]

Boston and Cambridge are extremely bike-friendly areas, especially in the warmer seasons (though winters can be challenging!). If you’re thinking about purchasing your own bike, keep in mind that both new and used bikes can be quite expensive, ranging from $100 to $500 or even more. It’s highly advisable to invest in a U-lock for security. Additionally, you might find bikes available on the MIT VISTA Telegram group, where fellow students often sell their bikes.

Alternatively, there are other convenient options like using Bluebikes ( https://www.bluebikes.com/ ), a bike-sharing service. MIT students can access this service for just $50 per year. If you prefer not to bike, you can also make use of the T-Line with your charged MIT ID. Please note that you can charge the MIT ID at the T-stations.

You can use your MIT card as “Charlie card” to load credits into your account and pay for fares at half their typical price. For the buses, only cash is accepted.

Useful links:

• BlueBikes : bike service in the city
• Free safe ride shuttles daytime + On-demand mode after 11 PM
• Budget car rental MIT discount
• Zipcar : to rent a car (info: https://web.mit.edu/facilities/transportation/ridesharing.html#zipcar)

Food and Drinking

You will soon realise that Boston is an expensive city to live in. Don’t worry, we compiled a list of the best restaurants and groceries stores for students.

• Trader Joe’s (shuttle from MIT on sundays),
• Star market
• Whole Foods
• Market Basket
• Dollar Tree (food and house stuff, EVERYTHING at 1,25$)

For the most environmentally aware ones,  Too Good To Go ( https://www.toogoodtogo.com/en-us ) is a service with a mobile application that connects customers to restaurants and stores that have surplus unsold food.

Need Food or Support?

MIT provides information about food resources  to ensure no student goes hungry due to lack of money, resources, or time, and that students feel comfortable  asking for help  when they need it. For any questions, you can contact  [email protected] .

Besides in partnership with Daily Table, the Division of Student Life is pleased to offer on-campus students a free delivery option for their groceries! Use code 0923MIT12 (valid from 9/1/23 to 12/31/23 for online orders only, it cannot be used in-store )  with a $20 minimum online purchase at Daily Table and receive free delivery to your on-campus location. For any questions, please email  [email protected] .

Free Food at MIT

To receive notifications about free food events on campus , subscribe to the free-food@ mailing list and other clubs on campus host regular dinners. Such as

• Tech Catholic Community (TCC)

The Banana Lounge

There is little chance that you haven’t heard of the  Banana Lounge at MIT.  Students are absolutely bananas over this lounge. Located in room 110, inside Building 26, this is a place where you can get as many bananas as you want EVERYDAY for FREE! There is also free hot chocolate and coffee to accompany your bananas. There are also study desks if you would like to study in the lounge.

The Muddy Charles

Located in the MIT campus, building 50, you will also get to taste the cheapest beer ($2 a pint) in Boston at MIT’s Muddy Charles! This bar, open since 1968 on 142 Memorial Drive, is exclusively open to MIT students and you will be asked for your  MIT student ID , as well as your  Passport.  Never forget to bring those or you will be denied entry!

At VISTA we often organise afterwork events at Muddy (weekly or bi-weekly), so stay updated about upcoming events.

Dining Halls (places where you can have your lunch and/or dinner)

MIT has various Dining Halls on campus that are accessible via the meal swipes or techcash program. All Dining Halls are accessible on campus with this program, you can find information regarding pricing at   https://studentlife.mit.edu/dining/residential-dining/meal-plans  however other programs such as techcash and dining dollars are available to use for currency. One Block is equal to one meal swipe, and the menus for the dining halls are available to view at  https://mit.cafebonappetit.com  or the MIT Mobile app. A map for the dining halls can be found here . Green reusable carry out containers are available at the desk upon request but at a fee.

Additionally, MIT hosts various food suppliers on campus. Typically ranging from convenience stores, cafes, or marketplaces. For example, the Forbes Café, situated in the Stata Center (Building 32), provides various dining options ( https://studentlife.mit.edu/dining/dining-locations/forbes-family-caf%C3%A9 ). For more information about dining locations, visit https://studentlife.mit.edu/dining/dining-locations .

Playing sports will help you stay in shape, teach you how to organize your time, boost your friendships and build relationships with other students. Access to the sports centers is included in your tuition fee. Becoming a member of MIT Recreation grants you access to multiple facilities that span 26 acres throughout the MIT campus, making you a part of the largest health, wellness and recreation community in the area. Don’t forget to also enjoy a run along the Charles River! At MIT, the different fitness centres are:

