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<p>I agree that any kid who feels this way would not be a welcome member of any college community. Based on what Hanna says though, there are plenty of kids who do feel this way, yet through the magic of editing, college admissions officers are none the wiser. My gripe is with the essays and the weight that it is given in determining whether a student is a good fit.</p>
<p>Writing “my classmates are trivial” would be a red flag for me. At the very least, expressing yourself this way does show some lack of social graces.</p>
<p>If they had written it in such a way that they were saying they wanted to go to a college where people were passionate about learning or had serious goals, something positive, then it wouldn’t be a red flag.</p>
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<p>I had few similar incidents with helping directionally challenged/sheltered college classmates and friends of friends as a 17 year old college freshman. </p>
<p>Instead of getting frustrated and telling him to NEVER CALL HIM AGAIN, I felt it was more efficient in the longer term to teach basic map reading and navigation skills those classmates and friends of friends…all of whom were 1-2 years older than myself. </p>
<p>A weekend of doing so while hanging around a college town or going/driving into a neighboring town/city was more than enough to get them to the point where they can confidently navigate their way around, maintain their sense of adventure, and not call me up constantly after the second-third week of freshman year. </p>
<p>Telling someone off like that for something due to their lack of experience, especially when they’re much younger than you was a bit too harsh IMO. Especially considering the roommate was much younger at 15 and grew up in a small town. A bit more empathic understanding and forbearance would have been a better approach.</p>
<p>I’m also from NYC and I never drove before or during college.</p>
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<p>As opposed to what other means? Surely you’re not one of those scores-uber-alles types; I would hope not.</p>
<p>Does anyone know the answers to the questions that I raised about Asperger’s Syndrome and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as it is related to private universities (post #1103)?</p>
<p>I don’t pretend to know anything about Asperger’s or the ADA, but found it of note that this article indicated that there was a higher-than-anticipated incidence of this among MIT students / alumni. If such is the case, it is “ok” for MIT to want to limit the number of students of this type, especially insofar as they cause special burdens for professors, roommates, and so forth? And as I type this - would I say the same thing about, say, students who had epilepsy or were blind or required wheelchairs? I don’t know the answer to any of this.
[Could</a> the Way We Mate and Marry Boost Rates of Autism? | TIME.com](<a href=“http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/19/could-the-way-we-mate-and-marry-boost-rates-of-autism/]Could”>Could the Way We Mate and Marry Boost Rates of Autism? | TIME.com)</p>
<p>QM - yes, Aspergers is covered under the ADA if it is severe enough to substantially limit one or more major life activities. Specifically regarding education, [Disability</a> Discrimination](<a href=“http://www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/ocr/disability.html]Disability”>Disability Discrimination)</p>
<p>Google. Asp was to be removed from the next edition of the DSM iv. Believe it’s right about now.</p>
<p>I don’t think it was really removed. Wasn’t it just included under autism spectrum disorder instead of having a standalone diagnosis?</p>
<p>^To be fair, the statement about Aspergers at MIT are based on so-called “seductive anecdotes,” not data. And they don’t give a number.</p>
<p>AS students don’t burden their classmates and many college professors shows signs of AS.</p>
<p>AS students are most likely to be very quiet in class, in the back of the room and away from everyone else and are more at risk to be bullied.</p>
<p>They don’t suffer fools well though.</p>
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I have to admit I am, a little, actually. I’m used to being a public figure – I’m one of not very many people on CC who is indelibly associated with my real name and all my personal details, and I accept that this is the way things are. But I am not the internet’s official apologist for Marilee Jones or for the MIT admissions office more generally.</p>
<p>Sorry, Mollie, did not mean to do that.</p>
<p>However, I hope that you might join me on the old MIT forum just briefly–with regard to the remark about the applicants being “only vaguely human.” You have nothing to apologize for in that regard. But I do hope that you find it no more acceptable than I do.</p>
<p>I have been persuaded that censorship is bad, but that the cure for “bad” speech is more speech. I would not mind some company over on the MIT forum, for anyone who feels similarly. Or, anyone who thinks it is just a joke, and it’s ok, is welcome, too.</p>
<p>And actually, Mollie, I wasn’t asking you to defend MIT’s policies, just a factual question of whether you thought there was a carryover of philosophy, or whether it had changed. Perhaps you are not that tied in to MIT Admissions, to know.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I have no idea who you are, nor do I plan to look you up.</p>
<p>So, as lookingforward suggested, I have posted my objection to characterizing applicants as “only vaguely human” on the MIT thread where it showed up. I objected when it was first posted. No one else did at the time. I am hopeful that a few posters will comment, even though it is an old thread (close to three years old now).</p>
<p>The location is: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/massachusetts-institute-technology/888978-why-he-rejected-7.html?highlight=why+was+he+rejected[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/massachusetts-institute-technology/888978-why-he-rejected-7.html?highlight=why+was+he+rejected</a></p>
<p>Not holding my breath, though. (Probably luckily for me.)</p>
<p>^It’s actually an excellent thread with some well-argued positions relevant to this debate. Mathboy’s responses are very articulate.</p>
<p>But posting on another thread is not what was meant. Why not contact MIT? As opposed to looking for poster views? Go for the real impact. Not more discussion.</p>
<p>First time wading through MIT blogs and CC threads…</p>
<p>QM & collegealum: bless you</p>
<p>Mathboy absolutely blows me away</p>
<p>QM, suppose someone “official” at MIT says - oh, ouch, that was a poor choice of words. Now what? It still doesn’t change the point that MIT wants people to build the MziT community, not just hole up and not interact with others. And it doesn’t change the point that they don’t see fit to auto-admit certain students you perceive as brilliant and/or have won certain awards.</p>