How to Get Into MIT

How to Get Into MIT

The video argues that a strong MIT application should show more than academic ability. MIT is presented as a hands-on, inventive community that values students who learn by doing, take creative risks, and make things.

1. Build and produce something meaningful

The narrator emphasizes applying ideas to create something, whether it’s a product, a piece of software, a film, or another project. MIT’s motto, “mind and hand,” illustrates its blend of thinking and practical work.

Choose projects that genuinely interest you rather than pursuing activities just to look impressive. The video suggests this process:

1. Spend up to an hour brainstorming a couple dozen possible projects.
2. Select the three to five that interest you most.
3. Consider what you could learn, which skills you could develop, and whether you truly care about the work.

The video gives the example of Cody, a student interested in both 3D design and environmental conservation. She designs and prints litter pickers for a local beach cleanup, combining her interests in a practical project.

The narrator also notes that MIT asks applicants to submit a video maker portfolio and suggests looking at successful examples for inspiration.

2. Treat failure as part of making

Projects may not go as planned, and failure is a normal part of experimenting and producing. Applicants should be willing to describe risks they took, challenges they faced, and what they learned—not only their successes.

The narrator recommends focusing on personal growth in essays, noting that MIT asks applicants about an unexpected challenge or situation. The broader lesson is that trying, learning, and adapting can matter more than presenting a flawless record of achievement.

3. Show your personality and awareness of MIT culture

The video describes MIT students as highly capable but also playful and unconventional. It points to campus pranks such as playing Tetris on building lights, creating an upside-down room, and placing objects atop the Great Dome.

The advice is not to make an application sound as though you’re trying only to prove how smart you are. Instead, use the short essays to reveal genuine, distinctive interests and projects—even if they’re quirky or unusual. Examples from the narrator include ambitious cosplay, learning to eat fire, and building a Ninja Warrior-style course for squirrels.

4. Use MIT resources actively, not just as name-drops

MIT OpenCourseWare offers recordings of lectures across many subjects. The narrator suggests using relevant lectures to deepen knowledge connected to your interests.

For Cody, the video proposes studying topics such as 3D modeling, environmental engineering, or conservation, then applying what she learns to her projects.

When answering the “Why this field of study at MIT?” prompt:

• Be specific about courses, topics, or other MIT resources.
• Connect those details to experiences and interests you already have.
• Explain how you used what you learned to make or improve something.

The goal is not simply to consume information, but to apply it—for example, using design knowledge to create a litter picker from recycled materials.

5. Explore MIT student blogs for authentic details

MIT’s undergraduate blogs can offer a more personal view of the school than formal promotional material. The narrator recommends using them to discover specific, unusual details that genuinely resonate with you.

Those details can help make an application’s discussion of MIT more personal and specific, rather than generic or overly formal.

Overall takeaway

The video’s central advice is to present yourself as someone who makes things, applies knowledge, takes risks, learns from setbacks, and is comfortable showing an authentic personality. Connect MIT-specific resources and details to your own experiences instead of relying on generic praise or name-dropping.

Speakers and sources featured

• Main narrator/presenter: An ElevatEd School host who refers to himself as “Kev” in the subtitles; the subtitles do not clearly identify him by full name.
• MIT admissions website: Quoted for its description of MIT as an active, hands-on place.
• MIT OpenCourseWare: Presented as a resource for recorded lectures.
• MIT undergraduate blogs: Discussed as examples of students writing in their own voices.
• MIT students and alumni: Referenced through examples of campus pranks and student culture; no individual student or alum is clearly identified as speaking.
• Cody: A hypothetical applicant used to illustrate how academic interests and a community project could be combined.