Student Stories
Adam Paxson ’09
Trout Lake, Wash.
Major: Mechanical engineering
My father owns and operates a small sawmill in my hometown of Trout Lake, Wash., and my mother works as the company accountant. I’ve worked every summer since fifth grade to earn money for college, from selling bundles of firewood to clearing brush to working in construction. This school year, my two brothers are also attending college. While applying to schools, cost was one of the biggest factors; with all three of us in private schools, it would have been impossible for me to obtain an education at MIT if it had not been for the financial aid we received.
It doesn’t make sense to miss out on an opportunity like MIT because of financial reasons; if a student is accepted, I feel they deserve a chance to pursue this opportunity regardless of how much tuition their family can afford – and I’m very fortunate that MIT shares this belief. I didn’t realize at first that MIT would be able to assist me to this level, and I can’t stress enough how important it is not to disregard a shot at MIT because of tuition.
| Financial aid package (2007-08) | |
| MIT scholarship and Pell Match | $36,186 |
| Federal grants | $5,060 |
| Federal Work-Study | $190 |
| Total aid package | $41,436 |
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