In 1869, the path to entering the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) looked quite different from today’s rigorous application process. Recently, a Reddit user unearthed an old MIT entrance exam from June 1869, sparking curiosity and conversation online. The post, which garnered over 37,000 upvotes, ignited debate about the difficulty of the exam in comparison to modern standards.
MIT, renowned for its top-tier engineering, mathematics, and science programs, is now notoriously challenging to get into, boasting an acceptance rate of just 4%. However, this 155-year-old exam paper seemed surprisingly straightforward to many modern-day viewers. Several Reddit users admitted they found the algebra questions unexpectedly easy, while others expressed surprise at the simplicity. One Redditor humorously stated, “These aren’t an, ‘If you can do these, we want you’; these are an ‘If you CAN’T do these, don’t even bother to reply!”
The discussion highlighted the evolution of education and the increasing complexity of STEM fields. One user noted, “These days this is middle school-level math for future engineers. My daughter is working on this kind of thing at this moment in the first month of 7th grade. Nowadays, this would be appropriate for weeding out kids for an advanced math/science-focused high school, not for one of the world’s top engineering colleges.” Another user pointed out that the shared exam might be just the algebra section, and there could be more challenging sections such as calculus.
Despite the perceived ease of the 1869 exam, many users expressed a sense of nostalgia and a hint of regret. “It’s Good to know that I could have joined MIT in 1870,” one user quipped. Another said, “These are surprisingly easy. I didn’t actually solve them, but there is nothing here I don’t know how to solve, and I only have high-school-level math from decades ago.”
It’s important to note that while MIT is a prestigious institution, it is not part of the Ivy League, a group of eight prestigious private research universities in the Northeastern United States. These Ivy League schools are known for their academic excellence, competitive admissions, and high social standing.
This glimpse into MIT’s past entrance exam offers a fascinating perspective on the evolution of education and the changing landscape of higher education. It sparks thought-provoking questions about the value of challenging standardized tests and the ever-increasing pressure on students to excel in a competitive academic environment.
