Bay Area wrap-up

Bay Area wrap-up Great meetings this week in San Jose, San Francisco, and Lafayette/East Bay this week. Many thanks to those who attended! The week started with a meeting in San Jose on Sunday. It was an exciting meeting, with over 600 people in attendance! Of our 70+ meetings that well so this year, the San Jose meeting is likely to be the second or third largest. At most of our meetings, well see somewhere in the 75-300 people range. These attendance numbers, like application numbers, have risen in recent years. Im glad I have the Educational Counselors (alumni volunteers, also known as ECs) to help me out at these meetings. After San Jose, I headed up to the city of San Francisco where I had a relatively smaller meeting, and later across the Bay Bridge to Lafayette, for another meeting that had us grabbing for and setting up extra seats to accommodate everyone. Other Bay Area highlights: Lunch with JKims dad, who I think should be referred to from this point forward as HKim. Visiting with friends (MIT alums) at the Googleplex. I signed an NDA, so Im not sure what Im allowed to write about what I saw at Google, aside from what they already talk about on their website. Google is also a Gold Sponsor of the upcoming Career Fair, and will be one of hundreds of companies on campus looking to hire MIT students. Getting stuck in traffic on the 101 Freeway. Visiting with friends at Stanford, both grad students (former MIT classmates) and undergrads (proving that we admissions folks wont hate you if you decline our offer of admission). Getting hungry, fruitlessly searching for an In-N-Out, settling for Jack in the Box (with the scary mascot and less tasty burgers). Getting stuck in traffic on the 101 Freeway. Two great dinners with ECs. I should note that your ECs are very excited about meeting with you for an MIT interview. Now, to answer a few questions I was asked at the meetings (with helpful links!): Yes, MIT has a judo club. Apparently, It has been around for more than 40 years. Yes, MIT has lots of resources in drama/theater, including an academic section of Theater Arts and Dance, a dozen faculty, interesting classes, co-curricular groups, extracurricular groups, and more. Plus, its fun to go see shows on campus (Crazy for You closed this weekend, for example). Yes, you can receive transfer credit for courses taken at a local college; you can read about the transfer credit procedure. Similarly, you can also read about AP credit. Yes, MIT has resources for high-level private music lessons, offered through the Emerson Music Performance Program. Im back in Boston now, so I hope to catch up on questions and other business here in the blog over the coming week, before I head to the Rocky Mountains next week. Feel free to leave pressing questions, comments on the new site/blogs, or whatever else here. Its good to be back on campus!