We were there 3 weeks ago on a due diligence visit. My DS took classes with the Mids and spent time touring the facility and interacted with the Mids do. Also spoke with the LT there teaching Naval Science and Aviation. You already know that MIT is the hosting Unit so Harvard and Tufts students use the unit together. All 3 ROTC Programs are located together at the same building. Students are allowed to drive and park their cars there at the parking lot so no stress of street parking. I know that Harvard offers free car and gas for their ROTC students not sure MIT does the same for theirs. I don't think they would need it since it is on campus.
I was very impressed with the MIT gym facility that the Mids use. It is a world class gym and the Mids practice their drills there and do their morning PTs. MIT offers very nice facility to ROTC Mids and Cadets so you can rest assure it is first class. I would say most Mids are from MIT. Harvard has about 10 Mids per class MIT more. The Unit has about 90 Mids in their Battalion. It is expected to grow incrementally each year as Harvard increases their number. MIT is pretty stable. The unit does lose about 5 Mids a year to USNA. About 5 Freshman each year don't come back and go to USNA as re-applicants. And about 2-3 who got into each MIT and Harvard turn down to go to USNA.
MIT Unit Mids, many are STEM majors. Few from Harvard and Tufts are non STEM Majors. My DS got his NROTC Scholarship to Harvard/MIT Unit as a non STEM T3 to major in History. But he can use the scholarship to take STEM major if he wishes. So T3 is flexible, T1 and T2 are STEM Scholarships.
My DS felt that compared to AFROTC and AROTC, NROTC culture is geeky in general with many STEM/Engineering students in the program who are mostly Scholars. It is less geeky at Yale but just as geeky at Brown where my DS also visited. Few are recruited Athlete type. Students my DS met at MIT NROTC are mostly Scholars. You know students with near perfect test scores and GPAs. I think he met more well rounded Cadets in the Air Force and Army ROTC at these schools.
As for the commanders, they change out every 2 years. So the current LT Ryan Wielgus, a USNA grad, will not be on-boarding your son. He is PCSing to his next duty station in July. We really liked him but LT and Commanders change every 2 years. Your son will go through about 2 different commanders while he is there. After going through 2 days with the ROTC units at MIT, we learned that Navy has the best 4 year systematic training rotation program for their ROTC Mids. Navy has short and fun training program every summer. Air Force and Army are very flexible with their summer training. Many are optional schools you can attend, except during your Junior year which are required. All ROTC Programs offer GO program which allow students to take the fellowship money to go abroad and study language in summers. MIT/Harvard offers their own 1 year fellowship paid program to take a language or study abroad if you wish. Some take a gap year to do this and it does not affect the ROTC Scholarship. Harvard/MIT students use their facilities interchangeably which is nice to have.
I hope this was helpful! And congrats on your son's acceptance to MIT. MIT moniker is Made in Taiwan ^^. It's kind of true since so many Asian students at MIT. It's cute ^^