Does "no personal information" extend to education? Because putting "Harvard" or "Yale" on your resume (assuming that's where you went) isn't materally different from putting MENSA on there. It's touting an aspect of your background and capability. The MENSA thing might even be more pure -- mentioning your alma mater might only be touting your parents' bank account.
I find it ironic, too (wait, maybe just coincidental...?) that in a business where we spend so much time glorifying athletic talent and distinguishing between them that got it and them that don't, or to what degree, that we would be so uncomfortable acknowledging degrees of intelligence. That's my gripe with high school sports coverage -- we turn a school's jocks into heroes while the smart kids still get stuck with "nerd" and "wonk" labels. We've got some kids who try to avoid being seen as smart, because it might ostracize them. But no one makes athletes embarrassed about their innate skills.
So . . . if you were captain of a Big Ten team and you're trying to carve out a sportswriting career, would you put that on your resume, to show you were a sports insider, not just a fan-boy with writing ability? Same thing then. Personal information.
