<p>if someone not very smart got into MIT. Is it a good news or a disaster?</p>
<p>what does it matter. it either means the admissions office made a mistake or the person is actually smarter than you think and has several other redeeming qualities as well</p>
<p>Given the admissions process, it's hard to imagine a "dumb" person (as this is what you are insinuating) getting into MIT. However, 25% of the people that go to MIT fall below the average SAT/ACT/GPA scores, so if you mean "not smart" in that sense, it's not really a big deal. </p>
<p>By some miracle if a "dumb" person got into MIT, I would not complain, it is a fantastic opportunity for that person that I hope they take advantage of.</p>
<p>It's funny that you made this thread. Because even if I get in, I would worry if I could survive at a school like MIT. Yeah.. i might be the top in my class, and have really good SAT scores, but so does EVERYONE at MIT. Why would I want to go if I was just going to graduate last in my class?</p>
<p>While MIT is my dream school, that is the only thing that worries me. But first thing's first... (getting in)</p>
<p>I agree completely with MITh0p3ful. Same situation, too. I really hope the people who get the opportunity to excel at MIT use it and use it well!</p>
<p>I'm not that bright and I got in. I think the point is they are trying to build a class with more than a one-dimensional characteristic of "smartness." Who knows, maybe I'll get smart when I'm there, albeit I seriously doubt it.</p>
<p>^ You will be.</p>
<p>I read that MIT doesn't rank, so I wouldn't think there'd be much public humiliation if you graduated "last" in your MIT class, right? ^^;</p>
<p>Social norms about what constitutes "smart" evolves in time?</p>
<p>Obviously the experienced adcom thought the applicant would survive the
rigors of an MIT education. </p>
<p>carbon--> diamond ....just various grades of clarity?</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Yeah, I am one of those not very smart people who got into MIT....
Now this thread got me worried about graduating last of the class...
Just got a likely letter from Cornell Engineering, but I doubt my parents would let me go there instead of MIT....
Are there any MIT survival guide out there?</p>
<p>I really can't think of anyone at MIT who is truly "not very smart". Most people I knew weren't earth-shattering geniuses, but everybody was very smart.</p>
<p>I graduated from MIT quite a bit smarter than I was when I got there.</p>
<p>hey, moliebatmit, since you graduated from MIT, you are probably very familiar with the RSI program. How would the average MIT students compare to people who attended the RSI summer program?</p>
<p>I personally felt that RSI students were smarter than the average MIT student. After all, most of us didn't do research in high school at all, let alone in a highly selective summer program with top faculty members.</p>
<p>I'd agree. RSI peeps are impressively smart, from my experience.</p>
<p>IMHO:</p>
<p>One thing I want to say is that I feel that quantifying smartness seems to me to be a really useless excercise. I personally feel that people use words "omg genius" and say "this person is smarter than that person" to often. Smartness is really an intangible quality that you cannot quantify. </p>
<p>Honestly the only thing that matters is not how smart you are, but what you can DO with what you GOT.</p>
<p>In the admissions process, they look at people's grades, EC's, classes, projects, pursuits, etc. So, they base their decision on these facts of your performance. MIT has time and time again admitted people who perform better than perhaps other people who are "smarter." I know plenty of people, especially at my school, that had sky high SAT scores but got rejected over other students from the same school who had lower SAT scores but far more academic succes (the higher SAT performing students failed to apply themselves).</p>
<p>Do they ask for an IQ test? no.</p>
<p>To the OP: you were admitted because of your credentials, which proved that you are not only a great fit for MIT, but that your are capable of thriving in such a place. However smart you think you are is almost irrelevant; you've have already done things that demonstrate a high capacity for success and prowess. </p>
<p>I mean...smartness just seems so fluffy to me. It's been proven that even IQ tests are very reliable; a persons IQ varies greatly depending upon which test you take, and legendary physicists such as Richard Feynman who did truly ground-breaking and genius like contributions only scored around 120, which would be smart, but not "genius" by any standards. ANd yet, Feynman is thought to be one of the great physicists of all time.</p>
<p>Guys, guys, that's why smart people exist! To help us "normal" people with our psets.</p>
<p>It's easy to get here and be like, "shnikes, I am stupid. Why am I here?" But you know what? You're at freakin' MIT. You are smart, whether you like it or not. Maybe you can't do your physics pset to save your life, but maybe you're a beast at getting people organized, and start some cool project to get Girl Scouts interested in science. Or whatever. Smartness isn't all about school.</p>
<p>And if you're worried about grades? There will be people living next to you who can own in the face whatever class you're worried about, and they'll help you! It'll be awesome!</p>
<p>Also it is possible to get A's and not be crazy-crazy smart. I speak from experience, yo.</p>
<p>Quote by Nato:
"Honestly the only thing that matters is not how smart you are, but what you can DO with what you GOT."</p>
<p>Actually, how wuld MIT know an applicant's background? If an applicant is from Shelby Town Georgia, how would MIT be familiar with this town's school system? It doesn't make sense as there are about 50 million towns with about two high schools each.</p>
<p>You'd be surprised -- they're pretty familiar with a large number of schools and towns, since it does happen to be their job. If they're not familiar with a school, they'll make sure they get familiar with it, which often happens through information guidance counselors send about the school.</p>