• The Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center (The Z Center) features a natitorium with an Olympic size pool, a 25 yard instructional pool, 2 fitness gym floors, six international squash courts, a private massage room, an indoor golf range, a multipurpose activity court and locker rooms.
• The Alumni Pool and Wang Fitness Center (A/W Center) is our auxiliary recreational facility featuring a 25 yard lap pool, 15 yard instructional pool, a fitness floor with stationary machines and free weights, group exercise studio, spin studio and locker rooms. The alumni pool in Wang Center is currently closed.
• As the home court for MIT Basketball and Volleyball, Rockwell Cage has 3 full basketball courts, spectator seating and space for badminton and volleyball.
• The duPont Athletic Center is equipped with 2 basketball courts, a fencing room, wrestling room, multiple squash courts, and the T-Club Lounge for additional group exercise, dance and martial arts. duPont Athletic Center also includes 12 outdoor tennis courts.
• The facility features an ice rink, a six-lane indoor track with a mondo rubber running surface and four tennis courts. The track facility is also equipped with a large indoor field used for large-scale events, as well as a small weight training center.
• The J.B. Carr Indoor Tennis Bubble houses four indoor courts for MIT Varsity Tennis, students and MIT Recreation Members as well as locker rooms, lavatories, and showers.
• Dedicated on September 9, 1966 to serve as the new home for MIT rowing and still rates as one of the jewels of MIT’s athletic complex. An eight-oared moving water indoor rowing tank was completely refurbished in 2004, while the facility also boasts 64 ergometers and a fleet of over 50 shells including eights, fours, pairs and singles housed in four boat bays.
• The Walter C. Wood Sailing Pavilion is the oldest university sailing pavilion in the world and the birthplace of intercollegiate sailing in the United States. The Pavilion is open to our members April 1 through November 15 for recreational sailing or learn to sail classes that can be booked via https://sailing.mit.edu/ .
• The Johnson Ice Arena offers seasonal ice skating opportunities for the MIT Community including general skating, recreational hockey, and lessons. During the off-season, the ice arena serves a space for events like the MIT Hack-a-thon.
• Our outdoor fields include Steinbrenner Stadium, Jack Barry Field, and Briggs Field which host track and field, football, lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, baseball and softball as well as over 80 intramural and club sports.

Please visit: https://clubsports.mit.edu/for-athletes/club-sports-list/ for an updated list of all sport related clubs at MIT.

MIT Campus and Buildings

The MIT campus is a bustling hub of innovation located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It spans 168 acres along the Charles River, featuring cutting-edge research facilities, iconic architectural landmarks, and lush green spaces.

The MIT campus comprises numerous buildings designated by alphanumeric codes. These codes don’t necessarily follow a consecutive or specific order. To locate a building accurately, consult the MIT campus map at https://whereis.mit.edu/ for precise directions and information about each building’s purpose and location. Additionally, MIT buildings are connected by tunnels, which can be very useful during the winter. You can find the map here: https://web.mit.edu/facilities/maps/mit_Tunnel_map.pdf .

MIT Tuition Fees and Work

Tuition fee

As a visiting student at MIT, you are responsible for covering a monthly tuition fee (as of September 2023, it’s $600). This fee encompasses various expenses, including research-related costs, student medical insurance through MIT SEIP, and fees associated with Student Life fees, such as access to the sports center. While the tuition fee is your responsibility, it’s worth noting that, with prior arrangement, it is not uncommon for your MIT lab or department to assist in covering this cost.

With prior arrangement with your MIT lab or department, it is possible to get compensated for work done in your MIT research group up to 20 hours/week (per federal regulations regarding J1 visa holders). To get paid by MIT, you will need to fill an I-9 form and get a Social Security Number (SSN).

How to complete your I-9 form

To fill your I-9, follow these steps:

• Go to the  I-9 website  to pre-fill your form with your personal information.
• Go to the  HR website  to schedule an appointment with the Atlas Service Center (Building E-18).
• During your appointment, your I-9 will get validated except for the SSN that you will need to send to MIT as soon as you obtain it.

How to get paid

When working as a visiting student, you get paid hourly by MIT. This means that you need to declare your working hours on your Atlas using the Time Sheet Entry menu. Once you have entered your time sheet, you will get paid on the next payday (Friday usually). If you want to receive your salary directly on your bank account (instead of a paycheck), you will need to open a US bank account (see related section) and set up ACH direct deposit in the Direct Deposit Preferences menu in Atlas.

EMERGENCY Service

For emergency services dial 911. However for various reasons there will be a significantly improved response time and understanding if you instead dial  617-253-1212  to get in contact with MIT Police and EMS.

Please have this already in your Contacts

Medical Services

Health services at MIT are provided by MIT Medical. These include:

• Urgent care
•  Primary care
•  Violence Prevention and Response
• Mental health
• Medical specialties

To learn more about MIT Medical and get started  click here .

