Student Stories
Irina Shklyar ’09
Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Major: Brain and cognitive sciences
In 1989 when I was two years old, there was an exodus of Jewish people from the former Soviet Union, and my family were among them. My dad is an instrumentation engineer; my mom was a speech therapist in Russia, and she is now a medical assistant in the U.S.
My immigrant background had a tremendous impact on my decisions about college. When my parents left Russia, they were only allowed to take a bare minimum of money. As they help me pay for college, they are also paying off our house, saving for retirement and helping my grandparents, who also were not allowed to bring their life savings with them when they left Russia. My parents have middle-class salaries now, but this was not always the case; despite their high level of education, they started out with low-paying jobs because those were the only jobs available to them. So I didn't think I would be able to go to a private university. For immigrant families, college choices are less about where you get in and more about where you can afford to go. My parents have made a lot of sacrifices to help me achieve my goals, which eventually include a career in medicine, perhaps pediatrics or neurology.
MIT offered a very generous financial aid package that allowed me to fulfill my wish. Don't look at the big price tag as the final price tag, because the SFS staff is committed to working with students and their families to make it possible for all admitted students to come here and learn. MIT has taught me a lot — it’s taught me my limitations, but it’s also taught me that I can push myself beyond my wildest imagination. I’ve done more here than I ever thought I was capable of.
| Financial aid package (2007-08) | |
| MIT scholarship | $23,029 |
| MIT term-time work | $1,250 |
| Outside scholarships | $4,000 |
| Total aid package | $28,279 |
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