Concourse was a wonderful place to step back from the technical questions that filled my days and to think broadly about what constitutes a good life for a human being. So much of an MIT education consists in learning the proper tools and methods for particular problems, but Concourse’s curriculum in great texts allowed me to think more seriously about what kind of problems are most worth solving and why.
Emma Bernstein, 2020
Concourse defined my education at MIT. I applied to Concourse because I did not want to be a one-dimensional student of math and science. Because of Concourse, my education at MIT was not merely narrowly specialized in technical subjects; rather, I received a complete, broad education through Concourse’s rigorous humanities courses. In Concourse, I could ask and pursue the most fundamental questions about the world and humanity with open-minded but driven peers and teachers.
Ian MacFarlane, 2018
Concourse exploded open a world of ideas through the people I met and the books I read. This world was more vast and complex than anything I could have imagined.
Simon Alford, 2020
At MIT, you will spend more than enough time learning how to be an engineer. If you want to make your education complete, you should join Concourse. It is more than just a couple humanities classes you take so you can claim to be well-rounded. If you put the time in, you will learn real, important lessons that no engineering class could ever teach you.
Mingfei Duan, 2023
The conversations I had about justice, virtue, and friendship through Concourse's CC.110 Becoming Human kept me grounded through college and beyond. Regularly grappling with concepts like these helped me consider the moral side of my technical coursework, view my relationships in a new light, and even guide tough decisions during my years as a management consultant.
Kathleen Zhu, 2019
Concourse taught me to think bravely, and to challenge my own thinking and that of those around me.
Madeleine Michaels, 2020
It was one of the most impactful educational experiences of my life, and one of the few places in academia where the teachers actually push students to expand their horizons on timeless material.
Will Jack, 2017
During my years at MIT, I have found Concourse to be a place of warmth, wonder, and wisdom. The liberal education I have received here has made me a fuller and better human being.
Thana Somsirivattana, 2024
Concourse was undoubtedly the highlight of my time at MIT. It transformed my vague interest in 'the humanities' and desire to be a 'well-rounded person' into an articulate account of what it means to be human.
Christopher Sanfilippo, 2017
Concourse was my first home at MIT, and it continued to be a wellspring of thoughtful conversation all through college. Its effects have been lasting: I can trace threads of my intellectual development back to individual Concourse seminars, and even now, three years out of college, some of my closest friends are people I met in Concourse.… Concourse provided the ground on which I was able to find my footing as a person and a scholar at MIT. I cannot imagine college without it.
Matisse Peppet, 2019
Concourse is the only community I’ve been a part of where from Day #1 you’re talking about all those things you’re not supposed to bring up at Thanksgiving dinner: politics, religion, the good life. You’re sure to lose track of time (and have a non-zero chance of being executed by the city of Athens).
Siddhu Pachipala, 2027
