At MIT, we revel in a culture of learning by doing. In 30 departments across five schools and one college, our students combine analytical rigor with curiosity, playful imagination, and an appetite for solving the hardest problems in service to society.
MIT也有一份專門為申請者準備的“What we look for”指南。里面集聚了成功申請到MIT的學生的特質。
其中有這樣一段話:
MIT is an active, hands-on place. Innovation is risky and messy! Getting your hands dirty and trying something new is often the best way to achieve success. We apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems here; our Latin motto means “Mind and Hand." In other words, you shouldn't just enjoy thinking,you should also enjoy doing.
In a nutshell, you should be invested in the things that really mean something to you (we're not particularly picky as to what). Explore! Choose quality over quantity-you don't have to do a million things to get into college. Put you heart into a few things that you truly care about and that will be enough.
MIT wants to admit people who are not only planning to succeed but who are also not afraid to fail. When people take risks in life, they learn resilience -- because risk leads to failure as often as it leads to success. The most creative and successful people-and MIT is loaded with them-know that failure is part of life and that if you stay focused and don't give up, goals are ultimately realized.