<p>Jayay90 – as is clear from what I write, I don’t at all sympathize with people who want bragging rights or to feel they are “on top” by getting 100% acceptances to the Ivy Leagues. I am a college student who’s very happy with where he is, but nevertheless very unhappy with some of the trends going around. I am more than aware that being “at top” in high school doesn’t mean being “at top” in college. The question, is, figuring those who’re going to be “at top” in college and admitting them to the schools with the best resources with good consistency.</p>
<p>That is, it is to the benefit of our education system overall to admit classes of students based on their ability to achieve in the respective environments – i.e. what I call “fit”. It’s not like everyone goes on to graduate school, and one’s undergraduate school is an important starting point even for future graduate students. I do not think we have as much room as it’s being made to seem to assemble a class full of so and so diversity level, so and so personalities, and other interests.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Perhaps not – I mean, maybe if you’re looking to be an engineer, you’re more likely to look at schools like MIT, Michigan, Berkeley, Caltech, and such. But at the same time, a lot of the HYPSM schools are very good at many specific things, but not all of them admit a vast, vast majority of their applicants based mainly on talent and goals – the essays one is asked to write, if a huge consideration, certainly indicate this, because they’re far from directly related to the applicant’s goals for the given school.</p>
<p>There may be other good places for these “many specific things” – that’s great, but it isn’t a good reason to support the current admissions practices, it only says there’s still hope left for some of those rejected from many of these schools.</p>
<p>Further, as LogicWarrior states, and as I’ve read many times on the MIT threads, one good reason a talented math/science/engineering candidate would want to go to MIT is the large concentration of talented individuals to be around. I know that having met some of the most talented people I did meet has probably been the singular biggest cause for my growth in college. Being around motivated people has an intrinsic charm. There are many places with motivated people, but some institutes have a reputation for having an especially high concentration, and it only makes sense to me that these do admissions based on talent and talent only, weeding out only those with chronic flaws (e.g. being prone to theft, violence) which would otherwise hurt the school’s student population.</p>