Best paths in HS to make average intelligence kids stand out?

[Anonymous]

My second child was like this and is thriving as a student athlete at a mid size university. He leaned into leadership things his senior year in HS, too late for college apps, but it shaped his experience and bolstered his confidence. Your kid doesn’t need to be anything other than what they are to find a path to success. We also did a lot of volunteer work and travel. He’s been exposed to a lot, and gets a long with a very diverse groups of folks.

[Anonymous]

OP, you should rethink your premise - the need to "stand out". They will get into college. They will get into a good college.

[Anonymous]

Bribe the coach to recruit for a non revenue sport.

[Anonymous]

First, relax on the ‘competition’. ‘The world is run by B and C students’ as my husbands B school prof liked to tell them. EQ counts for a lot more than people want to admit. I know plenty of absolutely brilliant people who can’t make it in the real working world.

Athleticism is great. I’d work that angle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bribe the coach to recruit for a non revenue sport.

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Give me some tips that helped your more average intelligence kids stand out amongst gifted/super high IQ kids for college admissions!

We are in an incredibly competitive area- parents across the board are CEOs, surgeons, etc!

Kid has 10/10 people skills and possibility of athletic scholarship.

Need context to provide advice.

Year, sport, skill level, grades/test scores, etc. Once we have those we can help. But if you are looking for T20 and D3 High Academic schools it doesn't happen for "average Intelligence" kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give me some tips that helped your more average intelligence kids stand out amongst gifted/super high IQ kids for college admissions!

We are in an incredibly competitive area- parents across the board are CEOs, surgeons, etc!

Kid has 10/10 people skills and possibility of athletic scholarship.

Need context to provide advice.

Year, sport, skill level, grades/test scores, etc. Once we have those we can help. But if you are looking for T20 and D3 High Academic schools it doesn't happen for "average Intelligence" kids.

Do you have any idea how pathetic you look?

[Anonymous]

My average-intelligence kids did great with college admissions. You have to pick schools where their grades are a fit, or very slightly below average. Then, i would say sports (for one) and volunteering (for another) made my kids very strong applicants. Everyone plays sports, and everyone volunteers. Those activities alone won't make you stand out. But my kids had demonstrated a lot of leadership in these areas, with very focused involvement across all four years. I think it helped. Both mentioned these things in their essays, but as part of broader themes. (You're encouraged not to write about your activities, since those are listed elsewhere in the Common App.)

[Anonymous]

The gifted students are about 1% of the student population. Your kids are in the majority where there are plenty of colleges. Nothing to worry about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My average-intelligence kids did great with college admissions. You have to pick schools where their grades are a fit, or very slightly below average. Then, i would say sports (for one) and volunteering (for another) made my kids very strong applicants. Everyone plays sports, and everyone volunteers. Those activities alone won't make you stand out. But my kids had demonstrated a lot of leadership in these areas, with very focused involvement across all four years. I think it helped. Both mentioned these things in their essays, but as part of broader themes. (You're encouraged not to write about your activities, since those are listed elsewhere in the Common App.)

OP, this is your answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give me some tips that helped your more average intelligence kids stand out amongst gifted/super high IQ kids for college admissions!

We are in an incredibly competitive area- parents across the board are CEOs, surgeons, etc!

Kid has 10/10 people skills and possibility of athletic scholarship.

Need context to provide advice.

Year, sport, skill level, grades/test scores, etc. Once we have those we can help. But if you are looking for T20 and D3 High Academic schools it doesn't happen for "average Intelligence" kids.

Even with a high gpa and top ranked school? Test scores will likely be better than average but not competitive for this area or against classmates.

[Anonymous]

What does your kid want? The fact that area is competitive with high achieving parents is beside the point. This isn’t a contest between parents.

Is your child interested in going to an elite school? Everything in life has an opportunity cost. If she wants to go to a “top” school, she’ll have to sacrifice opportunities for fun now to work on academics, sports, extracurriculars, with no guarantees. Moreover, colleges that are looking for “gifted/super high IQ” kids may be harder for her to shine in. If your child wants to compete for a spot at one of the elite institutions, her counselor can advise her on strategies, but if your daughter wants to go to the local state school, that’s great, too. Success is what works best for your daughter, not what impresses other parents.

