<p>Emory doesn’t seem to recruit Olympiad people of any discipline (I don’t even know if we get the Intel folks. I know a couple, but not that many, and they’re pre-med). I think it’s difficult to draw people this intense about science and math to a school that is primarily targeting pre-professionals (and thus give them significantly more support than those considering grad. school or a career/job in the arena after Emory), and outside of math and physics, doesn’t offer much opportunities to start at higher level courses beyond the standard introductory courses (which will bore and disappoint such students). For example, many very high ranked schools tier introductory chemistry classes a lot. Many of such schools also allow students to skip both gen. bios if they make a 5. Emory’s gen. bio is not rigorous enough to force students with a 5 or a high HLIB score to take 142. They should be able to move on or an honors course, perhaps taught by someone like Eisen, should be created. I think chem is doing something like this (I think Soria wants to teach like an honors gen. chem that focuses on experimentation. They apparently will do experiments first and then break down the concepts in greater depth than they would in a normal gen. chem course). For these reasons, I wonder how the new Woodruff Research Scholars will receive Emory as it’s science courses are structured now. I mean, if they are pre-med, it means free A’s, but if they are looking for more, it means an academically boring freshman year. They’d better immediately get into a lab and load up on EC’s.</p>
<p>As far as math: I don’t think that Emory students have bad math SAT scores. In fact, they are basically the same or slightly better than Tech’s. And many Emory students also have calculus credit (both AB and BC). It’s just that the math intensive intro. courses here don’t push the students. They teach the courses at the level of like an honors calc. class in HS, which makes no sense given that a majority of students have either taken it, AP, and maybe have even passed the exams (with a 4 or 5). These courses (econ. and calc.) should play a role at getting students very solid at math or at least pushing them to reveal their actual skill level instead of giving them more or less a free ride. It kind of sends the wrong message. I have the idea that if Tech students can do it, so can we. And our classes are smaller, so the C/D/F rate is likely to be significantly lower if. Currently the intro. math/math intensive courses do a disservice to those considering a quantitative career or major to the point where only those with credit should be doing such things.</p>