How important is intelligence for performing well in school?

[Anonymous]

What intelligence is needed to get straight As in AP courses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What intelligence is needed to get straight As in AP courses?

Average or above, as long as the student is motivated and willing to put in the work.

[Anonymous]

Like a PP said, necessary but not sufficient.

I know of someone with an IQ of 142 who barely graduated from high school. They were top in their class until middle school, when the lack of executive functioning from adhd and lack of energy and focus from depression caught up to them. Got some Fs first year of college as well then dropped out. Then decided they wanted to be a lawyer, went back, got all A's and graduated cum laude from a first tier law school. If you are smart, eventually you figure it out. But it can take many years to do so.

[Anonymous]

I think a good memory is important. So hard to do well in school if you can’t remember what you’ve learned recently.

[Anonymous]

I went to HS with someone who had to really spend a lot of time studying (well past midnight nightly), and went to a mid tier university. But then she got into medical school and appears to be a successful OBGYN.

[Anonymous]

Average person needs a basic level of intelligence 100-110 IQ, and solid executive function and organization skills to do well. Those with really high IQs can get by with less solid executive function and organization skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many students and parents say "As are possible if you just work hard", yet so many teachers disagree. Many students who study 5-8 hours per day in high school still get Bs and Cs. Intelligence definitely plays a role, and many students are unable to get top grades.

Depends on the grade level and subject. Maybe by 11th and 12th grade the very smart students will complete assignments and homework in 1/2 the time of a normal student. Though the really smart people do best in grad schools where creativity thinking is required. Most of k-12 and college undergrad is not pushing in to the unknown. It’s just learning what has already been learned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What intelligence is needed to get straight As in AP courses?

112 IQ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to HS with someone who had to really spend a lot of time studying (well past midnight nightly), and went to a mid tier university. But then she got into medical school and appears to be a successful OBGYN.

That's because, for medicine, GPA matters more than undergrad prestige, and medical school demands long hours of studying, and residency demands long hours of working with bad sleep schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many students and parents say "As are possible if you just work hard", yet so many teachers disagree. Many students who study 5-8 hours per day in high school still get Bs and Cs. Intelligence definitely plays a role, and many students are unable to get top grades.

Depends on the grade level and subject. Maybe by 11th and 12th grade the very smart students will complete assignments and homework in 1/2 the time of a normal student. Though the really smart people do best in grad schools where creativity thinking is required. Most of k-12 and college undergrad is not pushing in to the unknown. It’s just learning what has already been learned.

Grad school is mostly exec functioning for a long haul project, not novel ideas.
Creativity is for (some) professional researchers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Average person needs a basic level of intelligence 100-110 IQ, and solid executive function and organization skills to do well. Those with really high IQs can get by with less solid executive function and organization skills.

Where’d you get that idea? A high IQ will never be enough to overcome poor executive functions and organizational skills. Kids with average IQs and excellent executive functioning and organizational skills will have an easier time in school.

[Anonymous]

Necessary but not sufficient.

[Anonymous]

When I was in grad school for my MAEd, I remember someone saying that the "120 over-achievers" were often the best students. I have not seen this idea anywhere else, but I guess the idea is that above average, but not off the charts, intelligence combined with a strong work ethic and EF skills often translates into success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was in grad school for my MAEd, I remember someone saying that the "120 over-achievers" were often the best students. I have not seen this idea anywhere else, but I guess the idea is that above average, but not off the charts, intelligence combined with a strong work ethic and EF skills often translates into success.

That’s me. I tested at 119 and my older brother was in the low 130s. He failed out of college and I have two Master’s degrees. He was lacking the EF skills and drive to finish what he started.

[Anonymous]

If you have both high intelligence and strong EF skills you will likely slide through schooling. You might have to work a bit harder in college/beyond, but it won't be that difficult for you.

But if you can only have one, I think strong EF skills will get you further in life and are therefore more important than high intelligence. Because yes, you can work really hard and still only get Cs and Bs in some classes, but that is still passing. And you can likely still graduate from college, find a good job, and even excel in your given field.

If you have high intelligence but really struggle with EF skills you might not be able to graduate, you might struggle in the workforce, and you will probably struggle with things like financial management and household upkeep.