All schools
2026-27 cycleCambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a world-renowned private research institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT is celebrated globally for its cutting-edge research, hands-on STEM curriculum, and collaborative problem-solving culture guided by its motto Mens et Manus (Mind and Hand).

Acceptance rate

4.5%

Undergrad enrollment

4,700

Test policy

Test required

Application fee

$75

Application deadlines

RoundDeadline
TransferSpring Entry TransferOctober 15, 2026
Early ActionEarly ActionNovember 1, 2026
Regular DecisionRegular ActionJanuary 4, 2027
Financial AidFinancial Aid DeadlineFebruary 15, 2027
TransferFall Entry TransferMarch 15, 2027

Supplemental essay prompts

RequiredMajor choice200 words

What field of study appeals to you the most right now? (Note: Applicants select from a drop-down list.) Reflect on what has led you to this interest.

RequiredPersonal200 words

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?

RequiredWhy us200 words

Reflect on how your personal and academic experiences have influenced the types of problems you would want to tackle with an MIT education, and who you would like to work on those problems with.

RequiredChallenge200 words

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

RequiredExtracurricular50 words

What do you do just for fun?

RequiredPersonal50 words

Who is someone you admire, whether you know them personally or look up to them from afar? Tell us why.

RequiredInterests50 words

What's a topic, academic or non-academic, that you could talk about for hours?

RequiredPersonal50 words

MIT values both “generalists” with varied interests and “specialists” who focus deeply on one or a few passions. Which do you think best describes you, and why?

OptionalAdditional info

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.

Data gathered August 2026.