GUSTAVO CHAVEZ

How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?

I would describe MOSTEC at MIT as a virtual program where you get to take a project-based class in the field of engineering, science, and math and a core class in physics, calculus, coding, or science writing. In my case, it turned out to be more of a research experience due to being placed in the material science and science writing class. But experiences may vary depending on the class you're placed in when you rank them. So other students may have a more project-based experience compared to a research one. However, I would say that all the classes are typically hands-on in some aspect or the other.

What is a typical day like during your EP?

Typically every day would vary depending on your schedule. For me, classes wouldn’t start until five or six, depending on the day. So, during the morning I would do some psets or other hobbies/work. My project course was on Mondays from 5:00-7:00 then, there would be optional office hours from 7:00-8:00. In this class, I learned about material science and discussed why things break and how they break. Then, on Wednesdays, I would have office hours from 5:00-6:00. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I would have Science writing from 7:30-8:30 where we discussed how to write a science article that can be understood by the general public. For this class, we had optional office hours from 7:00-7:30 and two mandatory office hours from 8:30-9:00. Additionally, webinar meetings were on Sundays where the entire MOSTEC community would come together to hear a guest speaker speak about time management, imposter syndrome, or other general program information. Lastly, cluster meetings were a cohort of 10-15 MOSTEC students who would come together to hang out. These meetings depended on the time that worked best for everybody and in my case, took place on Thursdays from 9:00-10:00.

What was the biggest challenge of your EP?

I would say there were a few ways in which MOSTEC challenged me. For my science writing class, I had to interview an expert on the topic I was interested in writing. The thought of having to interview a stranger who is an expert in their field made me worried that I might miss up and they would think I’m unintelligent or awkward. It didn’t help that the original person I planned on interviewing canceled. However, I eventually had the opportunity to interview a scientist with a Ph.D. in material science, where we discussed how robots can be used to aid first responders in natural disasters. Additionally, my project course challenged me in a new way. I had to write a research paper based on how temperature changes the adhesive properties of tape. It was a different form of writing which I didn’t have experience in. However, I eventually got the hang of it through support from my instructor and groupmates. Lastly, Psets(or homework) were tricky at times, but they were generally doable by reviewing the class notes and talking to other students or alumni.

What was the biggest reward of your EP?

Without a doubt, the symposium. After the end of the academic phase, all MOSTEC students get to share and present their projects to counselors, principals, sponsors, teachers, you name it. Seeing people interested in what I was saying and what I spent a lot of time researching made me feel accomplished and proud. Typically, I get nervous at these types of presentations but there was something different when presenting at MOSTEC. After a culmination of six weeks of work, I was eager to share and present. I guess it was a feeling of knowing I was prepared and well-informed on my topic. Additionally, seeing all the questions people asked during my group's presentation made me feel as if my work was important as I could see people were generally interested. Also, I was able to invite friends, family, and teachers to the symposium to see what I have been working on (could be a nice way to thank the person who writes your letter of recommendation). Usually, the symposium takes place at MIT’s campus in Massachusetts; however, due to covid, we had the symposium online. However, it was still extremely fun, and I got to see what other people in different classes worked on. I can only imagine how fun it would be to have the opportunity to travel to MIT’s campus and present your project.

I wish I knew that one of the underlying challenges of MOSTEC is scheduling with others. When you start working on the project for the symposium with your group, there could be a lot of scheduling conflicts. Due to MOSTEC having students from different time zones, sometimes it's difficult to find meet-up time where all group members could work together. I had to work with someone from California that would be a few hours behind Eastern time in New York. However, communication through Slack made it easier to work together. Ultimately, it all worked out and I met a lot of new people from different states.

What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?

BE YOURSELF! I know it is very generic advice that you probably have heard before, but it is true. MOSTEC is very competitive, but do not let that discourage you from applying because you do not think you are capable of getting in. MOSTEC is not looking for a cohort of 200+ students with perfect SATs and scores. They want a diverse cohort of people who are all genuinely passionate about STEM and want to learn more. I think the MOSTEC essay prompts are very helpful in helping you craft a story of who you are to the admissions officers. I recommend starting early and finding who you are so you can show your best self. Additionally, I recommend using the resources SEO gives you to your advantage. The feedback I received from my essay reviewer helped me become a better writer and allowed me to craft a story of who I am, which I think helped me stand out amongst other applicants.