Mental Health Services

Student Mental Health and Counseling Services is available for telehealth visits* and in-person appointments. They can provide:

• Evaluations and consultations
• Brief treatment (counselling/psychotherapy and medication)
• Off-campus counseling referrals and support
• Outreach , education, and prevention
• COVID-19 resources
• Group counselling
• Support for  eating concerns
• Advice when you are worried about a friend, colleague, or student
• Help for departments, labs, and centers that are dealing with traumatic events, sudden losses, or other troubling situations
• Psychology Training Programs

*Because some states have laws restricting the provision of telehealth services across state lines, MIT Medical’s telehealth services are available only to patients who are physically located in Massachusetts at the time of the appointment.

Useful Apps

When you are settled, make sure to install the following apps. They will be helpful throughout your journey at MIT:

• If you have not installed it yet, the ATLAS application is essential to follow-up with your legal documents (MIT IDs, I-9, personal information…) [https://apps.mit.edu/ ]
• MIT MOBILE can be handy if you need to know more about the campus. There you will find daily MIT news, shuttles, events, restaurants around and important updates [Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mit-mobile/id353590319 ; Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.mit.mitmobile2&hl=en_US&gl=US ]
• DUO is a two-factor authentication service which makes your connection to your Kerberos account with MIT more secure [Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mit-mobile/id353590319 ; Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.mit.mitmobile2&hl=en_US&gl=US ]

Events and Clubs

MIT organizes numerous events, and you can check the calendar for details . Besides, VISTA organises many kinds of events to keep the visiting student community active and engaged with us. If you have an event idea, please do not hesitate to share it with us and your idea. Events range from purely social events to sports events, on and off campus, provided that our treasurer agrees with the associated costs. Find information on our website and on our Telegram group .

MIT has several clubs on campus! To find student groups and organizations on campus visit https://engage.mit.edu/  

• MIT Sailing Club
• MIT Club Sports
• Houses like French House

Other Event links:

• BSO (Boston Symphony Orchestra) college card $7 for unlimited BSO performance, buy at Copytech in Blg 11-004 ( https://arts.mit.edu/camit/discount-tickets/  ) – out of storage summer 2018, might return Fall 2018
• Other discount ticket opportunity from Arts at MIT ( https://arts.mit.edu/camit/discount-tickets/ )
• MITAC discounted tickets for local arts and culture, sporting events and family activities( https://mitac.universitytickets.com/w/SitePages/Home.aspx ) 
• Free entrance & discounts for many museums → Free for Museum of science, MIT museum, MFA ( https://arts.mit.edu/camit/discount-tickets/ )
• MIT Event calendar ( http://calendar.mit.edu/ )
• Wally’s cafè + live music during week ( http://www.wallyscafe.com/index.html )
• Ashtown karaoke on Tuesday ( https://ashdown.mit.edu/event-calendar.php  – can’t seem to find it on this calendar?)
• $9.95/month for unlimited movies ( https://www.moviepass.com/ )
• MIT Students also receive discounted tickets to Fenway Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey Games via  https://web.mit.edu/fnl/volume/291/mitac.html  
• If you are available on campus IAP during the month of January, IAP is a terrific time to find various creative and interesting things on campus, a full list can be found

Each state in the U.S. has distinct laws regarding driving with a foreign driver’s license, so p lease visit the RMV’s website for information on the requirements the foreign licensed drivers are subject to in Massachusetts.

Minimum Legal Drinking Age in the United States is 21 years. A Liquor ID is an official form of identity, signature, and age in Massachusetts and it can be used it to verify your age. Alternatively, you should utilize your passport, as national IDs are typically not accepted. To apply for Liquor ID (which is not managed or released by MIT) visit the website: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-a-liquor-id-card .

Various Services

• Free printing with Pharos printing around campus, free of 3000 pages/person ( https://ist.mit.edu/printers )
• Room reservation @ MIT and more ( https://mycard.mit.edu/student/welcome.php )
• Music related devices @ Lewis Music Library in Bld 14
• Use MIT ID+Passport to access Harvard library ( https://library.harvard.edu/access-services/visitors )
• Borrow CostCo card @ CopyTech ( http://gsc-hca.xvm.mit.edu/costco/ )
• Free gyms @ MIT → Student center and Stata
• Free Ice Skating arena (no fees to get in there), but need to pay 5$ for skate rental cost

What’s happening around

For various free, weekly, community or adult events in the city of Cambridge and Boston we recommend parsing through these sites and subscribing to their mailing list.

• https://www.secretboston.net/weekly-newsletter
• https://www.thebostoncalendar.com
• https://www.fairsandfestivals.net
• https://www.bostonusa.com/events/?view=list&sort=date

To visit or not to visit?

Awkward COVID family decisions

November 1, 2021 | Miriam K.

The public health orders are clear: Stay. At. Home.

Your mom’s voicemail is also clear: Visit. Me. Now.

My family managed two fun and relaxing visits during the height of the pandemic. We weighed the risks, took precautions, and enjoyed some quality time. Let’s be 100% clear: it was risky every time we gathered with someone. On the other hand, even MIT organized pods of friends that could get together, and with the proper precautions, we can mitigate the risk of social interactions while fulfilling some of our social needs.

