MIT Women’s Technology Program (WTP)

The Women's Technology Program in Mechanical Engineering (WTP-ME) is a four-week summer program in the MIT Dept. of Mechanical Engineering to introduce high school students to the basic principles and ideas of mechanical engineering in the summer after 11th grade. It was created in the summer of 2006 as the second curriculum track of WTP, modeled after the program in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science that was created in 2002. Many more details about WTP can be found on the WTP Home Page

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Classes taught by graduate students in the MIT ME department provide an in-depth study of many of the subject areas used by mechanical engineers, such as fluid mechanics, materials, statics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and engineering design. Hands-on work is combined with analytical calculations and the use of computer codes for numerical modeling and computer aided design.

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20 participants are selected each year from a nationwide applicant pool of 11th grade US-based applicants who have demonstrated outstanding academic talent in math and science. No prior experience in physics or engineering is required, but we do expect students to be able to handle college-level material at a rapid pace.

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WTP is designed for students who are excited about learning, have demonstrated their ability to excel at math and science in their high school classes, and who have no prior background (or very little) in engineering with few opportunities to explore these fields.

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WTP is a women-focused collaborative community aimed at empowering young women and other students who are underrepresented and underserved in engineering, including students who attend high schools with limited access to STEM classes and activities, will potentially be the first family member to attend college, come from low socioeconomic means (which may be indicated by qualifying for free/reduced school lunch), or who have otherwise been discouraged from pursuing their interest in STEM because of their background or who they are. We strongly encourage applications from students who are African American, Hispanic, or Native American; however, all applicants will be reviewed equitably, regardless of their race or ethnicity. 

• WTP applicants must live in the U.S. year round. Students whose family home address is outside the U.S. are not eligible to apply, even if they attend school in the U.S.
• Rising high school seniors
• WTP is a women-focused collaborative community aimed at empowering young women and other students who are underrepresented and underserved in engineering, including students who:
  • Attend a high school with limited access to STEM classes and activities
  • Will potentially be the first family member to attend college
  • Have no family members with science or engineering degrees
  • Come from low socioeconomic means, which may be indicated by qualifiying for free/reduced school lunch
  • Have otherwise been discouraged from pursuing their interest in STEM because of their background or who they are.
• We strongly encourage applications from students who are African American, Hispanic, or Native American; however, all applicants will be reviewed equitably, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

• January 15th, 2025

• A completed online application
• Short answer questions
• 3 personal statements
• 2 Teacher recommendations, from a math teacher and a science teacher
• Transcript
• Optional: Standardized test scores

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