TL;DR: MITES Summer is a free six-week STEM program at MIT for high school juniors. You live on campus, take five courses, and pay only for your travel. MITES is very selective, and we estimate that about 1 in 8 applicants or fewer get in. To apply, you need to be in 11th grade and a US citizen or permanent resident. This cycle's application opens in mid-November 2026 and closes on Feb 1, 2027.
If you're a high schooler who loves science and math, MITES might already be on your list. It's a chance to spend six weeks living and studying at MIT. But getting a spot takes some planning. By junior year, your grades are mostly set, so your essays and recommendations are where you can make the biggest difference.
What is MITES?
MITES is an MIT program for high school juniors who love STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). The name stands for MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (About MITES). MITES has two programs for juniors, MITES Summer and MITES Semester. You apply to both with one application.
In MITES Summer, you live on MIT's campus for six weeks. MITES Semester happens online from June to December. You take two live STEM classes on summer evenings, then get help with college applications in the fall. You need to stay in the US for the whole program. If you can spend six weeks away from home, you'll get the full campus experience in Summer. If you'd rather stay home, or want college help through the fall, you may prefer Semester. MITES suggests checking both on the application. You can apply to both MITES Summer and MITES Semester, but you can only be offered a place in one (how to apply).
What is MITES Summer like?
MITES Summer feels like a busy school term at MIT. You take five courses: math, physics, life sciences, a humanities course, and a project elective. There are midterms in week 3 and finals in week 6, but no grades. On weekdays, you're in classes and workshops from 9 am to 5 pm. For MITES Summer, students report about 6 hours of homework each weekday, and 4 to 6 hours on weekend days (MITES Summer). In the evenings, you'll go to social events and office hours, where you can ask instructors questions. On weekends, you'll study and explore Boston.
The project elective is where you get to build something. In past years, Engineering Design students built robots in teams of three. Machine Learning students learned how computers find patterns in data (student projects). Outside class, you'll visit labs and get college counseling. At the end of MITES Summer, your instructors write an evaluation of your work, which many students send to colleges. Former students say it's hard, but you won't do it alone. On the MIT Admissions blog, Hala K. remembers "crying over physics." Catalina Romero, who attended in 2017, found her classmates collaborative (MIT News).
If the Machine Learning elective sounds like your favorite part, you can start exploring AI before summer. In Veritas AI's AI Scholars, you learn Python and AI from the ground up, in live classes with five students per mentor. You also build a real AI project with 3 or 4 other students.
How hard is it to get into MITES?
In our view, MITES is very selective, even though it doesn't publish an acceptance rate. In 2022, about 2,372 students applied to MITES's online program, and 297 got in, roughly one in eight (2022-23 annual report). That number is for the online program, because Summer didn't run in 2022. Summer has far fewer places, so it's probably even harder to get into. In 2014, a local newspaper reported 80 Summer spots for more than 1,600 applicants, about one in 20. For comparison, the Research Science Institute (RSI), a free summer research program at MIT, accepts fewer than 2.5% of applicants (RSI FAQ). So RSI is even harder to get into.
We think MITES is worth applying to if you're eligible and love STEM. It's free to attend, there's no application fee listed, and the essays are great practice for college applications. If you'd rather do original research, you can also look at RSI or the Summer Science Program (a five-week residential research program that covers full financial need).
Who can apply to MITES?
You can apply to MITES if you're in 11th grade and a US citizen or permanent resident with a green card. Applications usually open in mid-November and close on Feb 1, and recommendations are due by Feb 15 (MITES FAQ). If you're an international student, you can look at these free summer programs for international students.
MITES especially encourages students who are underrepresented in science and engineering, come from low-income families, or would be the first in their family to go to college (full list). It also says it evaluates every eligible applicant fairly, regardless of race or ethnicity.
What does the MITES application ask for?
The MITES application has three parts. MITES looks for a real interest in science and engineering and a strong academic record. There's no minimum GPA (grade point average). Here's how each part breaks down.
Six short essays: up to 300 words each, and 400 for the last one.
Three recommendations: one from a math or science teacher, one from a humanities teacher, and one from your counselor or a school administrator. Your application isn't complete until all three arrive.
Your grades and test scores: you upload an unofficial transcript, and your counselor uploads one too. You report your GPA two ways: weighted, which gives extra points for harder classes, and unweighted. Test scores are optional. You can send the SAT, the ACT, or the PSAT (a practice version of the SAT).
Here are last cycle's six essay prompts, word for word. Check the wording when this year's application opens (how to apply).
