It’s a transformational place, with both enormous hard work (so you feel a sense of relief when you get out) and at the same time much more of an opportunity to

It’s a transformational place, with both enormous hard work (so you feel a sense of relief when you get out) and at the same time much more of an opportunity to do “real” things. At an institution where teaching is important there’s more “infrastructure” for it so you can manage to be exposed to less of the research side. At MIT research is most of the institute’s activity, so you get to be part of significant and/or obscure work if you want, and most do. Plus, as I like to joke, that “if you aren’t arrogant when you get there, MIT will beat it into you”.