I think the college application should be reframed not as a race to get into the “best” schools, but to find the best match for each child. Average intelligence is in no way deficient and strong people skills can be as powerful and important as a super high IQ. I believe that most colleges (assuming they’re accredited) can provide any student (gifted or not) with a solid education and more opportunities than anyone can take advantage of. Moreover, I think that even for the standout star achievers, with the applicant pool far surpassing the number of seats available, admissions to the top colleges basically comes down to a lottery, unless someone has a huge hook. The rest of those academic stars will end up at the many other fine (if somewhat less prestigious colleges) across the country and will still have a great college experience and successful career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give me some tips that helped your more average intelligence kids stand out amongst gifted/super high IQ kids for college admissions!

We are in an incredibly competitive area- parents across the board are CEOs, surgeons, etc!

Kid has 10/10 people skills and possibility of athletic scholarship.

Need context to provide advice.

Year, sport, skill level, grades/test scores, etc. Once we have those we can help. But if you are looking for T20 and D3 High Academic schools it doesn't happen for "average Intelligence" kids.

Do you have any idea how pathetic you look?

You have a low EQ. That’s what people are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does your kid want? The fact that area is competitive with high achieving parents is beside the point. This isn’t a contest between parents.

Is your child interested in going to an elite school? Everything in life has an opportunity cost. If she wants to go to a “top” school, she’ll have to sacrifice opportunities for fun now to work on academics, sports, extracurriculars, with no guarantees. Moreover, colleges that are looking for “gifted/super high IQ” kids may be harder for her to shine in. If your child wants to compete for a spot at one of the elite institutions, her counselor can advise her on strategies, but if your daughter wants to go to the local state school, that’s great, too. Success is what works best for your daughter, not what impresses other parents.

I think the college application should be reframed not as a race to get into the “best” schools, but to find the best match for each child. Average intelligence is in no way deficient and strong people skills can be as powerful and important as a super high IQ. I believe that most colleges (assuming they’re accredited) can provide any student (gifted or not) with a solid education and more opportunities than anyone can take advantage of. Moreover, I think that even for the standout star achievers, with the applicant pool far surpassing the number of seats available, admissions to the top colleges basically comes down to a lottery, unless someone has a huge hook. The rest of those academic stars will end up at the many other fine (if somewhat less prestigious colleges) across the country and will still have a great college experience and successful career.

Not interested in Ivy or Elite school by any means! Just a well ranked one- strong state school or strong private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does your kid want? The fact that area is competitive with high achieving parents is beside the point. This isn’t a contest between parents.

Is your child interested in going to an elite school? Everything in life has an opportunity cost. If she wants to go to a “top” school, she’ll have to sacrifice opportunities for fun now to work on academics, sports, extracurriculars, with no guarantees. Moreover, colleges that are looking for “gifted/super high IQ” kids may be harder for her to shine in. If your child wants to compete for a spot at one of the elite institutions, her counselor can advise her on strategies, but if your daughter wants to go to the local state school, that’s great, too. Success is what works best for your daughter, not what impresses other parents.

I think the college application should be reframed not as a race to get into the “best” schools, but to find the best match for each child. Average intelligence is in no way deficient and strong people skills can be as powerful and important as a super high IQ. I believe that most colleges (assuming they’re accredited) can provide any student (gifted or not) with a solid education and more opportunities than anyone can take advantage of. Moreover, I think that even for the standout star achievers, with the applicant pool far surpassing the number of seats available, admissions to the top colleges basically comes down to a lottery, unless someone has a huge hook. The rest of those academic stars will end up at the many other fine (if somewhat less prestigious colleges) across the country and will still have a great college experience and successful career.

Not interested in Ivy or Elite school by any means! Just a well ranked one- strong state school or strong private.

That’s what I thought. They’ll find the right fit.