MIT Class of 2016: Orientation Programs

FPOP Application

Please use the application below to apply for all FPOPs. Your application MUST BE received by June 15, 2012.

NOTE: Required fields are marked with an *.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

First Name*: Last Name*: Middle Initial:

MIT ID#*: Street Address *:

City*: State/Province*:

Country*: Zip Code*:

Summer Phone: Summer Email:

MIT Email*

Gender (Male or Female)*:

T-Shirt Size:

Date of Birth (DOB)* (e.g. MM/DD/YYYY):

Will you need financial assistance (may or may not be available)

Please rank all of the FPOP programs that you are interested in order of preference. Space is limited, so be sure to rank at least two programs.

First Choice:

Second Choice:

Third Choice:

Fourth Choice:

Fifth Choice:

Please answer the following questions regardless of the program(s) for which you are applying:

1. List some extracurricular activities in which you have been involved.

2. Briefly describe your most memorable high school experience.

Program Questions

Please answer all questions that relate to the programs that you have ranked.

FAP: Freshman Arts Program

1. Briefly describe your art experience (anything from private dance lessons to playing drums in your garage.) Also, list the top two disciplines you would like to participate in while at FAP.

2. Please share either your oddest or most meaningful artistic moment/episode.

3. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why (be creative!)? And how would you use it to defeat a 30-foot monster made of discarded ziplock bags who eats couches and has a really bad cold?

Optional: Submit your own version of the FAP logo. Be creative! Your design could be chosen for our T-shirts!

Mail your submission to Orientation staff at

MIT Orientation
Building 7-103
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 USA
Email: orientation-www@mit.edu

(Be sure to include your name and that this is for FAP.)

FCEP: Freshman Cultural Exploration Program

1. Describe yourself using as many words as you need, but as few words as you can.

2. After your first year at MIT, what would you like to add to the above description?

3. What are three local and/or global issues that are most important to you?

4. If you could have dinner with 3 "famous" people (alive or dead) who would they be and why? What would you ask them?

5. Why did you choose MIT?

FLP: Freshman Leadership Program

1. Describe yourself in three words.

2. What does "leadership" mean to you and why do you want to be a part of FLP?

3. If you could script the plot for the dream you will have tonight, what would it be?

4. What do you think is the biggest problem in today's society?

5. Please provide us with the contact information of the person to whom you feel closest.

FOP: Freshman Outdoors Program (same questions for each program)

1. Describe the extent of your outdoor experience.

2. Why do you want to participate in FOP? What do you hope to get out of the program?

3. If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you need with you in order to survive? Be serious, be creative, it's up to you.

FUP: Freshman Urban Program

1. Why do you want to participate in the Freshman Urban Program?

2. Describe your community service experience.

3. Give us three words that your best friend would use to describe you.

4. Tell us at least one thing you'd like to see or do in Boston or Cambridge when you come to MIT.

5. What's one question you have about MIT?

DA: Discover Aerospace

1. Why would you like to learn more about AeroAstro?

2. The retired NASA shuttles were named after ‘pioneering sea vessels.’ What would you name the next generation of manned launch vehicles?

3. If you were to live on the International Space Station for six months, what three things would you want with you?

4. Given a budget of about $50, make a lawn chair fly. (Don't worry too much about specific prices of things.)?

DAP: Discover Architecture + Planning

1. What are your favorite cities and why?

2. What is your favorite building or other piece of architecture and why?

3. If you were asked to design a building, would you start by sketching, drawing, making a model, or writing a description? What advantage would this have?

4. Have you ever been to Boston? If so, what did you like best about the city? If not, what are you most curious about?

DBE: Discover Biological Engineering

1. What do you think Biological Engineering entails?

2. Show us how you can use glow in the dark mice to play a joke on your friend?

3. And to save the world?

4. If you were to graduate from MIT with a Bioengineering degree, what would you want to do?

DBCS: Discover Brain and Cognitive Sciences

1. Why do you want to participate in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences FPOP?

2. In your opinion, what is the most fascinating topic in neuroscience, psychology, or cognitive science today?

3. What is one brain-related question you have?

4. Make an acronym for B.R.A.I.N.

DCEE: Discover Civil & Environmental Engineering

1. What sparked your interest about DCEE? What types of civil or environmental projects fascinate you? ("I don't know much about them" is a completely acceptable answer.)

2. If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three items (or people) would you bring with you? Why?

3. What would you do with these five items: duct tape, string, an 8-ounce glass of water, a paperclip, and a plastic spork? (Note: we did mean spork.)

DEAPS: Discover Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences - Yellowstone National Park

1. What do you know about volcanic eruptions in the region of Yellowstone National Park? Could it happen again? When was the last eruption?

2. What is Geobiology and why do geologists study hot springs in Yellowstone?

3. How did the mountain range we call the Tetons form?

DEAPS: Discover Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences - Weather and Climate

1. Are you a weather and/or climate "junkie"? If so, describe why you are interested in weather and climate and how and when you first got the bug. If not, tell us what you would most like to learn about weather and climate.

