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While the point behind posting these entrance exams is often to make a commentary on a decline in education standards, I'd suggest that it really shows nothing
by cge 12y ago
While the point behind posting these entrance exams is often to make a commentary on a decline in education standards, I'd suggest that it really shows nothing of the sort. The exam is, in fact, rather easy and simplistic, and only seems difficult because of different priorities.
The grasp of Latin and Greek required for the language portions is minimal. This is particularly the case because, for the translation portions, all vocabulary is provided, including words that should be instinctively known by anyone with any grasp of the languages (esse in the first question!? καἰ?). Any foreign language test today would be significantly more difficult.
The mathematics section looks intimidating only because it involves dealing with difficult numbers by hand. There are specific techniques that would have been taught to work through such problems efficiently, but teaching them now isn't particularly useful. Conversely, the more conceptual and abstract questions are very simple: asking what a prime number is? Asking why exponents are added under multiplication?
The history and geography section, meanwhile, is mainly concerned with regurgitation of facts covering very narrow sections of the subject. Perhaps the question asking for the difference between Athens and Sparta could allow some deeper discussion, but most do not.
Overall, the test is focused on questions about specific topics requiring memorization rather than questions testing deeper insight and understanding. It's not something that should be looked back on as some product of a better age.
- simon_ 12y agoWhat you're saying is only true if you assume the existence of a modern test-prep mentality. Do the applicants know in advance which facts they will be asked to regurgitate, or do they need to understand a wide variety of material at this level of detail? Also, I really do not agree that the math sections are easy. Students applying for non-quantitative majors are definitely not required to be able to produce non-trivial geometric proofs like this.
- kbart 12y agoNearly all of these math problems were covered in my math curriculum between 7 and 11th grades and are really not hard if you have practiced it before. Actually, the only part of this exam I find difficult is geography, because it requires to have memorized many minor facts (something I find nearly useless in the days of Internet). I guess it depends on your country and education system.
- L_Rahman 12y agoI personally found the mathematical section to be a little too easy if possible. Any of the students from the top 10% of my 8th grade class would see those questions and start knocking them off. To be fair to Harvard, it's never prided itself of being an institution dedicated to the practical application of mathematics or engineering. I suppose it's why I turned down their offer to attend.
- mathetic 12y agoI never quite understood why people take pride in what they reject unless it is turning down bribery, refusing to relapse, etc. It's a shame really, you rejected Harvard but did not go too far away from the place with the attitude.
- L_Rahman 12y agoIt's something that I find myself wondering about as well, and the fact that I bring it up suggests that I haven't quite moved past it. In the undergraduate program that I actually attended, the schools we had turned down was a bit of a badge of honor. A testament if you will, to how much respect we had for the program we were attending - my peers and I turned down some pretty big names to do what we did. In retrospect however, it reflects our insecurity with that choice. Outside of our selected niche, those names still garner the most prestige, get the best job offers, are in the news most often, etc.
- akhilcacharya 12y agoHow subtle.