MIT offers freshman seminars, which is one format of freshman advising. Freshman advising seminars (FAS) are typically led by faculty or instructors who also serve as the freshman advisor for the students in the seminar. The purpose of Freshman advising seminars is to provide students with an opportunity to engage with faculty around a common topic. FAS are optional and are only open to first-term freshman. About 50% of MIT freshman participate in FAS. FAS tend to have smaller numbers of students, typically around 8, which lend them to be discussion or project-based and an opportunity for students to get to know each other as well as their advisor. FAS topics and intended learning outcomes vary widely but tend to be academic focused. Last fall, FAS topics included black holes, blacksmithing, quantitative biology, leadership, design, and making. Freshman seminars are only offered in the fall term. FAS are not offered in the spring because students keep the same advisor for the year. If students joined a new seminar in the spring, this is seen as an administrative complication. Freshman seminars meet weekly, are worth 6 units of credit, and are graded P/D/F.
Organized into small cohorts in seminar style classes, students engage with a multitude of faculty experts around the central question, exposing them to different disciplines and different ways of thinking and analysis. Through LSE 100, students strengthen their critical thinking skills and communication skills. A full list of learning outcomes can be found here.