Frequently Asked Questions

We have received the questionnaire. How much detail should we provide?

The questionnaire will be posted, along with all other submissions, on an MIT website restricted to S-Lab students. Hence, you will be in direct competition with those other submissions. Please take the time to thoughtfully describe your company and the project, so that students can fully appreciate the opportunity. In short, a clear and thorough questionnaire will increase student interest.

How should we complete our questionnaire so that we get the right kind of students with the right backgrounds?

If you desire students with special skills or backgrounds, please state this clearly on your questionnaire. We cannot guarantee that these requests will be matched, but it will be a significant factor in the matching process.

How are host company projects matched with student teams?

Student teams submit bidding forms ranking their top three company choices. The faculty match teams based on:host company needs, team members preferences, backgrounds, and prior work experience.

How do we find out which student team has been matched with our company?

After the matching results are announced, we will contact you via email.

How do we settle on terms of the consulting project?

The teams understand it is one of their primary responsibilities to negotiate scope, schedule and deliverables with their host companies as soon as possible.

Our proposed project would require us to share sensitive and confidential information with the team. What protection can you/ the team provide?

On occasion, team members have signed non-disclosure agreements with their host companies. Conclusions and presentations of each team are submitted to the faculty for grading purposes, but all confidential material will be redacted before any open classroom discussion. Please contact us directly to discuss your specific concerns. We have successfully resolved many such situations in the past.

What kind of feedback is involved?

We follow up with all host companies after their S-Lab project is completed. We seek candid feedback on team performance and company satisfaction. With permission, some of those data are reused to improve the content of the course or are posted on a public website.