MIT Alumni Association
Annual Fund Leadership Programs
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
600 Memorial Drive, W98-1st floor
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4822
ph: 617-253-8242
f: 617-258-7886
http://alum.mit.edu
November 2013
Dear Class of 1957,
As autumn is in full splendor in Cambridge and MIT’s campus is as vibrant as ever, I am pleased to share
an update on the Class of 1957 Endowed Scholarship Fund. Today’s students are eager to learn,
collaborate, be challenged, and effect positive change, and they fully embrace the mens et manus
tradition. At the same time, they express deep gratitude for the opportunity to be here—an
opportunity afforded in large part by donors like you.
By supporting undergraduate scholarships, you ensure the Institute’s ability to remain a meritocracy,
where financial constraints are no obstacle for those who earn admission to MIT. The following pages
provide a glimpse into the truly remarkable impact of your fund. Your generosity is transformative in
both the financial support it provides today, as well as by demonstrating the importance of
philanthropy to those who will one day be alumni themselves.
As you well know, our students are among the brightest and most talented in the world, and they face
many challenges and pressures during their time on campus. By supporting undergraduate
scholarships, you afford students the opportunity to focus on their studies and activities, not the
financial burden. At the same time, you demonstrate to them the importance of philanthropy.
On behalf of the Alumni Association and MIT, I thank the alumni and friends who contribute to this
fund, and the leadership who made this endowment a fundraising priority.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Beth McGonagle
Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship, MIT Annual Fund
Enclosures
Class of 1957 Endowed Scholarship Fund
Jesse N. Orlowski 2016
San Diego, California
Mathematics major
Sophomore Jesse Orlowski continues as a Class of 1957 Scholar. Below he shares with you some of his interests and
activities.
MIT ACTIVITIES
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
I am the rooming assignment chair for Simmons Hall.
SUMMER ACTIVITIES
I participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) as a research assistant in Jeff
Gore's lab over the summer studying bacteria growth with regards to game theory. It was a great
experience that taught me a ton about both the specific research and just lab culture in general.
CAREER PLANS
I'd like to pursue a career in finance or trading, but I honestly have no idea! I'd love a job that allows me to
use my quick-thinking skills and personality.
MY TIME AT MIT
MIT has definitely taught me a lot about value. The value that all of us have. The value of friends. The value
of hard work. I've learned these things sometimes by making mistakes, but MIT has also taught me it's
okay to make mistakes.
I firmly believe I am in a much better mental state because of MIT than I would be without it. The people at
MIT are amazing. I am constantly blown away by the humility, diversity, and dedication found in my fellow
students. MIT is a place where I can feel surrounded by dozens of unique, upstanding cultures, each one
ready to offer a bit for me to take away. The people are a huge part of this.
THANK YOU
I can't give enough thanks--MIT has truly shaped my life in the year plus I have been here and I cannot wait
for the remainder of my time here. Know it's impossible for me to be here without financial aid, and know I
am truly, truly, 100 percent grateful.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2013-2014 SCHOLARSHIP PROFILE
Class of 1957 Endowed Scholarship Fund
Jenny H. Van 2014
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Biological Engineering major
Senior Jenny Van continues as a Class of 1957 Scholar. Jenny is a first generation college student. Below she shares with
you some of her interests and activities.
MIT ACTIVITIES
COMMUNITY SERVICE
For as long as I can remember, I have dedicated a majority of my time to serving the community. I truly
believe that philanthropy has the biggest impact when administered to the local community, and even
though it can be challenging to find time to serve the community, it's so imperative that I do so to stay
grounded. While at MIT, I have been able to find time on the weekends to serve as a tutor to
underprivileged but motivated elementary and high school students. For the past two semesters, I have
had the opportunity to tutor and mentor classes of high school students to prepare them for the SAT as
part of the Academic Teaching Initiative at MIT.
ACADEMIC/RESEARCH INTERESTS
My first Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) was in the Guarente Lab at MIT during
part of my freshman and sophomore years. It was a course 7 lab that studied the mechanisms of aging via
a family of proteins called Sirtuins. I found that I really loved working in a lab environment, however, I
thought I needed to focus on my academics, so I left the lab in the middle of my sophomore year. Now as
a rising senior, I missed doing research so much that I joined the Irvine lab as a UROP. I'm so happy to be
back in lab and contributing my ideas and time to creatively solve problems in bioengineering. I'm currently
co-president of both the Biological Engineering Undergraduate Board (BEUB) and the Biological
Engineering-Biomedical Engineering Society (BE-BMES). The Undergraduate Board is dedicated to
promoting cohesion and camaraderie among the BE students by organizing events solely for the major. BEBMES aims to recognize and celebrate students' achievements in the major as well as to promote and
disseminate BE-related opportunities to students.
