Frequently Asked Questions
- How should I come up with a project or topic to study?
- How much will I interact with my mentor?
- How much does Junction cost?
- Can I receive high school or college credit for a course I take at Junction?
- I think I am missing an e-mail from Junction about an admissions decision, financial aid, or something else. What should I do?
- Can I miss part of the program?
- Are seminar or Sprinkler classes mandatory? I want to work on my own project.
- Will Junction students be provided housing?
Q: How should I come up with a project or topic to study?
A: What are you interested in? Is there anything you've always wanted to make or learn? Are there any nice ideas you’d like to try? You can bounce some ideas off teachers or like-minded friends, but as long as it’s something you really want to dive deep into, something you want to challenge yourself with, it will be a worthy pursuit. You can find a list of sample topics here, but feel free to propose any idea you find interesting!
Q: How much will I interact with my mentor?
A: Mentors will first make contact with students when the student learns that they are accepted to Junction in early May. From then, you will communicate at least once a week over email, Skype and/or in person in order to develop and refine your proposal, begin research on project topics and create a “master plan” for the summer’s work. At Junction you will meet with your mentor 1-on-1 on the Sundays of Junction to discuss your project. You will also interact with your mentor at lunch, in the afternoon work block, and at the morning and afternoon meetings. Additionally, you may interact with your mentor if you elect to take a seminar class that your mentor is teaching. We will also encourage Junction students to get to know all of our mentors throughout the program.
Q: How much does Junction cost?
A: Junction will cost $600. However, we offer extensive need-based financial aid, which you can apply for along with the application when it becomes available. We want to ensure that the cost of Junction does not deter any student from deciding to participate. The cost of Junction includes lunch every day and a materials budget for your independent study project. Financial aid applications will be sent to accepted students only.
Q: Can I receive high school or college credit for a course I take at Junction?
A: Probably not. Junction courses do not give out grades and do not conform to any standard curricula. Part of our philosophy is learning for the sake of learning, -- Junction students attend the program simply for the opportunity to dive deep into a topic and push the boundaries of their own knowledge.
Q: I think I am missing an e-mail from Junction. What should I do?
A: Check your spam folder as sometimes our emails are improperly filtered and do not show up in your inbox. If you see nothing, send an email to junction@mit.edu. We often respond to simple questions in as little as a day.
Q: Can I miss part of the program?
A: Students should not plan to miss multiple days of the program. The one-on-one mentorship will be instrumental to students, to guide them as they develop their projects. For a project to grow and flourish, it needs time and commitment from both mentors and students. To avoid wasting a student’s preparation over the summer, they have to make the most out of the short period of intensive project development and guidance.
Q: Are the seminar classes mandatory? I want to work on my own project.
A: This year, seminar classes are optional classes taught every day of the program. While you are not required to attend a seminar class each day seminar classes are taught, we would recommend taking at least a few of them over the course of the program as a break from your independent work.
Q: Will Junction students be provided housing?
A: No. Junction is a non-residential summer program, primarily intended for students from the Boston area. Out-of-state and international students are welcome to apply but are expected to find their own housing for the six weeks of Junction. If you are traveling from out-of-state to attend Junction and need to find housing accommodations, we can provide some tips if you email us at junction@mit.edu, but do not guarantee that you will have housing. We also require that minors stay with an adult parent/guardian during Junction.
Junction students are also not eligible for MIT housing of any kind, so please plan accordingly.
Last modified on April 04, 2018 at 08:30 p.m.