Shaker High School senior Rui Zheng recently had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) while still in high school. In his junior year, Zheng applied and was accepted to the MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES) Semester. The program serves as a six-month STEM experience, preparing students for college and allowing them to work with and meet like-minded peers. Zheng was one of approximately 300 students admitted to the MITES program, which is open to students nationwide. With over 5,000 applications, the program is highly sought after and competitive.
The MITES Semester consists of two programs - MITES Summer and MITES Semester. MITES Summer is an accelerated six-week, on-campus program that immerses students from across the country in life at MIT. MITES Semester, which Zheng attended, is online and runs from June to December. MITES Semester begins with the STEM Immersion Phase, running from June to early August. During this time, the students complete two challenging online STEM courses. This experience allows students to get to know their peers and mentors through weekly webinars, discussions, meetings, and game nights. From August to December, students enter the College and Career Prep Phase of the program. During this time, they are given the chance to meet with admissions counselors, participate in mock interviews, hear from guest speakers on a variety of topics, and attend workshops on how to prepare for college. The program also partners students with undergraduate mentors throughout the MITES Semester, allowing them to gain a better understanding of the college experience.
For Zheng, the college preparation element was one of his favorite parts of the program.
“They give you a lot of college support,” Zheng said. “You can schedule a one-on-one with facilitators who are here for whatever you want to talk about. There are a lot of people behind the scenes who are in full support of the students and the program. The program offers a chance to meet someone who is going through what you’re going through right now and have a chance to talk about those experiences.”
Zheng really enjoyed his experience in MITES Semester, and he encourages those who may be interested in either the MITES Summer or Semester experience to apply.
“The MITES Semester was a great resource to have,” Zheng said. “I got to meet all of these amazing people, from MIT professors to STEM community members, including the development team at Bose. It was a great community. I really enjoyed the smaller moments where I got to meet with my group and classes. I would’ve never had this experience meeting this group of people if it wasn't for this program.”
To learn more about the program, visit https://mites.mit.edu/. Zheng, who is currently a Recruitment & Access Ambassador for the program, is also happy to speak of his experience and welcomes any students who may want to reach out to him for more information to do so.
