Group Recognition Process

Currently, there are approximately 550 student groups at MIT. When recognizing new student groups, the ASA looks to recognize groups that will bring something novel to MIT student life in the long term.

In particular, the ASA looks to recognize groups that will be long-term sustainable, rather than to give legitimacy to particular projects. The group recognition process can be slow, and projects which are seeking immediate status and use of the MIT name and resources will be disappointed. While different for every group, the process usually takes around three months or, in extreme cases, half a year or more.

While considering applications, the ASA primarily looks for a unique purpose and at the student group’s anticipated use of resources. Students interested in starting a new group are advised to consider whether their purpose can be acheived within an already-recognized group; frequently, students will be told to talk to a similar-seeming group before the ASA makes a final decision about recognition.