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Our fishing boat during the Arkansas vacation 

In June 2020, I was invited to a fishing trip in Arkansas with my family. I had a tough time making the decision about whether to go, so my first step was to get more information. For example, I needed to know if we would be staying in a crowded hotel or a secluded lodge. I also wanted to make sure we wouldn’t eat at restaurants (as Arkansas had practically no restrictions at that time). When I realized that the days would be spent on a fishing boat and the evenings in the cabin, I decided it would be ok to take this trip. I didn’t want to get on an airplane, so my husband and I drove to whole way. It was exhausting to drive so far, but it really was the safest option. Although it was not a full-proof precaution, we also got tested a few days before the trip. We realized that the test is only a snapshot and didn’t guarantee that we were infection-free. We supplemented the test by being “extra safe” in the two weeks leading up the trip: no socially-distanced picnics in the park with friends, limited grocery shopping, and overall limited outside interaction. In the end, we enjoyed a much-needed vacation! It was so fun to just go fishing, cook in the cabin, and drive around the countryside. When we returned home, we quarantined for 14 days.

For the first half of the quarantine, I felt mostly content. We could recover from the stress of traveling, do laundry, get caught up on work, etc. But the second week just seemed to drag on forever. There are only so many at-home activities you can do! Logistically, I have a few staples for my time spent in quarantine. Before the trip, I make sure to have a big meal plan and have all the necessary ingredients in the pantry. I always have an emergency pizza in the freezer too! It’s hard to have fresh fruits & vegetables if you don’t go grocery shopping for two weeks. So instead I stock up on canned fruit, frozen veggies, and a big bottle of Naked Juice to ensure I can get some vitamins. If I run out of anything, and it’s toward the end of quarantine, I’ll do a grocery pick-up at our local store which is basically contactless. Overall, I felt that the trip was worth the quarantine and was a refreshing change of scenery. Thankfully, my work is 100% computational, so my work productivity wasn’t diminished either.

In September 2020, my in-laws wanted to visit. Gulp. I actually get along great with my in-laws, so the scary part was the COVID restrictions. They live in a state with fewer restrictions, so they were a little taken aback when I explained we wouldn’t be going to restaurants and masks were absolutely mandatory. I decided to put a positive twist on it and focus on all the things we could do. We couldn’t go to our favorite bar, but I could pick up a growler ahead of time for us to enjoy at the park. We couldn’t go to restaurants, but we could organize super fun picnics and go on hikes. We had amazing weather during their trip, and I can’t imagine a more memorable visit. We still laugh about getting so much exercise from hiking and swimming! In fact, we organized a hike every day. In the evenings, we either took our dinner as a picnic in the park or played board games at the house. I had also started a puzzle before they arrived, and we ended up spending many hours consumed by it. After they left, we quarantined again for 14 days.

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Making memories during a hike

I like to think of myself as a COVID-perfect person who hasn’t left the house in 300 days. But in reality, we are all doing our best with certain measured compromises to stay sane. I try not to feel guilty, but some of my friends are way more strict with their COVID protocols. As long as I quarantined, I couldn’t get anybody else sick, and that was the best way to make sure I didn’t feel guilty. We are thankful for the time we spent with family. It took some work to plan the vacations and the subsequent quarantine periods, and we had to have a few uncomfortable conversations to set the right expectations. Now, I am so happy that we can gather again thanks to vaccines. Although these days we may still need masks indoors, I’m looking forward to a future of just saying “yes” to family reunions – no conditions, no awkward “maybes”, just a wholehearted “yes!”.

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How do I apply to be an Exchange Student, Special Student, or Visiting Student?

An Exchange Student enrolls at MIT to take classes as a non-degree student. Exchange students are affiliated with a university in which MIT has an established agreement, and both universities exchange students with mutual reciprocity. Exchange agreements are very selective; as such, there are very few of these arrangements. MIT participates in the Exchange Scholar Program, which enables current graduate students to enroll at participating institutions for a set duration. For a list of member institutions and the further details please visit the Exchange Scholar Program . For additional information about departmental exchange programs, please visit the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) .

Special Students are non-degree students who take classes at MIT. You will apply through the program headquarters and should contact the program directly for information on registration procedures. In all programs, students must demonstrate their ability to handle MIT’s rigorous academic standards. The undergraduate Special Students program is closed except for a very limited number of cases with institutions who have strategic partnerships with MIT.

If you are interested in doing research at MIT, you will need to be invited by an academic department as a Visiting Student . There is no central application to apply as a visiting student. Instead, individual faculty members must invite you to their lab to engage in research. If there is a specific area of research you find interesting, you may try contacting the affiliated department, laboratory, or faculty member to learn about available opportunities. For a list of current research areas, please visit the research site .

