Prospective Applicants Get The Real Story at MIT

Campus visits have become a ritual for college-bound high school juniors and seniors who are making decisions about which school they want to attend. But some of the best insights can come not from taking a tour, but from talking to students who are already enrolled. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is using social media to make it easier for prospective applicants to get the inside scoop from students. The admissions office has a blog maintained by 12 students along with several admissions and financial aid officers, and it has has hundreds of uncut, unedited posts on the site. According to media reports, the university pays the student bloggers up to $10 per hour for their writing, but is committed to avoiding censorship of views. A quick review of the posts makes it clear that the views expressed are strictly those of the students. But since other students are free to post their own responses, the blog has become a forum for all kinds of views on life at MIT. Click here to read it.