Please read this page in its entirety before purchasing/exchanging tickets and/or sending email inquiries.

Time and Place

Date and Time: Saturday, May 10th, 2025 at 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Venue: New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110

This event is only open to graduate students and their guests. All attendees must be at least 21 years old. The recommended dress code is formal.

Getting There

The Aquarium is located at the Blue Line Aquarium station. You may also drive and park in the Harbor Garage. You can validate your parking ticket at the information desk, and the cost is $32 per car after validation.

Rundown

Plan to arrive between 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm for check in. Student IDs (NOT mobile IDs) and valid ID/driver license issued in the US or a passport will be needed for entry. You must be 21+ to attend this event. If you are an international student, you need to bring your passport. All IDs must be current (not expired), and presented physically (not a photocopy or photo). We are not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen items.

Order of Events

7:30 – 9 PM: Buffet Dinner

9 – 10:30 PM: Dessert Station

7 – 10:30 PM: Drink Stations open

The DJ will play music throughout the event and a dance floor will be set up.

Photograph and Photo Booth

There will be photographers taking photos of participants. Photo booths (one traditional and one 360 video) will also be set up where you can take photos with your friends. By purchasing tickets, you agree that GSC may use those photos for publicity. The photos will also be available for download by participants, from a password-protected site.

Food and Drinks (subject to changes)

We will not be able to accommodate any dietary restrictions not listed below.

Island Taco Stand (GF)

Flour & corn tortillas, lime crema, pico de gallo, shredded queso fresco, cilantro, grilled corn, jalapeno, Chipotle lime rice

Protein options: Mesquite shredded chicken, grilled flank steak, crispy adobo tofu (V)

Risotto (GF)

Creamy risotto, mushrooms, English peas, grilled Asparagus, roasted summer squash, zucchini, baby spinach

Protein options: rope sausage, shrimp

Poke Bowl (GF)

Avocado, cucumber, edamame, radishes, cabbage-daikon slaw, sesame seeds, Sriracha, tamari-yuzu sauce, miso aioli

Protein options: Alaskan salmon, smoked tofu (V)

Desserts (V)

Dark chocolate caramel crumble, raspberry-vanilla panna cotta with fresh berries, lemon custard, tiramisu

Beverages 

Each person will receive two drink tickets that will be handed out during check in, and additional drinks can be purchased with credit/debit cards. A selection of wine and beer will be served. Water will be available throughout the night at open water stations.

Aquarium Programming

Giant Screen Movie 

The Aquarium will present three showings of their film The Call of the Dolphins 3D. 

Show times: 8pm, 9pm, 10pm

The film is approximately 45 min long 

Exhibits

The exhibits at the New England Aquarium will be open for touring during the event. Feel free to take pictures and explore at your leisure. Please comply with the posted signages.

Ticket Sales

Tickets are limited and will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. There are two rounds of ticket sales, and a ticket exchange that follows. Each graduate student may purchase up to 2 tickets in total. Tickets cannot be refunded. You may use the ticket exchange to sell your tickets to other graduate students.

Timeline

First batch: 4/8 (Tuesday) at 12 PM

Second batch: 4/11 (Friday) at 12 PM

Link to purchase tickets: https://engage.mit.edu/gsc/rsvp_boot?id=915942

Ticket exchange will begin once all tickets are sold out, and will close on 5/2 (Saturday).

Ticket Exchange

For sellers

When the ticket exchange begins, you will receive an email from gsc-ticketexchange@mit.edu with a unique link to manage your ticket. You will receive one link for each ticket you have purchased. Please do not share the link. The link allows you to offer your tickets for sale. You are free to set the price, as long as it does not exceed the price you paid. This event uses self-service pairing. This means that buyers will make online offers by themselves after you list your ticket(s) for sale. If someone offers to buy your ticket, you will get an email, and you will be able to use the link sent to you to see the contact information of the buyer. You can then reach out to them directly to arrange payments. After you receive the payment, you should click “Transfer ticket” to confirm the ticket transfer online, which will also send a confirmation email. Your ticket status will change to “Transferred out” automatically within 24 hours. Please note that we cannot help with any transactions that take place outside the ticket exchange system.

For buyers

You can join the waiting list at https://mitgscapp.knack.com/ticket-exchange#join-waiting-list/. You will receive an email confirmation when you join the waiting list. You can use the link to see tickets posted and make offers. Check frequently as tickets are offered for sales on a rolling basis. We have instructed the sellers to contact you directly to arrange payments. After the payment is complete, the seller will confirm the transfer online, and you will get an automated confirmation email. Your ticket status will change to “Transferred In” within 24 hours. Please note that we cannot help with any transactions that take place outside the ticket exchange system.

Do not upcharge the tickets

It is not allowed to sell the ticket(s) at a higher price than what you paid, because the event is heavily subsidized. If you do, we may cancel your ticket without any refund. If you notice any such behavior, please contact us at grad-gala-25@mit.edu, and you may get a free ticket as a reward.

Reminder for the Day of Event

• You must arrive between 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm for check-in. Entry is not guaranteed if you arrive late. You need to bring your Student IDs (NOT mobile IDs) to check in. Guests (+1s) must check in with the student. Please also bring a proof of age (see below). Re-entry is not allowed.
• This event is for graduate students and their guests. All attendees must be at least 21 years old. You must bring a valid ID/driver license issued in the US, or a passport to check in. All IDs must be current (not expired), and presented physically (not a photocopy or photo). Bartenders may also ask for your ID.
• Drink responsibly. We only allow one alcoholic beverage per person per hour. We may refuse to serve alcoholic beverages if the person appears intoxicated. We do not replace drink tickets if they are lost or damaged.
• The recommended dress code is formal.
• Please comply with any posted signages and organizers’ instructions. You may be denied entry, be escorted out of the event, be excluded from future events, and face disciplinary and/or legal consequences if you fail to do so. You are also responsible for your guest’s actions.

Contact

Please contact us at grad-gala-25@mit.edu for any questions or concerns. We will answer your email within 48 hours. There is no guarantee that you will receive a reply if you contact us within 48 hours before the event.