The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded in 1861, is a private institution, and, like all great institutions of higher education, it is grounded in the past, interacts with the present and aspires to influence the future. The school applies its talents to problems posed by society, industry, commerce, arts, healing and politics. It has defined new forms of research, scholarship and education. MIT students, faculty and staff are deeply engaged in the process of learning in the classroom, in the laboratory and from each other. There is an exhilarating sense of being at the cutting edge. MIT is intense and demanding, yet the atmosphere is collegial. Its students are an important part of one of the world''s great institutions of learning and exploration. MIT, with technology and natural science at its core, and encompassing the work of humanistic scholars, social scientists, architects, planners, management experts and artists, plays a major role in the establishment of a new world security, in which all nations are united by the need for a safe and healthy environment. The school shows us how to mend our nation''s social and racial rifts, provides a model for all of us to enhance industrial quality, productivity and especially knowledge. MIT students join a community of scholars and practitioners whose work is challenging, energizing and of enormous importance to this new world security. The quality, style and content of its educational programs will prepare students for a wide variety of leadership positions in industry, academia and public service, leadership essential to a vital future in an increasingly technological and interdependent world. Its 155-acre campus is located in Cambridge.