re: How Smart is OT?

Congratulations to FearlessFreep and Rebel. Two true Mensa candidates on the OT. Both of you qualify for Mensa and can join right now with your scores. (The scores in my OP came directly from Mensa's website). Of course, the value of being a member is dubious, but if you like to play scrabble and drink beer with other nerds, you can certainly sign-up and do so.

In case the rest of the board hasn't figured it out: The ACT and SAT used to be IQ tests. They didn't call it that, but it's definitely what they were (and the test companies knew it). Mensa knows it, too.

Sometime around 1990 it became politically incorrect to select college applicants based on IQ alone, so they changed the tests to better reflect prior knowledge and study habits. People didn't appreciate the slacker, class ditching kid scoring a 34 (higher than the valedictorian) and getting scholarship offers when he didn't give a shite about school. (I think all of us have stories about C students or slackers scoring really high on the ACT/SAT). Colleges had a hard time with that. "Hey, Jim, this kid has an IQ of 140 but doesn't give a shite about school. Do we give him a scholly or not?"

The second reason they changed the tests is because certain demographics traditionally scored lower and that didn't "look pretty." (Changing the tests hasn't helped much in that regard, actually).