Is it harder to get a 1500+ on the SAT or pass tryouts for a varsity sports team?

[Anonymous]

My kid got a 1550, made JV, but just couldn’t make varsity. Size issue (too short),

[Anonymous]

It also depends on the sport.

My DC got a 35 on the ACT and has been on varsity track all four years, going to states on relays for 3. Granted, track has more slots, but only 20 or so kids head to states at the end of the season.

That said, DC did not make the freshman soccer team so in that case, the 35 score was easier.

[Anonymous]

I’d imagine many varsity athletes at TJ get 1500+ on their SAT

[Anonymous]

What I really don't understand is you walk into the high schools today and the good athletes are prominently displayed in a Hall of Fame on the wall outside the gym or whatever. Why aren't the good students displayed somewhere? Why isn't the picture of 1998's valedictorian up on the wall like the kid who made all-state in track or football?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I really don't understand is you walk into the high schools today and the good athletes are prominently displayed in a Hall of Fame on the wall outside the gym or whatever. Why aren't the good students displayed somewhere? Why isn't the picture of 1998's valedictorian up on the wall like the kid who made all-state in track or football?

You’re being disingenuous. It’s not that you don’t understand it - it’s simply that you don’t like it.

But the answer is obvious. No one gives a $hit about former (or current) boring, nerdy valedictorians who will almost certainly live boring and uninspiring (possibly well-paid) lives as lawyers or doctors or engineers or accountants.

The athletes are impressive AND they bring joy to other people (they’re fun to watch).

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid1. We have 2 kids who did well academically, scored tops on SATs and went to top schools. One was a multi-sport varsity athlete and one preferred music/singing. Every kid has a different passion and enjoys different things. The trick helping them to find that thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I really don't understand is you walk into the high schools today and the good athletes are prominently displayed in a Hall of Fame on the wall outside the gym or whatever. Why aren't the good students displayed somewhere? Why isn't the picture of 1998's valedictorian up on the wall like the kid who made all-state in track or football?

You’re being disingenuous. It’s not that you don’t understand it - it’s simply that you don’t like it.

But the answer is obvious. No one gives a $hit about former (or current) boring, nerdy valedictorians who will almost certainly live boring and uninspiring (possibly well-paid) lives as lawyers or doctors or engineers or accountants.

The athletes are impressive AND they bring joy to other people (they’re fun to watch).

My school actually put all its National Merit Semifinalists photos up, and I was one, and I was mortified by it! 😂

[Anonymous]

My kid did it in two sports and now plays a single sport at an Ivy (but has been asked to start playing both next year).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid did it in two sports and now plays a single sport at an Ivy (but has been asked to start playing both next year).

Serious question: what do you think this comment is adding to the conversation?

[Anonymous]

Depends on how you look at it. For my kid the varsity achievement was more time consuming and stressful. The SAT was largely his inclination and a slow build of some practice tests. Varsity seemed harder to me but not sure what he'd say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I really don't understand is you walk into the high schools today and the good athletes are prominently displayed in a Hall of Fame on the wall outside the gym or whatever. Why aren't the good students displayed somewhere? Why isn't the picture of 1998's valedictorian up on the wall like the kid who made all-state in track or football?

Our high school has a Hall of Fame with photos of graduates who have made substantial social contributions.

[Anonymous]

Obviously different students have different innate talents. And every school is different. But take a public high school with 2000 students. It will typically take more hours and much more discipline to make the varsity basketball team compared to scoring a 1500 on the SAT.

For varsity basketball players that do have a baseline number of functioning brain cells, if they were to put in the same number of hours into studying for the SAT as they do for basketball, they'll get the 1500. I don't think the reverse is true. Some 1500 kid who is 5'4 is still not making the varsity basketball team no matter how hard they work at it.

It's a very apple to oranges comparison. Most students don't have the physical attributes to be a varsity athlete in the major sports. But most athletes will have the capability to score 1500, with time and studying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obviously different students have different innate talents. And every school is different. But take a public high school with 2000 students. It will typically take more hours and much more discipline to make the varsity basketball team compared to scoring a 1500 on the SAT.

For varsity basketball players that do have a baseline number of functioning brain cells, if they were to put in the same number of hours into studying for the SAT as they do for basketball, they'll get the 1500. I don't think the reverse is true. Some 1500 kid who is 5'4 is still not making the varsity basketball team no matter how hard they work at it.

It's a very apple to oranges comparison. Most students don't have the physical attributes to be a varsity athlete in the major sports. But most athletes will have the capability to score 1500, with time and studying.

You are dreaming bubba if you think an average IQ person can get a 1500

[Anonymous]

Harder would be getting a full ride athletic scholarship D1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I really don't understand is you walk into the high schools today and the good athletes are prominently displayed in a Hall of Fame on the wall outside the gym or whatever. Why aren't the good students displayed somewhere? Why isn't the picture of 1998's valedictorian up on the wall like the kid who made all-state in track or football?

You’re being disingenuous. It’s not that you don’t understand it - it’s simply that you don’t like it.

But the answer is obvious. No one gives a $hit about former (or current) boring, nerdy valedictorians who will almost certainly live boring and uninspiring (possibly well-paid) lives as lawyers or doctors or engineers or accountants.

The athletes are impressive AND they bring joy to other people (they’re fun to watch).

No, I legitimately don't understand why an institution whose primary purpose is education doesn't celebrate it's most successful students the way it does its student athletes. I say this as someone whose name is on the wall at my (non-FCPS) high school for three different sports. Being valedictorian and earning a 1500+ SAT score was years of work and late nights studying. Being good at sports was years of practice too - but not as many hours as the school work. I got a trophy for never getting a 'B' at graduation, but my picture is still up at the school decades later for how many tackles I had, how much weight I could lift, and how fast I could run the hurdles. Seems wrong.