2. What factors do you think are the most important in controlling the weather?

3. Do you think and worry about climate change?

4. Have you ever formally studied the weather or climate? Explain your background.

DEECS: Discover Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

1. Why do you want to participate in EECS?

2. What non-technical accomplishment are you most proud of?

3. In your group of friends, what role do you find yourself playing?

4. Please describe your previous experiences in robotics, electrical engineering, and computer programming. If you have no previous experience (because it's not necessary in order to participate in the program), tell us about something cool technology-related that you've heard or read about.

DELTA: Discover Energy: Learn, Think, Apply

1. Why are you interested in energy?

2. What specific energy issue concerns you the most, and why?

3. What is one energy-related question you have?

4. What parts of DELTA are most interesting to you? Why?

5. How much energy (in KwH) do you think MIT uses each year? What sources of energy would you guess MIT relies on? What percentage of your MIT tuition would you estimate goes to pay energy costs?

DEAL: Discover Entrepreneurship and Leadership

1. What does entrepreneurship mean to you?

2. Tell us about the craziest idea you've ever had.

3. Tell us about any entrepreneurial/business/technical experience that you may have.

4. Describe your lifestyle in three words.

DEW: Discover Exercise and Wellness

1. Why do you want to participate in the Discover Exercise and Wellness FPOP? What do you hope to get out of the program?

2. Describe your current fitness/ recreation activities?

3. What is one question you have about MIT?

4. What does "healthy" mean to you?

DHB: Discover History in Boston

1. Why would you like to participate in History Boston?

2. If you could have dinner with one figure from the past, who would it be? What would you discuss?

3. If you wanted to introduce a foreign visitor to contemporary America, what one place would you visit first? Why?

DJ: Discover Journalism

1. Do you follow a blog or news service? If so, tell us which one and why you enjoy reading it. If not, tell us from which source you learn what is happening in the world.

2. Besides writing articles and taking photos, what else do you believe goes into making and running a newspaper?

3. Briefly describe the thought that comes into your head when you first think about the following newspaper departments....News; Features; Opinion; Campus Life; Photography; Production; Arts; Technology; Business; Copy Editing; Blog; and Sports. (No need to respond to all of them.)

4.What is the mass of all paper that The Tech uses for publishing each year?

DL: Discover Literature

1. What part(s) of the Literature Boston FPOP appeal to you? Why?

2. If you could be a character from a book who would you be? Why?

3. What books have you recommended and/or discussed with family and friends in the past year?

DMSE: Discover Material Science & Engineering

1. What comes to mind when you think of Materials Science and Engineering?

2. What appeals to you about the Materials Science Pre-Orientation Program?

3. If you could create any new material in the world, what would be its properties? What can it do? Why? Be creative.

4. What's the one thing in the world that you absolutely can't live without, aside from air, food, water and the like? Why?

DME: Discover Mechanical Engineering

1. What machining experience have you had? (None is a completely acceptable answer.)

2. What is one creative thing you would like to do if you have the resources, ability, and free time?

3. Briefly describe yourself to us in a way that sets you apart from other people.

4. What sorts of projects do you think a mechanical engineer works on?

5. What would make out of nail polish, an electric fan, a plastic bag, a chair, and a cup?

DNSE: Discover Nuclear Science and Engineering

1. What do you hope to gain by participating in DNSE?

2. If you were in the company of the most renowned nuclear scientists and engineers but allowed only one question, what would you ask and why?

3. How would you rate the following in terms of their importance to our future and why:

Please explain:

DOE: Discover Ocean Engineering

1. Why do you want to participate in Discover Ocean Engineering?

2. My favorite engineering and/or science activities are:

3. What would you do if you had your own personal submarine?

4. Please draw us your best pirate flag and mail it to the Orientation Office.

MIT Orientation
Building 7-103
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
USA

(Be sure to include your name)

DP: Discover Physics

1. Describe the most mind-blowing physics-related fact(s) you've ever heard.

2. If there were a big battle between all of history's great physicists, who would win and why?

3. How would you calculate the mass of the internet?

4. It's a well known fact that the best mad scientists started out as physicists. Describe your ideal doomsday device and how you would use it to take over or destroy the world. Your doomsday plans should include marshmallows, a toothbrush, and an umbrella.

5. Optional: Design a logo for Discover Physics (aka PhysPOP). Your design could be chosen for this year's t-shirt!

Mail your submission to Orientation staff at

MIT Orientation
Building 7-103
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 USA

Email: orientation-www@mit.edu

(Be sure to include your name and that this is for DP)

DPD: Discover Product Design

1. What are your three favorite products or brands?

2. What was the last thing you designed? (Feel free to define "design" however you'd like.)

3. Do you expect to become more creative during your time at MIT? Why?

Once you have completed this form, you may either it or the form to erase all answers and begin again.