<p>Yeah, I’m with Gracie.</p>
<p>Frankly, part of being a scientist (or an intelligent human being, for that matter) is learning not to uncritically swallow statements by “experts”, even if the opinions proffered by said “experts” are very comforting and reinforce the idea that white males are at the top of the evolutionary chain of being. Question everything. </p>
<p>One big question that arises when you’re talking about scores on IQ tests – what exactly do they measure? Do they measure some concrete thing in your head… or do they measure familiarity with IQ-style tests? The answer many people arrive at when examining the evidence is that the latter is true (immigrants’ IQ scores, for example, rise significantly after they’ve been in America for several years, indicating that what’s being tested is familiarity with the test).</p>
<p>Same goes for SAT scores. I got a 1430 (690M, 740V) on the SAT. Four years later (after extensive studying), I got a 1540 (800M, 740V) in the GRE. Am I really that much better at mathematical reasoning? (Have I even done a geometry problem since junior year of high school?) Nope. Just studied more.</p>
<p>Ben Jones has said before that somewhere around 70% of the MIT applicant pool is qualified to be here. The art in admissions lies in picking the 15ish% of applicants who would be happiest at MIT. (And just because you personally don’t see the merit in a given applicant… well, frankly I don’t think that means much.)</p>
<p>One more thing – I’ll call BS on joejia being an MIT student. If you’re an MIT student, prove it.</p>