It's not where you go to school; it's what's in your head.
Reagan displayed at a great deal of intellectual curiosity in depth with regard to public policy questions long before he ran for president. Have you read transcripts of his radio shows? They are on par with the best of W.F. Buckley's writings.
Well I am not a Reagan scholar, but the MSM line on RR was very similar to SP. Reagan had been a governor longer and the MSM was not nearly as partisan, but things like
“Killer trees!!!” by Jim Brady mocking some RR statement
“in RR’s deepest thought, you couldn’t get your ankles wet”
and so on
My recollection is very much opposed to yours. RR was in many ways similar but he was 65 when he ran the first time.
Honestly, it is incredulous anyone would say he was an intellectual