I toured MIT as a senior before undergrad, but only attended as a grad student. Much has changed since my first tour over 25 years ago. The students are now equally split between men and women, and I think that the lack of social skills part is also disappearing now that MIT's undergraduate admission rate is among the lowest in the country.
But it still remains refreshingly quirky. Admission decisions are often announced on Pi Day (3/14) at 1:59 PM.
I hear that undergrad can still be a grind, although all the alums seem to look back with admiration. What they say is that students form a strong bond to help each other get through the program. The dropout rate is very low, as is typical of selective colleges.
