MIT Sloan Visiting Fellows Program

Sloan Visiting Fellows (SVF) Students in ‘F’ U.S. Immigration Status

• F-1 Non-Degree International Student, New To MIT:
  • If you are a new F-1 international student, who will be studying in the SVF program, then you must be registered full-time (i.e. 27 units or more). 
• F-1 Non-Degree International Student, On OPT/STEM OPT:
  • If you are an F-1 international student, who will be studying in the SVF program during your approved U.S. work authorization period (i.e., during Post-Completion OPT or STEM OPT), then federal regulations [8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(B)] ONLY  allow for part-time/half-time study (i.e. 26 units or less). 
• F-2 Dependent, Current Dependent Of F-1 Student:
  • If you are an F-2 Dependent, who will be studying in the SVF program with your F-2 Dependent Status, then federal regulations ONLY  allow for part-time/half-time study (i.e. 26 units or less). 

Sloan Visiting Fellows (SVF) Students in ‘J’ U.S. Immigration Status

• J-1 Non-Degree International Student, New To MIT:
  • If you are a new J-1 international student, who will be studying in the SVF program, then you must be registered full-time (i.e. 27 units or more). 
• J-1 Non-Degree International Student, On Post-Completion Academic Training (Post-AT):
  • If you are a J-1 international student, who will be studying in the SVF program during your approved U.S. work authorization period (i.e., during Post-Completion Academic Training), then federal regulations ONLY allow for part-time/half-time study (i.e. 26 units or less). 
• J-2 Dependent, Current Dependent Of J-1 Student:
  • If you are a J-2 Dependent, who will be studying in the SVF program in J-2 Dependent Status, then federal regulations allow for part-time or full-time study (i.e. 54 units or less).  

Questions?  If you are an international student, please contact your ISO Advisor directly regarding what is allowed in relation to your current U.S. immigration status.

Of course! We offer many virtual events which give you the chance to get to know current students.  In addition, you can connect with students via our student profile page.

MIT does not accept transfer credits from other schools. If you are currently pursuing a degree, you may be able to transfer the credits earned at MIT to your degree – upon your school’s approval.

Independent Activities Period (IAP) is a four-week period in January during which faculty and students are freed from the rigors of regularly scheduled classes for flexible teaching and learning and for independent study and research.

IAP Rules For Sloan Visiting Fellows International Students

• Fall 2022:
  • F and J international students are eligible for IAP, but only during an allowed immigration grace period. This means that if a fall 2022 Sloan Visiting Fellow student will study during IAP, then they must remain in the U.S. during their allowed immigration grace period. A student is not eligible to enter the U.S. in F/J during their grace period.
    • F students have a 60-day grace period from the program end date listed on their Form I-20.
    • J students have a 30-day grace period from the program end date listed on their Form DS-2019.
• Spring 2023:
  • F and J international students are eligible for IAP under the immigration rule that the students can arrive 30 days before the program start date listed on their immigration document (Form I-20/Form DS-2019).
• Fall 2022 & Spring 2023:
  • F and J international students studying in fall 2022 and spring 2023 are eligible for IAP.

Visit the class profile page to learn more about our current students.

General Criteria: We seek students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

Desired Qualifications: The Admissions Committee looks for applicants with demonstrated academic excellence, proven personal achievement, and strong self-motivation to make an impact and to inspire, no matter where they are in an organization. High academic potential and personal achievement are typically reflected in test scores, academic records, and recommendations that go beyond a polite endorsement.

Our professionally trained Admissions Committee reviews all applications after the application deadline. Based on our initial assessment, a subset of applicants are invited to interview. 

Your application will be reviewed in full and holistically. We carefully consider all application materials submitted. No single component is more or less important than another.

MIT Sloan does not have rolling admissions. Applications are reviewed after each deadline, October 1 for spring and April 1 for fall.

You can only apply once per year. You’ll have to decide which round is best for you.

We offer fee waivers to the following applicants:

• Active U.S. military personnel
• Current Teach for America members
• Current Peace Corps members
• Forté MBA Launch participants
• MLT and Jumpstart Fellows
• MIT Sloan Global Program partnerships
• Luksic Scholars Foundation

Applicants who qualify must send an email to visitingfellows.mitsloan@mit.edu asking for the application fee waiver. Please note that we cannot grant retroactive fee waivers if the application fee has already been paid online.

No. All applications are individually reviewed in accordance with our evaluation standards.

Our Admissions Committee is comprised of professional staff members within the MIT community. The admissions committee will review your application and interviews may be conducted if the committee requires more information. 

We will consider requests for deferral on a case-by-case basis.

You will be required to scan your unofficial transcripts and submit them as part of your online application.

Yes! If you have taken non-degree coursework that you would like the admissions committee to consider, please upload the relevant transcripts.

We require both the original version and an unofficial translation of all transcripts, if not already in English. If your university is able to do this, we will accept that as well.

You do not need to convert your GPA for the online application. Simply enter in the grading system used by your school. We are familiar with the various grading systems and can evaluate it on our end. 

All of your previous academic work is important to us, and we consider it all in the evaluation process.

The GMAT and GRE are not required.

Yes. If you have a valid or expired test score, please include that as part of your application.

If your native language is not English, you must demonstrate proficiency by taking either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the test provided by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The required minimum TOEFL score is 95, and the required minimum IELTS score is 7.5. 

Candidates who have attended an academic program conducted in English for one year may request a TOEFL waiver. If you qualify for this waiver, please email visitingfellows.mitsloan@mit.edu before you submit your application.

Applicants will be prompted to record a video response to a randomly generated, open-ended question as a part of the required application materials. This video will appear as a page within the application, once the other parts of your application are completed.

The assessment is designed to help us get to know you better; to see how you express yourself and to assess fit with the MIT Sloan culture. It does not require prior preparation and will not be a technical question.

Applicants are given one minute to prepare a one-minute response to the question.

Due to the non-degree nature of the program, the MIT Sloan Visiting Fellows program does not provide scholarships or fellowships.

International students qualify for a student visa and MIT will issue a certificate of eligibility for you and your dependents (if applicable) to visit the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to apply for the corresponding visa.

The MIT Sloan CDO team only supports degree students and Visiting Fellow students may not obtain help in seeking career services from their team. The Visiting Fellows program also does not provide employment authorization upon program completion.

You have the freedom to apply for any program at MIT that you may feel is the right fit for you. Each program has its own admissions committee that will review your candidacy.

You may choose to focus on your specific academic area of interest. MIT Sloan offers various certificate programs which Visiting Fellow students may take advantage while attending the program. Some of the most popular certificate programs are the Sustainability, Business Analytics, Digital Product Management and Healthcare. Some of these certificate programs may require you to attend two semesters, while the sustainability certificate can be completed in full during the spring semester. To learn more about the certificate programs, please visit the MBA curriculum.