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QS World University Rankings rates MIT No. 1 in 11 subjects for 2024

QS World University Rankings has placed MIT in the No. 1 spot in 11 subject areas for 2024, the organization announced today. The Institute received a No. 1 ranking in the following QS subject areas: Chemical Engineering; Civil and Structural Engineering; Computer Science and Information Systems; Data Science and Artificial Intelligence; Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Linguistics; Materials Science; Mechanical, Aeronautical, and Manufacturing Engineering; Mathematics; Physics and Astronomy; and Statistics and Operational Research. MIT also placed second in five subject areas: Accounting and Finance; Architecture/Built Environment; Biological Sciences; Chemistry; and Economics and Econometrics. For 2024, universities were evaluated in 55 specific subjects and five broader subject areas. MIT was ranked No. 1 in the broader subject area of Engineering and Technology and No. 2 in Natural Sciences. Quacquarelli Symonds Limited subject rankings, published annually, are designed to help prospective students find the leading schools in their field of interest. Rankings are based on research quality and accomplishments, academic reputation, and graduate employment. MIT has been ranked as the No. 1 university in the world by QS World University Rankings for 12 straight years.

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A successful inaugural year for CAPD Graduate Student Professional Development’s certificate programs

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This spring, over 150 doctoral students and postdocs successfully completed CAPD’s new professional development certificate program . Two certificates—one in research mentoring and the other in grant writing—were launched last fall to help PhD students and postdocs advance their growth in these essential areas. Participants attended a series of workshops throughout the 2023-24 academic year to fulfill the certificate programs’ requirements.

As reflected by the application numbers, the programs’ launch received an enthusiastic response. The Research Mentoring Certificate attracted 245 applicants, of which 75 participants, representing a mix of PhD students and postdocs, were selected. The cohort attended workshops designed to teach mentoring skills such as maintaining effective communication, aligning expectations, addressing equity and inclusion, and assessing understanding. Each session was led by a facilitator trained by the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER).

For the Grant Writing Training Certificate, which was co-funded by Postdoctoral Services, 325 doctoral students and postdocs applied and 100 were accepted. Participants were required to attend three intensive workshops that delved into critical aspects of writing and submitting scientific grant proposals for the NSF, NIH, and other agencies.

The first workshop featured a faculty panel, moderated by Vivian Siegel, lecturer in the Department of Biology, which introduced the grant writing landscape. Professors Anna Frebel (Physics), John Gabrieli (Brain and Cognitive Sciences), and Chris Kaiser (Biology), along with Research Administration Services’ Vivian Holmes, offered insights based on their professional experiences.

The second session, led by outside facilitator Dr. John Robertson, was an all-day deep dive into the art and practice of writing winning grant proposals. The third session, entitled “The Nuts and Bolts of the Research Funding Machine,” was led by MIT Research Administration Services and discussed the internal process for federal grant submissions. Participants also had the option of attending a fourth workshop, helmed by outside facilitator Dr. Beth Schachter, focused exclusively on NIH K grants for postdocs and F grants for graduate students.

Survey responses demonstrated that the programs achieved Graduate Student Professional Development’s goal of helping PhD students and postdocs learn valuable skills that are not typically included in their training. A participant in the Research Mentoring Certificate program wrote, “Thank you for organizing this! [It] should be mandatory for all mentors — it really was so helpful!” Responses to sessions of the Grant Writing Certificate program included, “Best grant writing workshop I ever attended,” “This was extremely helpful for many levels of grant writers,” and “I gained a lot of confidence in my ability to write a successful grant application.”

Based on the success of the first year of the program, CAPD looks forward to continuing with these offerings and expanding them to include certificates for other vital skill sets. Ultimately, these efforts will support the Institute-wide focus on developing graduate student professional development, an area of emphasis in the Institute’s Task Force 2021 report.

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Growing our donated organ supply

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For those in need of one, an organ transplant is a matter of life and death. 

Every year, the medical procedure gives thousands of people with advanced or end-stage diseases extended life. This “second chance” is heavily dependent on the availability, compatibility, and proximity of a precious resource that can’t be simply bought, grown, or manufactured — at least not yet.

Instead, organs must be given — cut from one body and implanted into another. And because living organ donation is only viable in certain cases, many organs are only available for donation after the donor’s death.

Unsurprisingly, the logistical and ethical complexity of distributing a limited number of transplant organs to a growing wait list of patients has received much attention. There’s an important part of the process that has received less focus, however, and which may hold significant untapped potential: organ procurement itself.

“If you have a donated organ, who should you give it to? This question has been extensively studied in operations research, economics, and even applied computer science,” says Hammaad Adam , a graduate student in the Social and Engineering Systems (SES) doctoral program at the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS). “But there’s been a lot less research on where that organ comes from in the first place.”

In the United States, nonprofits called organ procurement organizations, or OPOs, are responsible for finding and evaluating potential donors, interacting with grieving families and hospital administrations, and recovering and delivering organs — all while following the federal laws that serve as both their mandate and guardrails. Recent studies estimate that obstacles and inefficiencies lead to thousands of organs going uncollected every year, even as the demand for transplants continues to grow.

