Current students respond to questions from the Class of 2029
Katherine McEwan ’27: “IHTFP. The ambiguity is intentional”
On April 7, The Tech asked students admitted to the MIT Class of 2029 to share any questions they had for the Institute's current students. After receiving over 30 questions, the student body was invited over email to answer any question they saw fit. A few inquiries — such as “Will I have to solve a math problem to get into an MIT frat?” or “Are there any ghosts at MIT?” — remained unanswered, but many received thoughtful responses.
Some prospective students were worried about day-to-day life. When asked how to “survive the Boston cold,” both Paige Yeung ’25 and Daina Neithardt ’25 emphasized the importance of buying the right clothes, including a winter coat, waterproof jacket, rain boots, scarves, a hat, and gloves. To stay healthy during the winter, Yeung stated that students could consider taking vitamin D supplements and prioritize going outside on a regular basis. “You should always check the weather here before going out,” she added.
On the subject of navigating the MBTA, Katherine McEwan ’27 wrote, “The trains aren’t the most frequent or fastest, but they cover most of the city.” McEwan, who finds the T to be a “pretty intuitive system,” noted that BlueBikes are another good option, and that students can take advantage of tap payments in MBTA stations. Yeung added that physical MIT IDs can also function as Charlie Cards, and that students should be aware of relevant routes like the Red Line, the Commuter Rail, and the public transit system to and from Logan Airport.
In response to a query about “staple stores nearby for food, health, clothes, and stationary,” Rita Zambrano ’26 described the grocery situation as “pretty dismal.” Although Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Target, H Mart, and pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens are within walking distance from campus, Zambrano finds these options to be quite expensive. She shared that students can travel to farther but cheaper locations like Star Market or Stop & Shop or order from these stores online.
When more specific questions arose, responses often came down to “it depends.” In response to the question of how often students venture into Cambridge and Boston, Yeung wrote that the answer “varies a lot from person to person.” However, she emphasized the area’s walkability and the wide range of public events that students can attend.
In the context of off-campus events, Vivian Hir ’25 highlighted certain arts opportunities in response to a question about MIT-exclusive perks. “Students can subscribe to the MIT Arts Scholars mailing list to get free or discounted tickets for plays, concerts, ballets, and so on,” Hir wrote. She also mentioned the $10 Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) college card and free admission to the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Current students discussed MIT’s social life through the Institute’s wide range of communities, highlighting their experiences in clubs such as Shakespeare Ensemble, the Musical Theater Guild (MTG), Next Act, Asymptones A Cappella, Science Club for Girls, DynaMIT, Arcturus, Next Sing, and Sport Taekwondo. To those worried about not joining Greek life, Benson Lin ’27 said, “You can definitely define your own social circle and friend groups without Greek life.”
Others emphasized the importance of their living group in their MIT experience. Some cited specific reasons for choosing a dorm, such as the option to cook for themselves, or the high prevalence of singles. Room quality and social life vary between and within dorms, though Yeung wrote that rodents are “everywhere.” In response to one student who asked about “sneaking in cooking appliances,” McEwan said that policies differ between cook-for-yourself and dining hall dorms.
As for other places to find food on campus, Hir brought up options in the Student Center, Hayden Courtyard, and Stata Café. In terms of best study spots on campus, she recommended the Hayden stacks, Barker Library, and the Terrascope lounge. Both Hir and Zambrano wrote positively about their experiences with MISTI in Taiwan/Italy/Germany and Spain, respectively.
To a prospective student worried about being “excluded socially” for “standing by” their political views. Liliana Arias ’25 wrote, “MIT students have a large and diverse range of political views, so chances are you’ll find people who share similar views and also encounter some new perspectives along the way.”
Possibly in reference to MIT’s quirky, prank-centric reputation, another student asked, “Is the counterculture of MIT dying?” McEwan answered, “While the administration has been working particularly hard lately to crack down on counterculture classics like hacking, the ‘east side’ dorms (Random and East Campus) are very dedicated to preserving themselves as a safe space for people outside of the norm.”
