Massachusetts Institute of Technology Top Questions

The best way to find the college that is best for you is to visit or talk to current students. The more you know about the place, teh easier it will be to decide if it's a good fit for you.

Go with your heart, and you will be at a place that makes you happy. One can do well at any academic institution if they put the work into it; it is important to be in a place that you feel you fit well into.

Visit campuses, stay overnight with students, talk to coaches and professors, take a tour. Make sure to choose a college that has several majors you might be interested, in case you change your mind about what you want to do. It's okay to have location be a significant factor in choosing a college because you want to be in a place that you'll enjoy.

Dream big and work hard. If you work hard enough, you will end up exactly where you want to be for school. It may take time, but many big life decisions do. There are many programs and many different schools available, but I would recommend visiting schools and meeting students. When you choose the right school, you want to be sure that you'll be happy. Going through school unhappy might make it nearly impossible, so you should be sure you can find happiness while you're in college. It's a big chunk of your life, so it shouldn't be a miserable chunk.

I would advise parents and students to really consider the people and the community of the college. Definitely make a campus visit or arrange for an overnight stay with a student host to talk to current students -- make sure the college environment is comfortable. Parents should talk with parents of current students as well, just to get a different viewpoint to make sure that the college is safe and acceptable. Also consider the specialities of the college; for example, if you are looking for an engineering/science college or more humanities and liberal arts, choose based on what area you hope to focus on in life.

Study hard, try new things and set aside time to enjoy the collge experience.

Try to discover what you love most and what is most important to you in the future. Find a college or university that will help you grow in those areas and achieve your goals. Don't be afraid to try something new or go somewhere new. College is a time where you can keep growing as the person you are or completely recreate yourself into what you want to be.

To parents and students: keep your mind open! Parents, this is your son's/daughter's time to go off and become, almost fully, their own person. They will be shaped and molded by the people and events they encounter during their college years. As such, it is important that they choose a college that will allow them to grow successfully. Any college that can provide this will do. And by giving your son/daughter your support and your advice, you will help them immeasurably as they learn and grow. Students, this is your opportunity to learn something about nearly everything! It's a chance for you to expose yourself to new ideas and people and in the process solidify your own perspectives, goals, and aspirations. Be open to new people and experiences - they truly will help you define yourself and, of course, learn about the fascinating world around you.

For parents: Don't get too involved your child's application. Most of the people here at MIT made it because they expressed themselves through the applications process without interference from Mom and Dad. There are students here who have the type of parents who insist on approving every little detail of the application. Their parents will never know it, but these kids got in by changing every essay at the last minute to reflect their own personality. For Students: The people are what matter the most! Your happiness at college is largely dependent on where you choose to live, so choose somewhere with good people over everything else. When you are up at 3:00AM doing homework, the furniture and location won't be able to help you, but your hall mates will!

When selecting a schoool think about how big of school you would like to attend, what kind of setting you prefer (rural, suburban, city), what you are interested in majoring in (will you be able to change majors if you are unhappy with your first choice), and most importantly, is this somewhere you could be happy for the next four years?