This website is intended as a starting point for you to become more familiar with the MIT-WHOI Joint Program.
Once you have accepted your offer of admission via Slate, please read the information below carefully and complete for your most immediate next steps at both MIT and WHOI.
International and Navy students - please be sure to read below in the sections specific to you.
Onboarding Checklists for MIT and WHOI
As you're enrolling jointly in two separate institutions, there are some steps that you'll need to complete twice, one for each institution, due to the confidential nature of the information and therefore, the inability of the two institutions to share the information between them.
You may find the Overview Checklist, which will be helpful in ensuring you've completed all steps in both locations here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yWSvDw20A1p8hp81Nu4dLsCR1sTcgliv/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=113629648546922130504&rtpof=true&sd=true
You may find detailed checklist information for MIT here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hdPjByDJlC_0s5GhnjlqUsC00ZzwMLpi/view?usp=sharing
You may find detailed checklist information for WHOI here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fj0z7czkn7ByugteOVMUhD0KQsjApVVx/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113629648546922130504&rtpof=true&sd=true
Starting in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program
Indicate your starting date in the Summer or Fall here: https://forms.gle/TCxKR8LmPwnbX61x6. For the Summer in particular, you'll want to be sure you've discussed your start date with them first.
MIT and WHOI Accounts
You'll need to set up both your MIT and WHOI email addresses. Please be sure one is forwarding to the other. It is recommended you forward your WHOI address to your MIT address, as oftentimes when emailing a listserv, students who forward their MIT email to WHOI don't receive messages coming from MIT.
While the staff within the Joint Program will reply to your email no matter which email address you send a note from (your MIT or your WHOI), central offices from each institution will only send email to the email affiliated with the institution sending the email; non-APO WHOI offices will email your WHOI address only, and non-Joint Program MIT offices will email your MIT address only. You are responsible for ensuring you're tracking email in both accounts.
Many MIT websites are only accessible via MIT Certificates. Using the information contained in the automated email sent from MIT, download MIT Certificates. You will need this information to access course websites, registration information, visa process and procedures for international students, housing information, and your student account with Student Financial Services, among other things. You should complete this step as soon as possible. You will be unable to access relevant webpages or complete other steps related to matriculation at MIT if you don't.
Similarly, be sure you set up your WHOI account, wireless network access, VPN and DUO access as soon as possible, as it's the only way to access many WHOI resources remotely.
Health Insurance
The Basic MIT Student Medical Plan is included in tuition and all students are automatically enrolled as part of tuition charges. There is no option to waive this insurance and it provides access to most services at MIT Medical at no additional charge.
The MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan is the insurance option students are able to waive. Students are automatically enrolled in the Extended Insurance. You must opt-out of this plan if you don't wish to use it. Waiver information for the Extended Insurance Plan can be found here.
You must waive this Extended Insurance Plan by mid-August. MIT Medical will be sharing more information and deadlines in the coming months via your MIT Email address; you must monitor this account.
After this deadline, no late waivers for the fall term will be accepted.
If you choose to remain enrolled in the Extended Insurance plan, the MIT-WHOI Joint Program covers the cost for an individual student. Students' partners and families may be added to the student's coverage at their own expense.
More information about the health insurance plan, please visit the Medical & Other Support Resources page of this website.
Dental and Vision insurance are available to students, for which the student pays the premium. You may find more information here: https://oge.mit.edu/finances-employment/graduate-student-benefits/.
NSF GRFP Recipients & Other MIT Fellowships
For those of you who have received an NSF, congratulations!
MIT usually hosts virtual webinars for NSF GRFP recipients. When information becomes available, it will be passed along.
For those of you interested in learning more about MIT Fellowships, you can sign up for the OGE's monthly Fellowships newsletter here: https://oge.mit.edu/fellowships/newsletter/ . The MIT OGE's Fellowships Homepage can be found here: https://oge.mit.edu/fellowships/
MIT NOW & Emergency Information
Most goings-on at MIT and WHOI have returned to pre-pandemic operations. However, all MIT-WHOI Joint Program students must either be fully-vaccinated or have a documented religious or medical exemption on file with MIT Medical in order to access campus.
Be sure you subscribe to both MIT Alerts and the WHOI Emergency Notification System. Doing so will ensure you have the most up-to-date information on any emergencies (closures due to weather, other emergencies). You must subscribe to both, MIT will not send WHOI alerts, and vice versa.
If you receive an email from MIT JP or APO staff asking you to report your current location, do so as soon as possible; we are attempting to account for all students' safety and location of all students during an emergency. This is likely to be an incredibly rare occurance. Nonetheless, please take it seriously if you receive such an email.
WHOI Campus-Wide Emergency Notification System
E2Campus is an early notification system that can send you email and text alerts when there is an emergency on campus. Register for WHOI’s campus-wide emergency notification system.
International Students
You must complete and submit the Financial Certification Form in the iMIT Portal in order for MIT to begin processing your I-20 documents. Once finalized (~3 weeks) your I-20 will be emailed to you. Be sure you input your most up-to-date address in order to receive this documentation in a timely manner. Detailed process information can be found here: http://iso.mit.edu/students/getting_started.shtml.
More detailed information and next steps specific to international students can be found on the "International Students" page of this website.
Navy Students
You have the option to complete your Math refresher via the 2N programs 18.089 summer course. If you're interested, please let us know by completing this form (with the brief course description included for your reference) by May 15, 2026: https://forms.gle/cCYyHdTx2tLUiavx7
Peer Mentoring
Looking for some insight from a current student? A sign-up form for our Peer Mentoring Program will be shared in the coming weeks and if you're interested, please sign up to be matched up with a peer already in the program to help support you with your transition to grad school.
Other Necessities
In addition to tuition, stipend, and health insurance support, you may want to peruse opportunities to secure the necessary computing equipment for your course of study. You should be sure to talk with your advisor about their ability to assist in funding these purchases.
MIT's Online Education Store, where you can access discounts on computers and accessories from Dell, Lenovo, and Apple can be found here: https://kb.mit.edu/confluence/display/istcontrib/Student+Computer+Purchase+Discount+Links;jsessionid=72ADEF17805833DCF015EBFF6E93D9EA