I guess I have no brains then, despite a BSEE from MIT... (that means I got my Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in case you don't understand).

Yes, there is some nepotism but there also is a meritocracy. Believe it or not, both can exist.

For example, at Harvard, Yale, etc., while there are some legacy slots, most of the students had to compete based on standardized test scores, grades, extracurriculars, etc.

Several of my friends were the first in the family to go to college or were children of poor immigrants, but because they were brilliant and driven, they got in.

A friend of mine at MIT was a Polish immigrant with an IQ of 180. Another friend was a black kid who grew up on welfare who was the best lab partner I ever had.

Maybe things have changed, but when I went to MIT, it was mostly a meritocracy. And since most of the classes were graded with a C center, you could easily flunk out regardless of your legacy status.