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Originally Posted by Olo This reply was originally about five or six times as long, but I've shaved it down.
The problem with going to whole numerocentric route is that it neglects those of us who are more than intelligent enough to do well at MIT, who did not see it fit to waste our potential with high school grades. Believe it or not, people exist who do great at MIT who did not do great in high school, for one reason or another.
What you need to measure in admissions is a person's ability to succeed. Grades and scores are some indicators, but far from the only ones. Yes, I'm speaking from personal bias, but I assure everyone, I'm not making MIT look bad. In fact, I'm kicking ass. Does it really bother you that much that people like me get in, who make MIT seem less "genius-y", even if only from a purely statistical measure of valedictorians admitted?
Olo
For the record, according to those office of the provost things and admissions records, some odd 25 people were admitted with class ranks lower than mine (and whose schools also ranked). The impression I seem to be getting is that people don't believe I belong at MIT, or that I never should have been admitted. I'll reserve my resentment to that statement for now, as it's in the chunk of this post I've deleted. |
I certainly did not mean to imply that grades and scores were the only indicators of potential to succeed (if I was one of those who did). Certainly, I know that I have been lucky as far as high school teachers go, and many extremely intelligent, motivated students are not as lucky. My problem is not that students from this latter category are admitted; I could have very easily been in this category in different circumstances.
In theory, it's a very good thing that MIT admissions will try to look beyond some poorer grades or scores to see if the student really is motivated and willing to learn. However, the impression that I get from MIT admissions at this point is that they not only do this for students who have issues with grades and/or scores, but that they ignore good grades and/or scores as an indicator of motivation for students who do have them. A student fortunate enough to find a supportive academic environment within his/her high school should not be forced to do needless self-studying in order to have an application that can compete with students who have used self-study as an alternative to a poor academic environment.
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Originally Posted by CAdream 3) The whole thing about "we can tell who is a match" offends
applicants. I mean, they think they're a match, that's why they
are applying. To pretend that it is a deep process; that you read the
application and somehow see into their hearts and can proclaim
that they are soul-mates with MIT! Well, it's a little over the top.
Most people are pretty mature, they can take being accepted or
rejected based on their record, or whatever the clear criteria are.
But the criteria aren't clear, and I feel as if the admissions officers
are trying to be rock-stars. I wish they would produce a little less
verbiage, and get on with their jobs in a professional manner. |
Exactly.