Heading to business school is a serious step, and most prospective students have plenty of questions about MIT Sloan itself and Boston in general, about the workload, the atmosphere, and the community, about resources and activities for students and their families. Here are some of the questions we hear most often; for more on MBA admissions and financial aid please see the MBA FAQ page:
At MIT Sloan, we take great care to choose applicants who combine strong academic talent and intriguing leadership experiences with a balanced, collaborative, down-to-earth approach to life. The result is a student body that is exceptionally friendly, welcoming, and supportive.
At MIT Sloan we are renowned for our collaborative, supportive culture. Far from being competitive, Sloanies are helpful, rather humble, and root for one another to succeed. Our faculty foster a collaborative approach to learning, and classmates routinely help each other with the material they each know best. Class discussions are open and free-wheeling; everyone is encouraged to share his or her point of view. Because you are routinely assigned to work together on team projects, especially during the first year, you quickly come to rely on your classmates as colleagues and as friends.
“MIT Sloan is all about the people. That's the most important thing. A lot of my fellow classmates say that what really made their decision to attend MIT Sloan was coming to Admit Weekend and realizing how important the people are.”
Susan Rogol, MBA ’08
No matter what your academic profile, you can find all the help you need here — formally through your TAs and professors, and informally through your classmates. MIT Sloan is a community of people who help each other succeed.
“If I send out an e-mail saying, ‘I'm having trouble with X, Y, and Z,’ I will hear back from everyone I sent that e-mail to. And if they can't help me directly, they will say, ‘Here's a person who can.’ It's impossible to be stuck on something here. ... And also, you end up realizing how much more you learn by being able to help your fellow classmates.”
Sana Keragani, MBA ’07
At MIT Sloan, you will find a faculty of world-class scholars who make a point of being highly accessible to students. Faculty members can serve as wonderful advisors, contacts, and friends. Feel free to ask and answer questions, and don't hesitate to see your professors during office hours if you want more clarification. Faculty often share their latest research with students and even collaborate with them on projects inside and outside of the classroom.
Our classrooms are a lively, engaging place. Students are expected to contribute to class and team discussions — and professors make it easy, inviting everyone's point of view. Because Sloanies come from such a variety of backgrounds, all questions and perspectives are welcome. In most courses, you will encounter a mix of teaching methods — from lecture to discussion, from theory to case studies to hands-on application.
MIT Sloan students pack a seemingly unbelievable amount of experiences into their two years on campus.
During your first semester, you'll be busy meeting new people, exploring a new community, evaluating a host of extracurricular offerings, and rising to the challenges of our “core” curriculum. Once the core is behind you, there is a great deal of flexibility in your academic choices and more time to pursue personal and professional interests.
Almost all students belong to at least one club, and many organize trips, events, and get-togethers; some even launch new groups of their own. At MIT Sloan, it's easy to find other highly motivated people who share your interests and can help you make things happen.
Many students have spouses or partners, as well as young children — so you and your family can find lots of support (and company!) in striking a comfortable balance between school and family life.
Many students come to campus with their eyes on a new career. At MIT Sloan you will find all the resources you need to help you down that path, from our outstanding faculty to our worldwide network of alumni, spanning every sector and industry. The MBA Career Development Office offers help with industry research, networking, internships, interview skills, and recruiting — and has even developed practical guides that outline which courses will serve you best in preparing for different careers.
An MIT Sloan education is perfect preparation for anything that requires innovative ideas, rigorous thinking, and open-minded leadership — which means it will serve you extraordinarily well on virtually any path you may travel, from the CEO track to the free-for-all of a start-up, from Wall Street to Main Street, from marketing to motherhood. Our graduates pursue a tremendous variety of careers, often outside the typical business/finance path — from running an art gallery, to managing an ambitious non-profit, to launching their own creative ventures.
Many students come to MIT Sloan with one or more family members, so the School provides both a welcoming community and a range of practical advice and resources. For guidance on everything from housing, daycare, schools, and transportation to shopping and entertainment, a great place to start is the MIT Spouses & Partners organization. You can also use the group to get connected with other members of the MIT Sloan community who share your concerns and interests.
Though MIT does not operate its own daycare facilities, there are many quality providers in the greater Boston area. The place to start is with MIT Spouses & Partners.
Most MIT Sloan students choose to live off campus. The MIT Off-Campus Housing Office is an excellent resource for locating possibilities close to the campus and near the public transportation system. You can find other tips and support through MIT Spouses & Partners and Significant Others of Sloan (SOS).
On-campus housing is available, but demand exceeds supply, so both the single student and married student housing units are allocated by lottery.
If you're interested in having a roommate either on-campus or off, you can search via the various online networks students have established; Craigslist online classifieds can be helpful, too. If you will be living on campus, you can also trust the lottery system to match you up with someone interesting.
But wherever you decide to live, it can be a real advantage to have a good number of fellow Sloanies nearby, for everything from regular study sessions and joint projects to late-night book-borrowing and spontaneous barbeques.
As part of the MIT Sloan community, you will find almost unlimited options for spending your spare time. Sloanies can participate in any of about 40 student-run clubs, and the campus is alive with social activity virtually very week, from casual after-class parties to colorful cultural celebrations to family-oriented excursions. In addition, Sloan Women in Management (SWIM) hosts monthly get-togethers and other events to help female students connect with each other and with local MIT Sloan alumnae and provide great networking opportunities.
MIT as a whole is also a tremendous resource, from its wide range of intramural sports teams and its gorgeous athletic facilities, to on-campus art exhibits, lectures, and performances, as well as discounted tickets to many local museums, concerts, and shows.
In terms of culture and history, few American cities can come close to Boston and Cambridge. Boston runs along the south bank of the Charles River, Cambridge along the north. Both are famously “walkable” and easy to navigate by public transportation (though driving and parking can be a challenge).
Together, Boston and Cambridge boast an amazing array of museums and concerts, sporting events and performances, cafes and restaurants, boutiques and bookstores. You can catch a Red Sox game or go sailing on the Charles, take your kids to the Museum of Science or treat your spouse to an elegant supper at the Museum of Fine Arts. History buffs can spend a day walking the Freedom Trail; fashion enthusiasts can troll the shops of Newbury Street. You can hunt for antiques along historic Charles Street or find the perfect restaurant among the winding streets of Boston's Chinatown or its traditionally Italian North End.
For more ideas and information, check out www.boston.com and www.ci.cambridge.ma.us.
Weekends can be a wonderful time to explore New England. For skiing, hiking, biking (and bright foliage in the fall), the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire are just a few hours' drive away. For all the pleasures of the ocean, try the beaches of Cape Cod and Rhode Island or the rocky coast of Maine, also a very reasonable trip by car.
Sloan Women in Management — coordinates many women's events, from hosting job recruiting receptions to inviting female speakers to the School to share career success stories.
© 2013 MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT