Let's go Tech! MIT Quiz | Colleges & Universities

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. When did MIT first admit students?

Answer: 1865

According to the MIT website, the founding charter was aproved in 1861, and classes began 4 years later. Harvard was founded in 1636.

2. Who was the first president of MIT?

Answer: William Barton Rogers

According to the MIT website, Rogers was one of the founders of the school and served as president from 1862 to 1870 and again from 1879 to 1881. The other three gentlemen served as president as well: Pritchett in the years 1900-07, Walker in the years 1881-97, and Compton in the years 1900-07.

3. What is the long hallway connecting many of the buildings of the main campus called?

Answer: The Infinite Corridor

The Infinite Corridor, one-sixth of a mile long, is always papered with advertisements and flyers for student and school events. It was always rumored that the only pedestrian tunnel systems in the world longer than the collection of hallways and tunnels at MIT existed at the Kremlin and the Pentagon.

4. What is the name of the student computing system?

Answer: Athena

While many students bring their own computers anyway (which can be connected to the network from dorm rooms and most fraternities and sororities), MIT provides high quality computers in "Athena clusters" scattered across campus for student use.

5. What animal is generally considered the mascot of MIT?

Answer: Beaver

MIT is predominantly an engineering school. Since beavers build such imposing riverdams, they are considered the engineers of nature (or so we underclassmen were always told), and so were an appropriate mascot.

6. The traditional MIT class ring has an affectionate nickname. What is it?

Answer: Brass Rat

The distinctive school ring has a standard design with certain elements different for each graduating class. The mascot, TIM Beaver, has a prominent position on the top face of the ring, which leads to the nickname Brass Rat.

7. What are the school's athletic teams called?

Answer: Engineers

MIT's athletic department sponsors an extensive array of teams that compete in the NCAA Division III, from football to gymnastics to track and field. There are also several club sports, like rugby and ice hockey, and tons of intramurals. The Engineers even boast of several Div. III national champs and have often performed very well in regional and sectional competitions.

The Ramblin' Wreck are from Georgia Tech.

8. Complete this line from that traditional MIT hymn, "The Engineer's Drinking Song": "We are, we are, we are, we are, we are the engineers. We can, we can, we can, we can, we can demolish..."

Answer: forty beers

"Drink rum, drink rum, drink rum all day, and come along with us, cause we don't give a damn, for any old man, who don't give a damn for us!"

This is an old traditional favorite. Most of the campus acapella singing groups have it in their repertoire, and most undergrads do know at least the chorus (even if they don't want to admit it).

9. Which of these is NOT an athletic facility at MIT?

Answer: Killian Court

The Bubble offers several tennis courts available year-round. The Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center is the fabulous new building hosting two pools, a fitness center for undergrads and MIT community members, and other facilities. Jack Barry Field is the astroturf used by the lacrosse and field hockey teams, among others. Killian Court is the beautiful courtyard in the middle of campus, perfect for an afternoon nap on a warm spring day.

10. Which of the following is not an undergraduate degree available at MIT?

Answer: all of these are available at MIT

Contrary to popular belief, you can do more than become a scientist or engineer at MIT. Although everyone has to take specific science core courses, like Physics, Calculus, and Chemistry, every undergrad is also required to take a certain number of humanities classes, and often students choose to major or minor in one of these areas.

11. Which international diplomat earned an MIT degree?

Answer: Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan earned an MS from the business school in 1972. He delivered the commencement address in 1997. MIT does not award honorary degrees, nor does it offer academic scholarships. Need-based financial aid is available.

12. Which actor attended MIT?

Answer: James Woods

He attended MIT in the late 60s, but he didn't graduate. He was a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity.

13. Although MIT's campus is in Cambridge, many fraternities and sororities have houses across the Massachusetts Avenue bridge in Boston. What neighborhood of Boston is this?

Answer: Back Bay

Most of the Boston fraternities and sororities are in beautiful renovated brownstones along Beacon Street or Commonwealth Avenue.

14. John Nash, the Nobel Laureate immortalized in the book "A Beautiful Mind" by Sylvia Nasar and by the movie of the same name, was a professor at MIT.

Answer: True

According to the October 19, 1994 edition of "Tech Talk," an MIT newspaper, John Nash was on the mathematics faculty in the years 1951-1959. He has spent many years since at Princeton, where he also earned his PhD in mathematics.

15. Which fraternity has its new members paint the "Smoots" on the Mass. Ave. bridge every spring and fall?

Answer: Lambda Chi Alpha

In 1958, the pledges of LCA measured the bridge in body lengths of one Oliver Smoot '62. The official bridge length, proudly displayed on the MIT side of the bridge, is "364.4 Smoots + 1 ear." There are lines painted at intervals of 10 Smoots all along the bridge on both sides. Each year the members of the fraternity maintain the painted marks on the bridge.

I hope you enjoyed this quiz! I had fun reminiscing and writing it.

Source: Author sarahmas

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Let's go Tech! MIT Trivia Quiz

How much do you know about that little tech school on the Charles? This quiz should be easy for alumni.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>