I ran the Open House one hour ago for MIT’s Master of Science in Transportation and PhD in Transportation programs.
Here are a few ideas I shared with the candidates.
1. Shifting from being a good student seeking assessment to being a peer ready to contribute.
No: “I am a good student; evaluate me!”
Yes: “I see a problem, I want to solve it, and join me to do it together.”
2. Teach the professors something
First, it is not that hard to be better than professors at something. Share it.
Second, reading hundreds of “good students profiles” gets jaded quickly.
As a reviewer, I want to learn something new from you by reading your applications.
3. A sense of wonder
Today’s world of science reminds me of 1905.
In Einstein’s Annus Mirabilis (Miracle Year), the 26 year old published four papers:
a. Brownian motion, evidence for the existence of atoms.
b. E=MC2, mass-energy equivalence and foundation for nuclear energy.
c. Special theory of relativity, altering concepts of space and time
d. Light consists of particles called quanta (photons): the photoelectric effect, for which he got the Nobel Prize
Project this sense of wonder.
4. The world is shifting, technology-wise, and society-wise.
How will job market change after you graduate?
How will US democracy evolve?
The degree of shift feels like:
Great Post-War Boom (1940s–1970s): unprecedented prosperity, massive infrastructure (interstates), expansion of higher education, and state-backed science & space programs.
Gilded Age (1870s-1900s): explosive railway and industry-driven growth, urbanization, waves of immigration, and volatility.
The Founding of America (1770s-1810s): enlightenment, from a feudal society into the modern world
What shall we do in the turbulent world?
Be resilient.
Be part of the change.
5. Your Objective at MIT
You come to MIT not just to learn.
You are here to discover and to create.
6. The label is no longer useful.
For a while, society had limited information about a person.
So “graduating from MIT” was a useful label, a mental shortcut.
Today, no longer.
We evaluate people with direct, substantive evidence: the products you built, the program you developed, the policy you changed, the lives you improved, …
7. Application open now:
https://lnkd.in/ei47Qa2W
Due: December 15, 2025 @ 11:59 pm EST
Info at https://lnkd.in/e228_JK8
Please help distribute and encourage your friends, colleagues and students to apply.