throwaway234535

It sounds like you have a really good offer on the table, if it's a top 10 school with a guaranteed adviser who is good in your field. If you stay in wireless, his reputation and training will get you much further than any 'name-brand' of a school will. Not knowing what you will study is another problem. If you hate wireless communication, then you'll need to look elsewhere. I don't know much of anything about EE, so take my advice with a grain of salt. Your goal should be to become the best researcher in your field as you possibly can. Is there some magical reason that MIT does this over all other universities, or would you recognize that other universities can provide you with similar training? Graduate school is about preparing for a career in research and academia, not about the 'prestige' of your degree. If you want to carry a namesake around with you for the sake of having it, that is what undergrad is for. You need to be more practical and focused. The fact that you are obsessed with a school, rather than a research area, would be very disconcerting to me as an admissions officer. MIT doesn't need people who just want to come to MIT; they need focused, dedicated researchers who are passionate about their subjects. So yes, I would say that your outlook on this is a bit immature. Even without seeing a profile, I can tell you that passing up a great opportunity for the extremely slim chance of getting into MIT would be foolish.