My friend and MIT

um0123

I have a friend who says he wants to become an engineer, and says the only way he will become a respected engineer is by going to MIT as an ungdergraduate. I told him he is f****ing ridiculous and shouldn't think like that.

Tell me what to tell him to change his mind.

DaleSwanson

I'd find some respected engineers and look up what schools they went to.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_engineers

atyy

West Virginia University
http://web.mit.edu/president/communi...s/profile.html

Pengwuino

The only way you'll become a respected anything is to do well in your field.

ronaldor9

wow what a distorted vision. Only by working hard can one become respected in any field. The list is innumerable of respected scientist that did NOT go to MIT. In addition not all who go to MIT do become respectable in their field.

um0123

thats EXACTLY what i said to him, he says i just dont strive as hard as he does. I want to be a scienctist, of course, but i dont think you have to go to MIT, or Caltech, or any really prestigious school to become respected.

ronaldor9

how is he able to asses that you don't strive as hard as he does? I would'int even bother arguing with a close minded person.

Born2bwire

Quote by ronaldor9

wow what a distorted vision. Only by working hard can one become respected in any field. The list is innumerable of respected scientist that did NOT go to MIT. In addition not all who go to MIT do become respectable in their field.

Heh, you should remind him that the people teaching at MIT are very rarely from MIT themselves. Most universities do not hire their own graduates (and some will not take their own undergraduates for graduate school) in an effort to provide greater academic diversity.

FredGarvin

A good friend of mine went to MIT. He's not an engineer any more.

Your friend obviously has no idea about statistics. Look at how many really cool things have been accomplished by engineers who haven't gone to MIT. I wonder how many MIT grads worked on the moon shots?

feely

Plus, your friend is basically saying that only American engineers are respected.

I know non-Americans can go to to MIT, but the vast majority stay in their own countries.

humanino

In all likelihood, no matter if he goes to MIT, it will not miraculously change him into a good scientist.
His opinion proves him to be a poor scientist already !

rootX

I am assuming

1) He is in high school (edit: needs emphasis)
2) It is relatively hard to get into MIT so you need to do more work

If he wants to go to MIT, he would do hard work which is good. And, his opinions will be refined as time passes by. You don't need to go and change his opinions.

junglebeast

Getting into a school like MIT is 2/3 luck. You need a 4.0 GPA and a lot of interesting qualities, good essays and good recommendations just to be in the running...but there are so many bright people applying these days, that just being motivated and intelligent is not enough. You also need luck.

If your friend is so smart that he's already got published results in peer reviewed journals than maybe he doesn't need luck. But as long as he is just another ordinary student with good marks, good luck..

waht

Money can buy everything, "literately"

wiki:

In 2007, MIT spent $598.3 million for on-campus research.[136][155] The federal government was the largest source of sponsored research, with the Department of Health and Human Services granting $201.6 million, Department of Defense $90.6 million, Department of Energy $64.9 million, National Science Foundation $65.1 million, and NASA $27.9 million.[155] MIT employs approximately 3,500 researchers in addition to faculty. In the 2006 academic year, MIT faculty and researchers disclosed 487 inventions, filed 314 patent applications, received 149 patents, and earned $129.2 million in royalties and other income.

If you throw this money on a regular state univ, then I suspect we would see same results. People are pretty much homogeneous in intelligence. There are of course small fringes of super geniuses, but it cannot account for thousands of students going to MIT every year.

LowlyPion

Quote by um0123

I have a friend who says he wants to become an engineer, and says the only way he will become a respected engineer is by going to MIT as an ungdergraduate. I told him he is f****ing ridiculous and shouldn't think like that.

Tell me what to tell him to change his mind.

Tell him not to despair if he doesn't get in.

There's always Caltech.

rootX

Quote by junglebeast

Getting into a school like MIT is 2/3 luck. You need a 4.0 GPA and a lot of interesting qualities, good essays and good recommendations just to be in the running...but there are so many bright people applying these days, that just being motivated and intelligent is not enough. You also need luck.

If your friend is so smart that he's already got published results in peer reviewed journals than maybe he doesn't need luck. But as long as he is just another ordinary student with good marks, good luck..

As for his friend works hard enough to earn (not necessarily achieves) "4.0 GPA and a lot of interesting qualities, good essays and good recommendations" rather than doing drugs-day dreaming, I guess he should be proud of his friend.

cristo

Quote by rootX

1) He is in high school

Sorry, what did you say? I couldn't quite hear you!

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um0123	My friend and MIT Tweet I have a friend who says he wants to become an engineer, and says the only way he will become a respected engineer is by going to MIT as an ungdergraduate. I told him he is f****ing ridiculous and shouldn't think like that. Tell me what to tell him to change his mind.

DaleSwanson	I'd find some respected engineers and look up what schools they went to. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_engineers

atyy Recognitions: Science Advisor	West Virginia University http://web.mit.edu/president/communi...s/profile.html

Pengwuino Recognitions: Gold Member	My friend and MIT The only way you'll become a respected anything is to do well in your field.

ronaldor9	wow what a distorted vision. Only by working hard can one become respected in any field. The list is innumerable of respected scientist that did NOT go to MIT. In addition not all who go to MIT do become respectable in their field.

FredGarvin Recognitions: Science Advisor	A good friend of mine went to MIT. He's not an engineer any more. Your friend obviously has no idea about statistics. Look at how many really cool things have been accomplished by engineers who haven't gone to MIT. I wonder how many MIT grads worked on the moon shots?

feely	Plus, your friend is basically saying that only American engineers are respected. I know non-Americans can go to to MIT, but the vast majority stay in their own countries.

humanino	In all likelihood, no matter if he goes to MIT, it will not miraculously change him into a good scientist. His opinion proves him to be a poor scientist already !

rootX Blog Entries: 14	I am assuming 1) He is in high school (edit: needs emphasis) 2) It is relatively hard to get into MIT so you need to do more work If he wants to go to MIT, he would do hard work which is good. And, his opinions will be refined as time passes by. You don't need to go and change his opinions.