Tests aren’t all the rage these days. Meritocracy isn’t either. Neither, really, is school — at least, not the conventional kind. These days, educational institutions appear to be ideological training grounds that are set against the backdrop provided by outdated academics. MIT, however, has made a remarkable transition to the old school.
The famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology previously rejected any standardizing testing in admissions. It announced on March 28th that it would be reinstituting the ACT/SAT requirement.
An article from the MIT News Office outlines the changes.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic which prevented high schoolers safe from taking the exams, the Institute decided to suspend its requirement for the 2020-2021 period.
But now there’s “safe, effective pediatric vaccination” for the coronavirus as well as “free in-school SAT” and “digital SAT.”
The repeal is perhaps more relevant than the fact that testing actually works.
According to Stuart Schmill, Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services Stuart Schmill’s research shows that standardized tests play an important role in assessing applicants’ academic readiness.
Some pepper is woken up by:
[Dean Stuart] says the standardized exams are most helpful for assisting the admissions office in identifying socioeconomically disadvantaged students who are well-prepared for MIT’s challenging education, but who don’t have the opportunity to take advanced coursework, participate in expensive enrichment programs, or otherwise enhance their college applications.
From the horse’s mouth:
“Our research has shown that, in most cases, we cannot reliably predict students will do well at MIT unless we consider standardized test results alongside grades, coursework, and other factors. These results have been statistically stable and robust over time. And the math component of the testing turns out to be most important.”
These ideas are sure to offend many. After all, we’re increasingly informed that any sort of meritocracy is a racist myth — see “College Schools Students and Staff on Microaggressions’ ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’ and the ‘Myth of Meritocracy’.”
In the fall, Google workers were trained on the “white supremacy” of the “meritocracy myth”:
A Google DEI Lead created an internal document called “Anti-racism resources,” containing readings and racial-consciousness exercises. One graphic claims that “colorblindness,” “Columbus Day,” “weaponized whiteness,” and “Make America Great Again” are “covert white supremacy.” pic.twitter.com/kLIc5JZu8U
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) September 8, 2021
More broadly, according to the Smithsonian, the notion that “hard work is the key to success” is an “aspect and [assumption]” of whiteness:
The National Museum of African American History & Culture wants to make you aware of certain signs of whiteness: Individualism, hard work, objectivity, the nuclear family, progress, respect for authority, delayed gratification, more. (via @RpwWilliams)https://t.co/k9X3u4Suas pic.twitter.com/gWYOeEh4vu
— Byron York (@ByronYork) July 15, 2020
Yet, MIT’s use of scoring will persist.
Stuart spoke highly of the value of mathematics merit
“An MIT education combines deeply analytic thinking with creative hands-on problem-solving to prepare students to solve the toughest problems in the world. The General Institute Requirements require that first-years take at least two semesters of calculus. All students must pass the Advanced Standing Examination to place in either calculus or physics. However, those who fail to place out of Physics are also required take a diagnostic math test. There is no MIT pathway without a solid foundation in math, mediated through many quantitative exams. So, in a way, it is not surprising that the SAT/ACT math exams are predictive of success at MIT; it would be more surprising if they weren’t.”
The College Fix noted that Steven Hayward (UC Berkeley) has a unique teaching style. NotThe reverse is explained in a woke way, but it also involves archenemies.
“I have a hunch that MIT’s decision was driven by competitive pressure, namely, that its arch-rival for science supremacy in academia — CalTech — might start to leave MIT conspicuously behind if MIT continued down the road to politically correct admissions practices. CalTech has never embraced affirmative action admission dogma, and hence has a larger Asian student body than peer universities.”
What percentage of wakefulness will the competition restore? It remains to be determined. But don’t misunderstand — MIT’s still aboard a train headed for wokeville:
MIT Boots Science Professor After His Intriguing View on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
https://t.co/z589oHbmRv— RedState (@RedState) October 7, 2021
For now, however, the school’s choo-choosing merit.
We may be able see the good side even if CalTech or MIT stop achieving great results in the near future.
China is eating our STEM field lunch, but at least there’s “Ecofeminism”
https://t.co/ka2uHm3awp— RedState (@RedState) August 12, 2021
-ALEX
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