Comments on: All Souls: The toughest test you’ll ever take

By: James Smith

James Smith — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:34:08 +0000

RG, you may find the questions easy; it’s what is thought of your answers that counts. ;)

By: RG

RG — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:37:11 +0000

I find all of those questions easy. But there might be someone out there with better answers.

Nevertheless, this is not and will not be the toughest test I ever see. Maybe I’ll take it for lulz someday.

By: pictureme

pictureme — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:12:35 +0000

Great post – the leader, that is. Since it is “impossible to prepare for these exams” no more time or life or knowledge “that can be usefully applied elsewhere” is “wasted” than a weekend (and weekends are mostly a waste for most people). I am all for inclusivity, (and for sausage-quaffing quests and SUV-lifting contests). But I also want Joe the Plumber WITH a license and a diploma — NOT ‘degree’ from a ‘university’ — and no MENSA membership. Still, should In Praise of the Drain be in disdain of the brain? Certainly, we hurt both plumber and philosopher? As surely, we can be more nuanced than the Great American Middle? P.S. ‘Intellect’ doesn’t rhyme or flow with ‘drain’, hence ‘brain’!

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:04:03 +0000

“Hottest shit around”? These fellowships exclude all science and mathematics and much of the humanities (no languages beyond Latin and Greek, nothing in any oriental history or culture). And perhaps they would be more impressive if they were based on something more than passing exams, such as the original work required for a PhD.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:19:43 +0000

Allright, now I know what to strive for in the next three years.

By: Randall

Randall — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:24:22 +0000

Regarding their lack of a science exam, I believe that any appropriately-trained scientist should probably have enough material to answer questions in the Philosophy test. Perhaps that’s my bias as a biologist; with a few neuropsychology courses under my belt, I feel qualified to at least try and answer the question “Can animals think?” Looking through the other philosophy questions, I could easily pick two and write on them. I’d imagine other fields likewise would have an easy time of it; reading a computer scientist’s impression of language would be quite enlightening. Anyway, just because they don’t have a science test doesn’t mean scientists can’t apply.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:22:05 +0000

I like the concept of this a lot, but is it really worth it? I don’t know much about this college, what has it achieved?

By: Timothy White

Timothy White — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:59:39 +0000

I think Dr Get a Grip completely misses the point of the All Souls fellowship. The fellowship does not tie you down and many actually pursue a non-academic career while holding the 7 year prize fellowship, so they are in many case receiving the grant in addition to a fabulous salary (especially for the lawyers and banker). The academic fellows usually have little trouble gaining further funding from other sources because of the sheer prestige of All Souls. Oh and yes All Souls actually is the hottest shit around.

I think it is an exaggeration to say that Lord Curzon only got in because he worked and revised so hard. He was an incredibly intelligent man and the main reason that he was so embarrassed to get a second was that he had up till then been a star performer and the winner of the major essay prizes attached to his subject.

By: Mr. "I get it"

Mr. "I get it" — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:28:34 +0000

“Smart people have better things to spend my life on.”

(heh, indeed-y!)

By: Trent Waterburg

Trent Waterburg — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:44:57 +0000

What a terrible waste of time and money.