exchange between Helen and Portia

The exchange between Helen and Portia at the diner table actually portrays the continuous heated debates regarding intelligence. What can be the definite measure of intelligence and what types of people are considered to be "smart" or scholarly? Every year, prestigious colleges and universities in the United States are picking out whom they consider to be "well-rounded" enough to succeed at their schools. American colleges and universities are only among the few in the world that use "well-rounded" standard of measurement to pick their students. Helen conveys in her exchange with Portia that even one of the world greatest universities, Oxford, uses a single test score to define their student body. It is evidenced that to Oxford and to institutions like Oxford, performance on standardized tests defines intelligence. Or in other words, one's intelligence is defined by the result of one's math test, and the academic performance is the define measure of one's intelligence level. For Portia and for institutions like Princeton, one's ability to succeed depends on multiple factors. One has to be book smart, art smart, life smart, and so on. Well-rounded students define Princeton's student body. The point of the debate between Portia and Helen is not to identify which system is better but it is to understand the debate that existed and knowing that there is no definite or one-size fits all answer to define intelligence and student. Helen even comments that it is yet to see which system works better. This shows that people do not know which system works better and what could be used to measure intelligence. What the author tries to convey is that admission does not have perfect formula or goggle that enables them to see the future and determines who would do well or who will not. Even with the American "well-rounded" system, many intelligences are kept out.