Matt McGann '00 | January 12, 2007
"Mystery Hunt Day 1"
9:30am: I'm not blogging about admissions today, because at noon the 2007 Mystery Hunt will begin! I'm going to try today's entry as a liveblog, updating this entry throughout the day with thoughts and stories about the Hunt, one of my favorite events of the year.
In short, Mystery Hunt is a weekend-long competition at MIT where people team up to solve lots of puzzles (which lead to more puzzles), with the ultimate goal of finding a coin hidden somewhere on campus. The only prize for the winning team is the honor of writing the next year's Hunt. For some history, check out this classic article from Games Magazine.
If you'd like to try some puzzles for yourself, you can check out the archives, or you can try these four fun puzzles. People are starting to make significant progress on these four puzzles from my entry earlier this week. I've posted some hints and thoughts in the comments thread that might help. Don't stop, you're getting closer!
10:45am: A quick walk through Lobby 7, soon to be the site of the Hunt Kickoff. Right now, though, things are very quiet...
11:40am: I'm about to head to Lobby 7 for the Kickoff... we'll see what this year's hunt organizers -- Dan '03 (at right) and my old Baker House dormmate Jenn -- have in store for us!
12:40pm: The Kickoff has ended. Here's what Lobby 7 looked like during the kickoff (compare to the images from just two hours earlier above):
The theme of the Hunt appears to be -- at least for now -- "How to Succeed at the MIT Mystery Hunt by Being Really Really Awesome." Here's Dan '03 announcing it in Lobby 7:
11:40pm: Wow, the last 11 hours of Mystery Hunt flew by. I'm about to go to bed so I can get up for an early morning (4am!) puzzle. This Hunt rocks, so far one of the best ever!
More news soon...
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The author has filed this entry in the "Hacks & Traditions" section; check it out for further reading on this topic. |
Responses To This Entry:
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I found the coin...lolz
Posted by: Anonymous on January 12, 2007 09:58 AM
O god! I do want to play this game!!!(trying~tring~tring~to get into MIT!!~~)
Posted by: Amy on January 12, 2007 12:51 PM
If we're really really awesome, can we change the poster to "how to succeed at the MIT admissions game by being really, really awesome?"
Posted by: Elizabeth on January 12, 2007 02:40 PM
Hey Matt, just wanted to let you know I'M DOING IT! I'm heading up to Baker headquarters right now. :)
Posted by: Christina on January 12, 2007 04:10 PM
wow it looks incredibly fun!
Posted by: Arthur on January 13, 2007 03:25 AM
hope to join all such stuff next year
Posted by: bhushan on January 13, 2007 04:57 AM
im up for it too bhushan ...hopin to see a galore of scholars and genius' from all over da world next year..hopefully id be one of them...god are you listening????????
Posted by: kanika on January 13, 2007 05:58 AM
i am
HA........!HA..............!HA..............!
Posted by: God on January 13, 2007 06:11 AM
its awesome!
Posted by: tj on January 13, 2007 06:18 AM
kiddie stuff man, why not develop a perceptual ground state and balance the coin's strong forces into a quantum function and use a detector to search for such a quantum state!
game over!
Posted by: Another Indian on January 13, 2007 12:45 PM
But how will we know that quantum function if we dont see or have a coin! :D keep searchin!!
Posted by: Another Indian on January 13, 2007 12:46 PM
Matt...I really need help right now
My application part 1 and teacher evaluations are all proceeded; but the tracking page says that my part 2 is not proceeded, and I couldn't access that part as well. What am I going to do about all the information that's in there?????I mailed the admission twice and no one ever replied me!! Thank You
Posted by: emily on January 13, 2007 04:07 PM
Mystery hunt is wicked cool! I am so excited by the crowd. If I was playing, I would not sleep. I would be thinking of the puzzles all the time. :) The game seems so fun and challenging. I should create something like that in my high school environment.
Posted by: turnef on January 13, 2007 05:28 PM
the above Godperson
Posted by: bhushan on January 14, 2007 01:59 AM
I want to go to MIT just for IAP. Awesomeness.
Random unrelated question: My school automatically sends out an updated transcript at the end of the semester. Is that sufficient, or does MIT still need the Mid-Year Grade Report sent in?
Thanks!
Posted by: Meara on January 14, 2007 08:44 PM
dude, I want to go to MIT so much so that i can do stuff like that
Posted by: rbanerjee on January 14, 2007 09:47 PM
Hey I got my new blog. Anyway Another Indian, why dont you just turn your mattress into fireball. (What?) Hey I thought you were talking quantum physics. LOL. No Offence!
Posted by: Vishaque on January 15, 2007 06:48 AM
HEY Matt,
Please start blogging about admissions for Regular Candidates. Things are getting pretty tensed and hot.
Posted by: Anonymous on January 15, 2007 10:03 AM
Mystery Hunt was amazing! Matt - what team were you on?
Those pictures are awesome. (I find it kind of funny that my team is pretty much taking up the entire lower left hand corner of the crowd picture at kickoff :) )
Posted by: Yuri ('11) on January 15, 2007 08:25 PM
You don't have to go to MIT to join!
I second Yuri's question: What team were you on?
I've also got some pictures up of the Manic Sages at http://ferrium.blogspot.com/2007/01/mit-mystery-hunt-2007.html
Posted by: Mike on January 15, 2007 11:00 PM
can i send a Visual Bsic application that i've created in executable form or do i need to send it just the way it is....but that way the adm. office wudnt until 2009 be able to run it....what am i supposed to do...if i send it in the exe form wud the integrity be questioned//..anybody any answers ...matt sir!!!!need help.....and is there any deadline for sending extra material that supports your application..???
Posted by: kanika on January 16, 2007 09:27 AM
and hey god i have a couple of other thigs to ask for....are you still listening to me...a mighty laughter...ha ha ha aha aha...lolzz
Posted by: kanika on January 16, 2007 09:29 AM
there is no deadline for sending the materials which help ur application
as on ur part i think if they wont be able to run it till 2009 wha..................ts! the use of sending prefer .exe format
Posted by: bhushan on January 16, 2007 10:47 AM
i m still listening i m like ATL(any time listen)
ha ha hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahah .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Posted by: God on January 16, 2007 10:50 AM
and also lolzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
Posted by: God on January 16, 2007 10:52 AM
please answer if u hav 85 on TOEFL iBT r u auto disqalified
Posted by: Int. on January 16, 2007 11:08 AM
Int.-
Unfortunately, yes.
Take a look at Apply->Standardized test requirements. The minimum required score for the TOEFL iBT is 90. :-/
Posted by: Adam S. on January 17, 2007 03:26 PM
int. dnt be disappointed if da rest of ur application is good ...one score is nt goin to harm u...keep calm n best of luck
Posted by: kanika on January 21, 2007 10:09 AM