“There’s been little transparent data on organ procurement,” argues Adam. Working with MIT computer science professors Marzyeh Ghassemi and Ashia Wilson , and in collaboration with stakeholders in organ procurement, Adam led a project to create a dataset called ORCHID: Organ Retrieval and Collection of Health Information for Donation . ORCHID contains a decade of clinical, financial, and administrative data from six OPOs.

“Our goal is for the ORCHID database to have an impact in how organ procurement is understood, internally and externally,” says Ghassemi.

Efficiency and equity 

It was looking to make an impact that drew Adam to SES and MIT. With a background in applied math and experience in strategy consulting, solving problems with technical components sits right in his wheelhouse.

“I really missed challenging technical problems from a statistics and machine learning standpoint,” he says of his time in consulting. “So I went back and got a master’s in data science, and over the course of my master’s got involved in a bunch of academic research projects in a few different fields, including biology, management science, and public policy. What I enjoyed most were some of the more social science-focused projects that had immediate impact.”

As a grad student in SES, Adam’s research focuses on using statistical tools to uncover health-care inequities, and developing machine learning approaches to address them. “Part of my dissertation research focuses on building tools that can improve equity in clinical trials and other randomized experiments,” he explains.

One recent example of Adam’s work : developing a novel method to stop clinical trials early if the treatment has an unintended harmful effect for a minority group of participants. “I’ve also been thinking about ways to increase minority representation in clinical trials through improved patient recruitment,” he adds.

Racial inequities in health care extend into organ transplantation, where a majority of wait-listed patients are not white — far in excess of their demographic groups’ proportion to the overall population. There are fewer organ donations from many of these communities, due to various obstacles in need of better understanding if they are to be overcome. 

“My work in organ transplantation began on the allocation side,” explains Adam. “In work under review, we examined the role of race in the acceptance of heart, liver, and lung transplant offers by physicians on behalf of their patients. We found that Black race of the patient was associated with significantly lower odds of organ offer acceptance — in other words, transplant doctors seemed more likely to turn down organs offered to Black patients. This trend may have multiple explanations, but it is nevertheless concerning.”

Adam’s research has also found that donor-candidate race match was associated with significantly higher odds of offer acceptance, an association that Adam says “highlights the importance of organ donation from racial minority communities, and has motivated our work on equitable organ procurement.”

Working with Ghassemi through the IDSS Initiative on Combatting Systemic Racism , Adam was introduced to OPO stakeholders looking to collaborate. “It’s this opportunity to impact not only health-care efficiency, but also health-care equity, that really got me interested in this research,” says Adam.

Making an impact

Creating a database like ORCHID means solving problems in multiple domains, from the technical to the political. Some efforts never overcome the first step: getting data in the first place. Thankfully, several OPOs were already seeking collaborations and looking to improve their performance.

“We have been lucky to have a strong partnership with the OPOs, and we hope to work together to find important insights to improve efficiency and equity,” says Ghassemi.

The value of a database like ORCHID is in its potential for generating new insights, especially through quantitative analysis with statistics and computing tools like machine learning. The potential value in ORCHID was recognized with an MIT Prize for Open Data , an MIT Libraries award highlighting the importance and impact of research data that is openly shared.

“It’s nice that the work got some recognition,” says Adam of the prize. “And it was cool to see some of the other great open data work that's happening at MIT. I think there's real impact in releasing publicly available data in an important and understudied domain.”

All the same, Adam knows that building the database is only the first step.

“I'm very interested in understanding the bottlenecks in the organ procurement process,” he explains. “As part of my thesis research, I’m exploring this by modeling OPO decision-making using causal inference and structural econometrics.”

Using insights from this research, Adam also aims to evaluate policy changes that can improve both equity and efficiency in organ procurement. “And we’re hoping to recruit more OPOs, and increase the amount of data we’re releasing,” he says. “The dream state is every OPO joins our collaboration and provides updated data every year.”

Adam is excited to see how other researchers might use the data to address inefficiencies in organ procurement. “Every organ donor saves between three and four lives,” he says. “So every research project that comes out of this dataset could make a real impact.”

