MIT 2024-25 Application Essay Prompt Guide

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

MIT Requirements: Five essays of 100-200 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why, Community, Activity, Diversity

How to Write Compelling Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Essays

MIT is seeking “a talented and diverse class of undergraduates who will learn to use science, technology, and other areas of scholarship to serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.” To get to know as much as they can about you, they’re asking for five short essays rather than one long essay—depending on the student, this can seem like a blessing or a curse! Each question is asking you something specific, so each of your answers should highlight a different aspect of your personality, experiences, or background. They advise you not to overthink, and we second that advice! If you read the prompts carefully, choose authentic, relevant experiences from your life, and tap into your inner storyteller, you’ll be sure to craft a compelling narrative for each prompt. Read on for specific guidance on each essay.

MIT Essay Prompts Breakdown

Rather than asking you to write one long essay, the MIT application consists of several short response questions and essays designed to help us get to know you. Remember that this is not a writing test. Be honest, be open, be authentic—this is your opportunity to connect with us.

For the 2024–2025 application, we’re asking these short answer essay questions: 

What field of study appeals to you the most right now? (Note: Applicants select from a drop-down list.) Tell us more about why this field of study at MIT appeals to you.

This is MIT’s version of a classic Why Essay. Even if you’re not completely sure what you want to major in yet, MIT wants to both learn about your academic interests and see how their offerings will suit your passions. If you can build a bridge between your own interests and the resources available at MIT, you’ll be well on your way to demonstrating your fit. So set aside a few hours and commit to some hardcore research on the MIT website. (Sorry, there’s no way around this, folks!) Beyond the basic departmental listings, look up information about news and research coming out of your department of interest, the kinds of courses available, and the opportunities other undergrads have had studying in your area of choice. Even if you have a wide array of interests, consider explaining how two or three departments might complement each other or foster your interest in a larger theme or cross-pollinating kind of way. Your ultimate goal is to show that your interest in MIT (just like your intellectual curiosity) runs deep!

We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.

MIT is explicitly asking you to back away from the resume and forget your structured activities. It’s not about proving what you can do, but revealing what you love to do. Put another way, this prompt is about self-care: What brings a smile to your face? What helps you recharge your battery? What do you do and where do you go when you’re feeling down? When you start to think of things that feel a little silly or personal, you’re heading in the right direction. The activity you choose should be informal and unique to you. 

Although MIT invites you to be honest, we also suggest you balance your honesty with specific details and storytelling. You might want to try to come up with something a little more original than sleeping, reading, or hanging out with friends, but if these are your options, then you have to commit. If you like to spend time with your friends, what sorts of things do you do together? If you like to sleep, have you perfected the art of the power nap? What are your favorite things to read and how do you organize your personal library? Let your personality and tastes shine through! And before you start to say, “But I really do love volunteering at the soup kitchen during my spare time,” don’t worry—there’s a community service essay a little later in this application.

While some reach their goals following well-trodden paths, others blaze their own trails achieving the unexpected. In what ways have you done something different than what was expected in your educational journey?

MIT seeks students who “pursue the things that interest them with energy and enthusiasm” and who “challenge themselves appropriately in the areas that are most interesting to them.” So this is your chance to show that, in your dogged pursuit of knowledge, you have taken risks and challenged yourself in unexpected ways. Think about times you made a decision against traditional advice or chose to pursue secondary interests to support your main passion. Maybe instead of a two-week internship at a local architecture firm, you spent the summer building sets at your local community theater to work on your mechanical engineering skills in a practical setting. Perhaps you took the AP Physics test in your junior year so you could take a sophomore-level physics class at your local community college this year. Take this opportunity to prove that your dedication to your education goes beyond your prescribed coursework and show why you’ll be a dynamic addition to MIT’s campus community. 

MIT brings people with diverse backgrounds together to collaborate, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to lending a helping hand. Describe one way you have collaborated with others to learn from them, with them, or contribute to your community together.

This question asks for a specific story: a collaborative one in which you either sought to learn from others or contributed to your community together. This is a great opportunity to write about a professional experience (your first time working in the kitchen as a line cook!) or community service (tutoring refugee children in English!). Ideally, you should choose an experience that spans a decent amount of time—a few weeks or even months—so you can describe the phases of your collaboration and the end result. You should be driving at a lesson that you will be able to carry with you into the future (e.g., human connection is the same regardless of language or the power of local organizing). In other words, share a takeaway that will positively impact your collaborative contributions at MIT. 

How did you manage a situation or challenge that you didn’t expect? What did you learn from it?

We’ve all encountered choppy waters in our lives, and admissions wants to hear about a time when you adjusted your sails. The situation or challenge you discuss here can really run the gamut, from covering for a colleague and taking on new responsibilities at your after-school diner job to dealing with a serious injury, though you’ll want to avoid topics that may seem trite (like a pop quiz you didn’t study for). Once you explain the situation or challenge to admissions, focus on what you took away from your experience. Maybe you learned that you work well under pressure (and can hold three milkshake glasses in one hand!) or that you are more resilient than you realized and capable of the hard work required to heal and rehabilitate after surgery. Give yourself time to brainstorm for this prompt, because we’re willing to bet you have a few stories to choose from here.

Depending on the question, we’re looking for responses of approximately 100–200 words each. There is also one final, open-ended, additional-information text box where you can tell us anything else you think we really ought to know.

This is MIT’s version of the Additional Info essay, which means that, unless you have something crucial to explain to admissions, and there is absolutely NOWHERE else on the application for you to write about it, you should skip this essay. Think about it: if you were an admissions officer, would you really want to read one more essay per applicant? That being said, this essay is perfect for students who have encountered extenuating circumstances and need an opportunity to explain them. In fact, we recommend saving those details for an Additional Info essay, so that you can use the rest of your application to highlight other parts of your amazing personality. So, if something has happened that affected your academic performance, this is a great opportunity to give the 4-1-1 (that means “information” because, in the Stone Age of the late 1900s, we used our rotary phones instead of the internet). 

Common Mistakes to Avoid in MIT Essays

The most common mistakes to avoid making in your MIT drafts are repeating the prompt in your essay (don’t waste your words), trying to sound like an academic (admissions wants to hear your authentic voice!), and using cliches (they’re ineffective and—let’s face it—lazy).

Why Choose College Essay Advisors for MIT Essays

We at College Essay Advisors have been guiding students one-on-one through the essay writing process for MIT essays for over twenty years. We take a holistic approach to these essays, considering each student’s application package as a whole and identifying their strengths to highlight. Our Advisors accommodate each student’s scheduling needs to virtually brainstorm, draft, and revise winning essays. It’s incredibly important to us that each student’s voice is preserved, and we pride ourselves in helping students to write successful MIT essays that differentiate them from similarly qualified applicants. For more information, submit a contact form below or review our one-on-one advising services or list of student acceptances.