On the subject of living outside the norm, the answer to the question “are sandals shoes at MIT” appeared to be a resounding “yes.” Arias quipped, “If you ain’t crocin’, you ain’t rockin’.” Vinu-Srivatsan added, “Your professor cannot see your feet from the front of 26-100. Wear whatever you want, but avoid frostbite.”
To the student asking “how unicyclable” MIT’s campus is, Michelle Mo ’26 shared, “Riding around on wheels all the time is definitely functional, but some surfaces are unideal.” Lin highlighted MIT’s Juggling and Spinning Arts Clubs in his answers to the questions “How high are the dorm ceilings (for juggling purposes)?” and “Does MIT have a circus?”
A few prospective students asked for favorite classes. Responses included 6.2050 (Digital Systems Laboratory), 8.044 (Statistical Mechanics), 8.20 (Introduction to Special Relativity), 21L.024 (Literature and Existentialism), 21L.601 (Introduction to Old English), 21M.426 (MIT Wind Ensemble), 21W.762 (Poetry Workshop), 21W.764J (Computational and Experimental Writing Workshop), CMS.306 (Making Comics and Sequential Art), STS.041 (Exercise is Medicine), and the Concourse program. Caroline Chea ’25 recommended Harvard’s ENGLISH 184cf (City Fictions).
Several answers may reassure prospective students worried about changing their path or exploring different options. Zambrano, who switched from Course 18 to Course 1 during her junior year, described enjoying applied math and optimization classes, but then discovered that Course 1 provided an opportunity to explore optimization and to “do something with my career that would directly help others.” Neithardt wrote, “I've found a lot of time to take classes in physics and classics and genetics that don’t count toward my major or HASS concentration, without ever taking more than 57 units, and normally less.” (The Office of the First Year advises students to take 48-54 units per semester.)
Other prospective students were interested in gaining research or professional experience on campus. Sarah Schmitt ’28 works as both a research assistant and a Student Art Guide at the List Visual Arts Center. She was able to obtain her research position with “absolutely no wet lab experience at all.” McEwan wrote that “In my experience, the majority of students have a job on campus to make extra money, usually working between 5 and 15 hours per week.” They shared that students can serve as desk workers, library assistants, tour guides, or ushers: “If you want a job, it’s not too hard to find one.”
When asked how to best prepare for MIT over the summer before freshman year, Arias recommended applying to Interphase EDGE, which she felt “really helped to bridge the gap between what my high school offered and the difficulty of classes at MIT.” Hir also stated that the MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) websites are a good resource for those studying for Advanced Standing Exams (ASEs). On the other hand, Vinu-Srivatsan wrote, “Enjoy your free summer! You will constantly be preparing and studying for the next four years.”
Schmitt advised students to continue taking care of their well-being during their MIT careers, warning, “You will need more sleep than you think.” She mentioned that her strategies for staying well-rested include not doing work on Saturdays and varying her study locations on Sundays. Lin recommended that students “have plans in place,” such as fixing “a time to gym with friends, or to go out for a night time walk, or game in the lounge.” Chea told a student who asked about imposter syndrome that “I’ve found that it helps to talk to people, particularly friends and professional counselors,” such as the Student Support Services (S3) deans.
One prospective student asked, “Which year are you? Do you HTFP or do you think you HTFP?” In response, McEwan wrote, “As a sophomore, IHTFP. The ambiguity is intentional.” McEwan pointed out how common imposter syndrome is at the Institute: “It’s all part of the experience — if someone says they’ve never felt like they don’t belong here, they’re lying to you. But for most people, the good times outweigh the bad, and if they don’t, there’s a lot of great resources to help you.”
Similarly, Zambrano shared that in the past three years, she’s ranged from sitting “curled up on the floor of my bedroom” to finding “paradise in my friends.” She wrote that at MIT, she has found a love for learning and research, as well as a true community. Zambrano concluded, “IHTFP is a mantra here for a reason. Embrace it.”