[akomtu]

4.0 GPA isn't what they are looking for. Rich kids have the money, but not talent. Poor kids have talent, but not money. MIT and the like is a place where the two can meet and work together. They don't need a high GPA, they need a seriously gifted student.

[drillsteps5]

Can you clarify what you mean by "gifted" student? How is the "giftedness" measured, aside from GPA, SAT/ACT? I mean there's also extracurriculars, but there's usually a strong correlation between high GPA/SAT and strong extracurriculars. Or maybe I misunderstood your point.

[akomtu]

GPA/SAT tell how good you are at following instructions: learning mildly complex material and applying it to a variant of a well known problem. It's a measure of fitness for white collar workers. What MIT is looking for is outstanding ability to create something new, something that those white collar workers with good GPAs cannot come up with. This kind of talent shows in various hobby projects that have a potential to become something big.