Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s school motto is “Mind and Hand,” which reflects the students’ love of academics and sports. MIT is one of the most prestigious technology schools in the nation. With technology advancing rapidly, it continues to be at the front of the pack, offering countless courses in science, engineering, and the arts. Many scientists from MIT have even helped NASA with the space program.

MIT offers 24 sports. An amazing 20 percent of students participate in varsity athletics. Their mascot is a beaver (nature’s best engineer) named Tim (MIT backwards).

You don’t have to spend all your time on campus. Students can go whitewater rafting in Maine or on a dinner cruise in the Boston Harbor. Skydiving is also becoming an increasingly popular activity. Spend your time sampling the famous liquid nitrogen ice cream, or participating in a hack, a prank that cannot be harmful in any way. Famous hacks include the 1999 transformation of The Great Dome into The Great Droid (R2-D2) and the annual sabotage of the Harvard vs. Yale football game.

Taking a closer look at MIT taught me that at prestigious schools, you don’t need to have your face shoved in a book all the time. There is a hidden layer of fun beneath the university; you just have to look closer. Take your own look at MIT’s website: web.mit.edu.