Offered for the first time in 2004, CONVERGE began as a grass roots collaboration between MIT graduate students in the Graduate Student Council, the Black Graduate Students Association, and members of the MIT administration. The original goal was to invite a cohort of outstanding underrepresented and underserved undergraduates to the MIT campus for a fall (pre-admission) graduate preview weekend. Various sessions were offered to provide information and inspiration related to the graduate admissions process; to provide opportunities for exposure to MIT’s academic departments; and to offer visitors a taste of graduate life at MIT and the chance to explore Boston and Cambridge. In the initial two offerings, 24 students were invited to visit. All opted to come for the late October weekend.
Funded originally by the Office of the Provost, CONVERGE is now sponsored by the Office of the Dean for Graduate Education.
One highlight of CONVERGE is the Friday night dinner featuring distinguished speakers. Some past speakers include the following:
| 2009 | Franz-Josef Ulm, PhD 1994 (ENPC Paris) |
| 2008 | Timothy Swager, PhD 1988 (Caltech) LaTese Briggs, PhD 2008 (UMBC) Ki Ann Goosens, PhD 2002 (Michigan) |
| 2007 | Lawrence Sass, PhD 2000 (MIT) Christine Ortiz, PhD 1997 (Cornell) |
