This post kind of confuses me. Are you saying the prestigious schools are the only ones that test beyond regurgitation? If so then that is a large assumption. It seems the level of critical thinking would depend on alot of things, such as major. As an engineer, all I really do is think critically. That wouldn't be true for someone like a bio major.
Since you seem to care so much about background I'll give you mine. I am a biomedical engineer at UT austin with a 3.98. I could've gone to johns hopkins for undergrad but I felt I fit better at UT.
I'm glad you asked.
Here's why tests at harder schools are based more on a critical thinking approach:
When you test in a regurgitation style, there is an upper limit to performance.
That limit is set by memorizing all material.
Many students at more selective schools are capable of memorizing all material, and therefore, getting similar scores on the tests.
This is due to the curriculum in high school, that is based mostly on memorization. And, since college admission is based on high school performance, and the SAT (a memorization based test, that, ironically, used to be correlated to IQ, before they changed it), you get a roughly homogenous -- performance wise -- distribution of students at different schools, aligned by their academic abilities in a memorization-based capacitance.
When you establish a grade curve, you are setting strict numbers on how many students achieve certain grades.
Hence, when you have a grade curve requirement, you must set the bar on the test in a way that creates a standard distribution.
Therefore, you MUST test in a way that is not regurgitative.
Hence, harder schools have harder exams.
This isn't hearsay. It's a fact.
Why is it that medical schools test in a critical thinking style? Well, that should be obvious, by now.
The point I'm alluding to is that preparation for -- and success in -- medical school depends in no small part on preparation through experience with critical thinking style exams.
And full circle: going to a hard school, and not majoring in an easy subject, prepares you for the rigors of medical school.
If you think that I don't have experience with medical students, you're sadly mistaken.
Further, is it some mystery beyond the scope of human intelligence what board and step exams are, and what types of questions they ask?
Absolutely not.
Scary logic there man. I see what you are getting at, and in general, I may agree. But your opinion on school hierarchy as fact is a tad bit disconcerting. A major part of learning depends on the professors one seeks out. Maybe it's harder to find "easy" profs at harder schools, not debating that, but you can and will find professors who force critical thinking at state schools. I sure as heck did, and am willing to put what I learned against any other student and say I'm competitive in knowledge base and critical thinking.
