Fall 2024 / The Whole Student Experience

“Getting Involved in Extracurriculars Was Crucial for Me”

Raj Mehta ’24 advocates for MIT students’ putting their “eggs in a bunch of baskets”

Raj Mehta ’24 never thought he’d attend MIT.

As a kid, he was an avid coin collector and history buff who attended a humanities magnet school in New York City. Over time, he felt drawn to STEM, and stepped out of his comfort zone to apply to the Institute. At MIT, Mehta worked hard to balance studying with fun, joining the Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center as a business analyst and consultant for the Local Enterprise Assistance Fund, which specializes in lending programs and financial assistance for entrepreneurs from under-resourced backgrounds. He also found time to join a fraternity, participate in Model UN, and do research in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. He names financial aid, particularly the Edward O. Vetter Scholarship, as “the security that ensured I didn’t need to work to make it through college and had time for extracurriculars and research.”

A surprising path to MIT

Initially, I thought I wanted to study archaeology in college. I love history and trivia. But throughout high school, I slowly realized that I was more of a quantitative person. I like to problem-solve, to develop frameworks, and to methodically reach solutions. I basically maxed out the STEM curriculum in my school: I took all of the math classes offered and enrolled in STEM-focused programs at nearby colleges.

My mom and I were visiting colleges in Boston the summer before my senior year, and walking through MIT’s campus was breathtaking. Obviously, the STEM curriculum is top of the world, and the diversity of the student body drew my attention. My transition from high school, even from a magnet school, was tough, though. I was really grateful that we weren’t graded during that first semester. I could focus more on learning the material and learning studying habits—essentially learning how to learn at MIT.

“Put your eggs in a bunch of baskets”

My number one word of advice to first-years is to keep an open mind. The first year is the best time to put your eggs in a bunch of baskets and explore all your interests: academically, professionally, and extracurricular-wise. And just meet people—people at MIT are some of the smartest, most accomplished, most successful in the world.

Getting involved in extracurriculars was crucial for me. I was a member of the executive board of our South Asian Association of Students for three years, planning festivals and connecting with South Asian alumni. I also joined Mirchi, our Bollywood fusion dance team, which was an outlet for me both culturally and physically, as well as the Energy Club and Model UN. I also didn’t come to MIT expecting to join Greek life, but I connected with Theta Chi. They had a solid sense of brotherhood and the work-life balance that I was trying to achieve.

Next: the MIT graduate experience

I’m still at MIT and just started my master of engineering. I’m conducting research in the Operations Research and Statistics Group at MIT Sloan and working as a teaching assistant in the Department of Economics. I’m also studying for the GRE because I hope to go to business school and someday work in data analytics, data science, or even product management. Eventually, I want to be director of analytics for a nonprofit.