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MIT D-Lab Tour Guide

Posted : 3/19/2024 Hours per week : 2-4 Hourly rate of pay : $17/hour

The MIT D-Lab Tour Guide will manage and conduct a weekly one-hour tour for general public visitors using prototypes, exhibits, and display boards to tell the D-Lab story. For the tour, the student will talk about D-Lab history and the current-day D-Lab program of academics, research, and fieldwork; general approaches D-Lab staff, students, and community partners use in their international development work; D-Lab mission, goals, and values; and several stories of specific projects and their trajectories. Ideally, the guide will have experience with D-Lab classes, fieldwork, and/or research and be able to include personal anecdotes in the tour.   The weekly tour will be scheduled to coordinate with the student's availability. The guide will assist the D-Lab Communications Officer keep displays and bulletin boards current and in good order and ensure printed materials are in plentiful supply as hand-outs to visitors. In addition to the weekly tour, the guide will help represent D-Lab at special events and fairs on campus (such as Campus Preview Weekend) and provide special request tours, if available.   Time permitting, the guide may also take on small written assignments for D-Lab such as blogging, writing for MIT News, and contributing to Wikipedia entries and/or record short video interviews with D-Lab students. Writing and video projects can take place at D-Lab or remotely.   The position is supervised by the D-Lab Communications Officer.

Requirements

• Experience with D-Lab classes, fieldwork, and/or research is essential
• Graduate or undergraduate student
• Clear public speaker
• Ability to listen and engage others in conversation
• Punctual and organized
• Ability to work independently
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• Writing and/or video skills a plus

Email MIT D-Lab Communications Officer Nancy Adams describing your interest and qualifications.    

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A Rare State Visit to NC State

Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, will come to NC State’s Centennial Campus on Friday, the first campus visit by a foreign head of government since 1954.

When Stephen Sumner (Industrial Engineering ’96) was randomly paired with a Japanese exchange student in an advanced biology class during his senior year at Dobson’s Surry Central High School, he had no clue just how much that chance encounter would change the trajectory of his life and professional career.

Now, as the director of the North Carolina Japan Center, Sumner and NC State leadership, including Chancellor Randy Woodson, will greet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, the first foreign head of government to officially visit NC State’s campus in nearly 70 years.

Kishida, his wife, Japanese ambassador Shigeo Yamada, Gov. Roy Cooper and General Consul Mio Maeda will make two stops on their 90-minute visit to Centennial Campus, where they will engage with students from Raleigh’s Exploris Middle School, NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke, as well as adult community learners from the Japan Center.

“The Japan Center is the key focal point for North Carolina-Japan relations here in the state,” says Sumner, who took over the position of the 44-year-old center last September. “This is a great opportunity to push us back up to the forefront of activity here in North Carolina, as it relates to Japan. Get us back on people’s radar and remind people of the 40-year legacy, soon to be 45.”

On Monday, Kishida began his seven-day visit to the United States, the first by a Japanese prime minister in nine years. He had a White House summit with President Joe Biden on Wednesday and addressed a joint session of Congress on Thursday.

He will travel to North Carolina’s Triad region early Friday morning to visit a HondaJet manufacturing facility in Greensboro and the Toyota Battery Manufacturing NC facility in Liberty. After a state luncheon with Cooper at the governor’s mansion in downtown Raleigh, the Japanese delegation will make two stops on Centennial Campus, first at the Nagoya University Global Campus at Partners I, then at the Japan Center, located in the Spring Hill House on the Dix Park side of Centennial Boulevard.

While here, Kishida will meet with six Japanese students studying at NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke at the Nagoya offices, then 10 Raleigh middle school students who just returned from a trip to Japan. Three NC State and two UNC-Charlotte students will be presented with the Order of the Dogwood prize for their statewide academic excellence related to Japanese studies. Finally, five of the 130 students who are taking continuing education classes at the Japan Center will greet the delegation.

“I hope by showing the impact we have on the educational opportunities for students of all ages through research and technology, this state visit will open more doors for partnerships for public and private companies that benefit both Japan and the state of North Carolina,” says Woodson. “Our longstanding partnership with Nagoya University is a prime example of that.”

The visit has been in the works since February and was announced last week.

Longstanding Ties

NC State’s longstanding ties with Japan goes back to the 19th century, when Japanese-born Teisaku Sugishita became the first international graduate of the North Carolina College for Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1896.

Sugishita, a quarterback for A&M’s football team, is believed to be the first native of Japan to play college football in the U.S.

On July 11, 1980, following a state trade mission to Tokyo, Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr. (’56, ’59) and School of Humanities and Social Sciences dean Robert Tilman established the North Carolina Japan Center, naming 19 inaugural members to a faculty development program. Later that year, then-Chancellor Bruce Poulton visited Japan’s Nagoya University, establishing formal ties with the country’s fourth-largest university.

Nagoya has had a presence at NC State for more than 15 years and last year established the Nagoya Global Campus, offering dual-degree programs, large-scale student exchanges, joint faculty research with industry partners and global internships for students from both institutions.

In the four-and-a-half decades since, the center has been instrumental in developing public and private partnerships around the state, beginning with Raleigh’s $37 million Ajinomoto-USA plant that produced amino acids for the pharmaceutical industry.

Through the years, scores of Japanese manufacturing, technology and pharmaceutical companies have established a foothold in North Carolina’s economy, including the HondaJet and Toyota battery sites in the central part of the state. FUJIFILM Diosynth has maintained a partnership with NC State’s Golden LEAF Biotechnology Training and Education Center (BTEC) for more than a decade and is a strategic partner in the company’s $2 billion manufacturing facility that will open next year in Holly Springs.

