The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Date: Apr 13 2010
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
The tough part about New Mexico Tech is not getting in; it's a cakewalk- having decent grades, a pulse, and some recommendations will probably get you accepted. The problem is staying there- the courses are tough, the social scene sucks, the city itself stinks, and, well, there's just not much TO Socorro, really. It doesn't have a lot of charm. Lots of students bail out of NMT after 2-3 semesters (if that), and go to UNM (University Near Mom).

Part of this is well-deserved: Tech isn't for socializing. For the ladies, the odds are good, but the goods are odd. For guys- forget about it; you're outnumbered, the girls know it, and you're not that smart/cute anyway. On the bright side, if you're a little different, Tech is fantastic. I would have chosen to go to Tech undergrad for certain; instead, I was a grad student, and taught a couple of undergrad lab courses. I've worked for 3-4 universities now, and Tech is definitely the most screwed up of the bunch from an administrative perspective. From a department-down perspective, it's okay. But if you dye your hair purple, dress up in a black drover coat with stormtrooper boots, and go jogging across campus, don't expect it to be a real attention-grabber. Most schools would ostracize individuals like that; at Tech, it barely registers.

Facilities are pretty remarkable for such a small school- excellent geology lab stuff, chem lab stuff, etc. Don't go to Tech for the biology program.

Town life: everything is sub-standard, from food to construction to weather to safety. I have a standing offer to pay anyone $20 to show me a room in any structure in town with four corners that are each 90 degrees. The first time I had real concerns about Socorro was the first time I visited a supermarket in town, which I later heard referred to as a "produce museum." I'm pretty sure the one store stocks meat that has spent too much time on the shelf in Albuquerque, so they bleach it and truck it down to Socorro. I wish I were kidding about that.

The profs run the gamut from "world-class excellent" to "how'd this guy get the job?" They're better than most of the schools I've been to. Most aren't so self-involved in their research that they can't be bothered to teach, unlike other schools. Tech offers some world-class opportunities: the VLA, EMRTC, IRIS, etc. Don't pass them up if you can help it.

For the cost, Tech is an absolute bargain- but with all bargains, there are drawbacks. Don't expect a party school atmosphere; don't think getting in and putting your life on cruise control by just showing up to class is going to cut it- same as anywhere else, but Tech is going to be more of a grind than your average state or private school.