I really liked the idea of a hands-on education that they were offering. There were many project-based courses that were required as part of the curriculum, and that is how I learn best. I was able to do research in addition to these projects as well, which gave me more of the experience I needed to succeed.
Course Curriculum
I think that the course curriculum that was required for me to receive my mechanical engineering degrees was pretty much as expected. The various courses that I needed to take allowed me to see what all the different parts of mechanical engineering were.
Exams
I took the ACT two time when I was back in high school. After I graduated from college, I took the GRE, with the plan to go to business school in the near future.
Placement
Just like with internships, IIT does not have direct job placement. All students are able to attend the career fair to look for full-time jobs, as they were for finding internships. IIT also has a career center on campus that helps to connect students with jobs that it sees fit for the individual students.
Internship
IIT did not offer direct internships; however, they host a career fair each semester that gives students the opportunity to talk with over 200 companies to find potential internships for the summer. For my internship, I was able to work at Ford Motor Company.
Events
There were many events that were put on at IIT, such as Welcome Week each semester, which was the week that classes started with many activities and free food for students. There was also Greek Week, where the fraternities put on different events and have social gatherings for students.
Fees
The total cost for a year at IIT, which included tuition, housing, and other fees, was about $55,000 per year. There were other fees, such as parking, and lab fees that we had to pay as well, which were about $1,000 a year.
Scholarship
Yes, I received the Presidential Scholarship, which was the largest scholarship that was available for students. I had to go through an application process and go through an interview selection process.
Examination Structure
Exams are given both mid-term and also at the end of the semester. Midterm exams are administered a couple of times each semester, typically once or twice during the semester. There is also one final exam for each class, so typically we had two to three exams per class.
Faculty
Most of the faculty at IIT were excellent. They were very knowledgeable and all had industry experience, enabling them to speak about applications of their class in the real world.
Hostel
I lived on campus when I went to IIT. I lived in McCormick Student Village, which was a college dorm-type building, for my first two years. For my last 2 years, and the year of my master's degree, I lived in student apartments on campus as well.
