Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCampus Housing Summary

Written by Sun Kim

Sun Kim

Hometown

Duluth, GA

Major

Mechanical Engineering

View all previous student authors

The dorms at MIT are as varied as the students, and each dorm has its own culture and reputation. Don’t go on stereotypes alone—it’s best to ask some current students for their opinions. However, MIT housing has changed since freshmen have been required to live on campus, so upperclassmen may not always be the most informed.

MIT is unique in that you get two chances to choose where you live. The summer before your freshman year, you pick your dorm, but you also get another chance to choose when during the "rush" period at the end of orientation. But be careful when you make your choices over the summer because your decision and dorm assignment could be permanent, at least for a while. After dorm rush, if you think you want to switch dorms, you can put yourself on a waiting list. If you think you want to switch into Baker, put yourself on the list right away because waiting periods for this dorm can be years. Before making your decision, put some thought into it. If you’re still not in your ideal place, don’t worry too much because moving is fairly easy. One thing to watch out for, though, is overcrowding. In the past years, Simmons, the newest undergraduate residence, alleviated most of the problems of overcrowding, but the percentage of undergraduates living on campus has increased greatly due to freshman housing requirements. Therefore, expect this problem to continue over the next few years.