Re: Best Computer School?

[Patrick May <pjm@spe.com>]

Rick Osborne writes:
 > At 12:32 PM 1/28/97 -0500, Derek Atkins wrote:
 > >This is really exagerating.  You do not need a 4.0, 1600, etc. to be
 > >admitted to MIT.  Sure, you need good grades, but a 3.6 average and
 > >1350-1400 SAT scores is perfectly adequate to be admitted to MIT.
 > 
 > I disagree and can speak from experience.  I was denied admission to MIT
 > even thought I had a 3.82 GPA, 1440 SAT (one try), and had taken 9 AP tests
 > with two 5's, four 4's, two 3's, and one 2.  As for being well-rounded, I
 > was on several academic teams, sang in Chorus, acted and stage managed in
 > Drama, and played Tennis.

     I have a degree from MIT and got in with marks only slightly
higher than these.  My verbal SAT was actually higher than my math.

 > The only thing I didn't have that the next MIT applicant had was money.  I
 > made the mistake of letting them know that I was dirt poor and would need
 > full aid/grants/etc, and to quote "The Great Escape" it was "Zzzt! To the
 > Russian front!"

     This is an incorrect conclusion.  I'm replying publicly to your
message because I would hate for a kid with ability and little or no
money to give up on getting into MIT without trying.  I grew up on a
small farm in Maine and got zero financial help for college from my
folks.  The financial aid people at Tech assured me that, if I were
admitted, they would come up with a package of grants, scholarships,
and loans to make the nut.  With me working through school, they did.
I've just finished retiring the $45k+ debt.

 > MIT may be a great school, but they tend to be snooty assholes for the most
 > part.  (DISCLAIMER: Not all MIT grads/attendees are necessarily "snooty
 > assholes", I'm just saying that I've yet to meet one that wasn't.)

     I've been accused of being an asshole on more than one occasion
(although never snooty).  I think it's more a matter of temperament
than anything Tech did to me, though.

Regards,

pjm