MIT admits to 603 Regular Action applicants for the Class of 2029
The overall applicant pool increased by 1,050, while the acceptance rate remained about the same
At 6:28 p.m. on March 14, 603 Regular Action applicants learned that they had been selected for the MIT class of 2029. Accounting for both early and regular applicants, 1,324 out of 29,282 were admitted, resulting in an overall acceptance rate of 4.5%. This percentage is the same as last year’s, when 1,275 out of 28,232 applicants were accepted.
Stuart Schmill, Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services, wrote to The Tech, “I remain in awe of the students we admitted as well as so many of those that we had to turn away.” He added, “Compared with last year… we had fewer early action applicants, but more regular action applicants,” which amounted to an increase in total applicants. Schmill noted that although he could not pinpoint a particular reason for the increase in admissions, the Institute’s new financial aid policy in which undergraduate students with family incomes lower than $200,000 can attend MIT tuition-free may have played a role.
The Tech interviewed several admitted students. Their responses have been edited lightly for clarity.
When asked about their choice to apply to MIT, all emphasized the Institute’s unique community. Vaughn Khouri, a prospective Course 2 major, wrote, “I really wanted to be in an environment where I could find incredible people from all disciplines and backgrounds to collaborate with, both inside and outside of the classroom.”
Similarly, Maeve MacPherson, who plans to study Course 8 or 22, is excited to join a “campus filled with amazing, bright, and really unique people.”
Nicolas Rias Aricapa was already acquainted, if only in passing, with MIT’s strong community. Aricapa learned about MIT from his cousin, who graduated from MIT in 2020 and brought his college friends home to visit. “Everyone I met was incredibly passionate about their respective fields,” Vidal wrote. “I knew I wanted to be around people like that.”
Admission to MIT was a heady experience. Khouri shared, “I went through disbelief, I convinced myself it must have been a mistake, I had flashbacks to moments from years ago and then it all came crashing down. All in the span of 20 seconds. Then, I just cried, as I thought about everything my peers, friends, parents, teachers, and everyone else did for me to help me get here.”
Rios Aricapa wrote, “I was in a restaurant when I opened the decision so I couldn’t freak out too much, but I had a dance party in my car on the way home.”
MacPherson, who was at school when her decision came out, couldn’t believe what she saw when she opened her acceptance letter. “I genuinely thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me! I ended up seeing confetti TIMs flooding down the screen and my hands essentially got glued over my mouth from the shock,” MacPherson wrote. “I ended up crying and hugging some teachers.”
Steven Vidal described the moment as not “just for present-me, but a foundation for future-me.” He said he “couldn’t help but shout, ‘I just got into MIT!’”
Students look forward to MIT’s traditions and options outside the classroom. MacPherson wrote that she’s “obsessed with all the cool hacks,” hopes to join the fire-spinning club, and take “advantage of the pirate certificate.” Outside of class, Khouri hopes to “help build the East Campus fort, get involved with Formula SAE and the MIT Engine Team, tour all the makerspaces, and start some new personal projects.” For Vidal, learning about “Water Wars, complete with a Trojan duck,” made him realize that “MIT wasn’t just a school to admire for its intellect, it became my adMIraTion.”
Admitted students also shared some questions about MIT life. MacPherson and Khouri both worried that the Institute’s challenging academics, combined with abundant extracurricular opportunities, could make it hard to stay on top of schoolwork. In addition, Khouri wrote, “I wonder most about day-to-day student life… I'm also curious how tight-knit individual classes and Courses are when compared to the wider student body, given MIT's multidisciplinary reputation.” MacPherson was also curious about student life, wondering, “How many friends do most people have?” and “How much free time do you guys have in between problem sets to relax?”
These questions may be answered during Campus Preview Weekend (CPW), which will take place from April 17 to 20. During CPW, students will have the opportunity to explore different facets of MIT life. They will have until May 1 to accept or decline their admission.
However, some of their questions may remain unanswered. As Khouri wrote, “Four years is such a long time to spend in a place like MIT. It's hard to even comprehend how I (and the world) might change.”
Grace Zhang ’28 contributed to reporting on this article.