"Share with us how aspects of your lived experience and/or identity have shaped your aspirations."
"What are you passionate about? How have you spent time exploring this passion?"
"Tell us of a time you experienced a challenge or obstacle. How did you navigate the challenge and what did you learn?"
"What subject or field of study are you most interested in right now? Why?"
"The STEM field uses science, technology, engineering, and/or math to understand more about the world around us ... to solve problems. If you could develop, invent, or innovate anything to change the world for the better using STEM, what would it be and why?"
"After learning more about our programs and mission, why do you feel you are a good fit for MITES programs in particular?"
How to write a strong MITES application
The strongest MITES applicants tell real, specific stories, and they use each essay to show a different side of themselves. Here are 5 tips to get there.
Plan all six essays together. The prompts about your passion and your favorite subject can easily lead to the same story. Use one for something you do outside class, and the other for a subject you love.
Show your interest with real examples. Instead of writing "I've always loved engineering," describe something you built, what went wrong, and what you tried next.
Keep the setup short in your identity and challenge essays. Describe the situation in a few sentences. Then spend most of your words on how you responded and what you learned. The identity prompt asks how your experiences shaped your goals, so end with where you want to go.
Pick a real problem for the invention essay. Choose a problem you've seen up close in your school, family, or neighborhood. A small, real problem is much easier to explain than a world-changing idea. Then say which science or math you'd use, and what you'd still need to learn.
Make your "why MITES" essay personal. MITES suggests four angles: how you'd support its mission of serving underserved students, how you'd benefit from the program, whether your background has limited your opportunities, and how you've made your community fairer. Pick the ones that are true for you and connect them to your own story. Then name a course or project you're excited about, so MITES can see you've done your homework.
When to start your MITES application
It's best to start your MITES application in October, a few weeks before it opens. Here's a timeline that works in any year.
October to mid-November: pick three or four true stories from your life, and match each one to a prompt. Decide which teachers you'll ask for recommendations.
Mid-November, when the application opens: create your account with an email you check often. Send your recommendation requests, with a short note reminding each teacher of the Feb 15 deadline.
December and January: draft all six essays, then revise them.
Late January: submit a few days before Feb 1, since the site gets busy right before the deadline.
By Feb 15: check that all three recommendations have arrived.
If you're a sophomore or younger, you're not behind. Younger students can start building toward MITES now with a hands-on STEM project, a club, or a research program. These research programs for high school students are a good place to look.
FAQs
Does MITES help you get into MIT?
Not on its own, in our view. MITES gives you college counseling and an instructor evaluation you can send with your applications. MITES says 90% of its alumni go on to the most selective colleges (MITES by the numbers). Your application can also show how far you take an interest on your own. If you know some Python, you can go further with the AI Fellowship at Veritas AI. You work one-on-one with a mentor to build your own AI research project. You also meet four times with a publication specialist, who can help you get your paper ready for a journal.
Can sophomores apply to MITES?
No, MITES Summer and Semester are only for 11th graders, so plan to apply in November of your junior year. Students in grades 7 to 10 who live in and attend public school in Boston, Cambridge, or Lawrence, Massachusetts, can apply to MITES Saturdays instead. Its applications close earlier, in December, so check the application portal soon.
When do MITES decisions come out?
MITES sends decisions by email in mid to late April (MITES FAQ).
Do you get college credit for MITES Summer?
No, MITES Summer doesn't come with grades or college credit (MITES FAQ). MITES Summer students still leave with a written evaluation from their instructors, which they can send with college applications.
Does MITES pay for travel?
No, students pay for their own travel to and from MIT. MITES covers everything except travel, including room and board (MITES Summer). If travel costs are hard for your family, you can ask MITES about it once you're admitted.
Official MITES pages to bookmark
MITES's own pages are the best place to check the details for your year.
MITES Summer: courses, the daily schedule, and what's covered.
MITES Semester: the online option, from June to December.
How to apply: eligibility, essay prompts, and recommendation rules.
MITES FAQ: dates, deadlines, and common questions.
Application portal: where you apply once it opens.
Explore AI Research With Veritas AI
If MITES has you excited about hard STEM classes, Veritas AI can help you take that interest into AI. Veritas AI has taught more than 3,200 students from over 160 countries. Veritas AI's 200+ mentors include researchers from Anthropic, Meta, and NVIDIA, and they guide students through a real research project. According to Veritas AI internal data, 79% of submitted student papers have been accepted. You can compare the programs to find the right place to start.