In both organizations, I am responsible for initiating new events and overseeing all programs we run while
also acting as the liaison between students and the faculty and administration. As a student in the
Department of Biological Engineering, I am interested in innovating and improving the lives of those who
are affected by infections and diseases. I want to create novel therapeutics that are more cost-effective,
efficient, and widely available. I am currently working in a lab at MIT that focuses on the immune system
such as improving vaccines, optimizing vaccination administration, etc. However, I am also interested in
the public policy behind the health care system. If I am developing novel medicines to cure the ailments of
our aging baby boomers, I also want it to be made available to those who need it without a muddled and
expensive process full of red tape. I plan on completing a concentration in economics, and this has really
piqued my interest in the politics behind health care and medicine, especially in light of the Obama
Administration's plans for Obamacare. This also aligns with the research I perform at the Center for
Biomedical Innovation. Some of their research involves the economics behind biomedical innovation, and I
would love to explore this field more.
Continued
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2013-2014 SCHOLARSHIP PROFILE
OTHER
At the beginning of Summer 2013, I also began working at the Center for Biomedical Innovation at MIT as
a research assistant. I have been helping CBI prepare for a conference on standards setting in the life
sciences by researching literature and analyzing the impact established organizations have had on their
field.
SUMMER ACTIVITIES
I am currently UROPing in the Irvine Lab as well as performing research at the Center for Biomedical
Innovation.
CAREER PLANS
I love doing research in bioengineering, and I plan on continuing to do this whether it is in academia or
industry. I'm still considering if I want to continue my education and pursue a PhD.
MY TIME AT MIT
The night that I received my brass rat was probably the most memorable for me. It was a glamorous night
full of classy elegance and scrumptious hor d'ourves. My entire class was gathered together in anticipation
and excitement to receive our brass rats, a symbol of our affiliation, pride, and love for the institute. The
atmosphere and significance of the event is one that I will never forget. As a student in the school of
engineering, I can honestly say that MIT has really taught me how to think.
When I encounter problems in lab or even in life in general, I approach them at a multitude at angles and try
to apply a multidisciplinary thought process to best resolve the issue. I love when tools or ideas cross
boundaries and are used in unexpected ways. MIT has facilitated this process by teaching me that thinking
outside of the box is the best way to augment innovation and creativity. I plan on carrying this skill with me
for the rest of my life, including utilizing it in my career as a scientist.
THANK YOU
Sometimes at MIT, under the stress of psets and exams, it's easy to forget what an amazing opportunity
we are exposed to. When I'm feeling overwhelmed with everything the Institute throws at me, all it takes is
the eager expression of a child in one of the numerous tourist groups that roam MIT's campus to remind
me just how lucky I am to be here. The pure joy and excitement on a prospective student's face reminds
me that kids dream of attending MIT from a very young age and I am one of the lucky few in the world that
will be able to experience everything it has to offer. It is a gentle reminder that I am extremely privileged to
be able to attend a world-renowned university and only with the help of extremely generous donors like
you. Thank you so much for not allowing my socio-economic status to define me and for giving me the
opportunity to attend MIT. I have truly found paradise.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2013-2014 SCHOLARSHIP PROFILE
SUPPORTING MERITOCRACY: BY THE NUMBERS
MIT is a true meritocracy, admitting the best and brightest students regardless of their financial circumstances and
awarding financial aid solely on the basis of need. The full cost of an MIT education—tuition and fees; room and
board; books, supplies, and personal expenses; and average travel allowance—now surpasses $59,000 a year.
Resources are needed to ensure that an MIT education remains accessible to all talented young people. Your gifts
to scholarships at MIT make dreams possible. Students come here to make an enduring impact on the world. With
your support, they will surely succeed.
Class of 2017 Profile
Financial Aid at MIT
18,989Applicants
1,548
Students admitted
8.2 %
Admission rate
1,116
Students enrolled
72%
Enrollment yield
55%Men
45%Women
8% International students
48
States represented
52
Countries represented
16%
First-generation students
67%
Students who attended public high school
41%Valedictorians*
92% Students in top 5% of their class*
723 Mean SAT I verbal score
769 Mean SAT I math score
$43,498
90% 58%
32% $33,697
41% $17,891
65% $3,058
* Excluding unranked students.
All financial aid statistics based on 2012-2013 academic year.
MIT 2013-2014 tuition and fees
MIT undergraduates receiving some
form of financial aid
MIT undergraduates
awarded an MIT scholarship
MIT undergraduates whose need
is great enough that they rely on financial aid to pay their full tuition
Average MIT scholarship
MIT Class of 2013 graduates with student loan debt
Average student loan debt at graduation for Class of 2013
MIT undergraduates who work term-time
Average term-time earnings
As of October 18, 2013
Massachusetts Institute of Technology