A Full Circle Event

For Sumner, the state visit will bring full circle to his relationship with Japan, going back to his advanced biology class with exchange student Susumu Akutagawa. While Sumner departed for NC State and Akutagawa returned to Japan after graduation, they remained close.

Sumner began taking Japanese language classes as a freshman at NC State, even though he had no experience with it.

“I had taken four years of Spanish in high school and I have a good understanding of languages,” he says. “When I got to NC State, I figured if my friend can learn English, I should be able to learn Japanese.”

Sumner made his first trip to Japan with a scholarship from the Japan Center in the summer of 1993 and served two internships there while a student.

He spent 14 of his 19 years with American company Entegris working in Japan, where he was a co-worker of Akutagawa’s sister, then returned to the U.S. in 2020 to pursue a new career in higher education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas until he was named the Japan Center’s seventh director last fall.

Six months after his first day on the job, he received a call from the consulate general in Atlanta asking if NC State would like to host the prime minister.

“I nearly dropped the phone,” he says.

The last month has been filled with a half dozen visits by Japanese advance teams, security personnel and internal planners. Sumner has not been allowed to share the news of the visit with his friends in either country.

“After Friday, you can be sure all of my friends will hear from me,” Sumner says.

A Rare State Visit

Throughout its history, NC State has hosted a multitude of U.S. leaders in both campaign and policy events. Lyndon B. Johnson was the first sitting president to visit campus, while supporting the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Ronald Reagan gave a tax policy speech at Reynolds Coliseum in 1985, and George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all visited campus during their administrations.

However, this is the first visit to campus by a foreign head of government since Turkish president Celal Bayar spent two days in North Carolina on Feb. 25 and 26, 1954, while on a 24-day visit across the United States.

During that visit, Bayar visited all three campuses of the Research Triangle Park partners, touring NC State’s on-campus research nuclear reactor and the School of Textiles. He also visited the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill and the Liggett & Myers cigarette manufacturing facility in Durham, where he stayed overnight on Duke’s campus.

While at NC State, Bayar was entertained by the school’s Army ROTC Pershing Rifles unit, the drum and bugle corps and the Air Force ROTC drill team. He then left to explore eastern North Carolina tobacco fields in Rocky Mount, seeing NC State agricultural research in action.

Kishida’s visit will be much more focused on manufacturing partnerships and development, but it will again showcase the work NC State has done to broaden North Carolina’s economy.

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In the News

QS World University Rankings rates MIT No. 1 in 11 subjects for 2024

QS World University Rankings has placed MIT in the No. 1 spot in 11 subject areas for 2024, the organization announced today.

The Institute received a No. 1 ranking in the following QS subject areas: Chemical Engineering; Civil and Structural Engineering; Computer Science and Information Systems; Data Science and Artificial Intelligence; Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Linguistics; Materials Science; Mechanical, Aeronautical, and Manufacturing Engineering; Mathematics; Physics and Astronomy; and Statistics and Operational Research.

MIT also placed second in five subject areas: Accounting and Finance; Architecture/Built Environment; Biological Sciences; Chemistry; and Economics and Econometrics.

For 2024, universities were evaluated in 55 specific subjects and five broader subject areas. MIT was ranked No. 1 in the broader subject area of Engineering and Technology and No. 2 in Natural Sciences.

Quacquarelli Symonds Limited subject rankings, published annually, are designed to help prospective students find the leading schools in their field of interest. Rankings are based on research quality and accomplishments, academic reputation, and graduate employment.

MIT has been ranked as the No. 1 university in the world by QS World University Rankings for 12 straight years.

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A2i Participant Gains Valuable Insights at SAS Site Visit

Ashley Beatty, a 3rd-year doctoral student in design and participant in the Accelerate to Industry program at NC State, recently attended a company site visit to SAS. Reflecting on her experience, Beatty remarked, “Before the SAS site visit, it was hard to imagine how the specialized subject expertise we develop as doctoral students could be useful to anything but an equally specialized industry.”

During the visit, Beatty learned that the problem solving, research design, project management, and reporting skills developed in academia are highly transferable and valued in industry, even in sectors outside of her discipline. She also discovered that unlike academia, where multiple roles often need to be juggled, industry allows professionals to focus on their core strengths.

Beatty’s experience at SAS has left her with a newfound confidence and an open mind as she navigates her career path.

Though I’m still debating which path is right for me, I will now approach the job search with more confidence and an opened mind.

The Accelerate to Industry program aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry, providing graduate students and postdocs with opportunities to explore career options outside of traditional academic paths. Ashley Beatty’s experience at SAS exemplifies the program’s impact in empowering participants to make informed decisions about their future careers.

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