Best advice for students of average-above average intelligence to get into elite schools?

[Anonymous]

If you have an 8th grader who is starting HS in the fall and is average/above average IQ, good work ethic, certainly not likely to score in the very top for SATs without major prep work or tutor.... what advice would you give them for their high school career to stand out and have the best opportunity to attend a highly ranked college or university?

[Anonymous]

There are plenty of great universities out there.

[Anonymous]

Attend the least competitive high school as you can. My sister has twins. The gifted twin attends a really competitive magnet school where most students have parents who are professors, doctors, lawyers, computer scientists. It is really hard to stand out.He does not have all A's.

His twin who never qualified for any gifted programs attends their incredibly low ranked, above 75% FARM high school. She is in the honors track there and stands out. She has straight A's taking the highest level classes available. She has opportunities available to her because there are several programs for bright kids attending high poverty schools.

[Anonymous]

Twins don’t usually have very similar IQs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Twins don’t usually have very similar IQs?

Fraternal twins aren't any more likely to have the same IQ than regular siblings.

[Anonymous]

Are you sure that's what your kid would want, OP? Let's say he manages to get into a highly ranked LAC, it's no fun to be somewhere you can't keep up or you feel less smart than everyone else.

Don't focus on ranking; focus on fit.

[Anonymous]

Focus on fit is the right mantra. The most important thing is to give your child the opportunity to figure out their interests and strengths. The rest will follow.

[Anonymous]

Play a sport very, very well. Endow a chair.

Also why should your student attend a highly selective college? Not saying they should not but why do you think that’s desirable?

[Anonymous]

Work hard and make connections. It has very little to do with intelligence or “finding a passion.” Just work hard and make lots of connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Attend the least competitive high school as you can. My sister has twins. The gifted twin attends a really competitive magnet school where most students have parents who are professors, doctors, lawyers, computer scientists. It is really hard to stand out.He does not have all A's.

His twin who never qualified for any gifted programs attends their incredibly low ranked, above 75% FARM high school. She is in the honors track there and stands out. She has straight A's taking the highest level classes available. She has opportunities available to her because there are several programs for bright kids attending high poverty schools.

But what about their college acceptances?

[Anonymous]

Move to a less competitive county.

[Anonymous]

Do major prep or hire a tutor for the SAT/ACT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Move to a less competitive county.

less competitive state - Wyoming, Montana, Mississippi

[Anonymous]

Take a DNA test and pray form some black, Latino or Native American genes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take a DNA test and pray form some black, Latino or Native American genes.

Yes, this is why those groups are the majority in colleges and universities because admissions is based solely on that DNA criteria.

You're an idiot.