Reply to The Introvert’s Disadvantage

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There is no question that extroverts have a huge bump in the world of holistic admissions. The top schools also reward extroverts with sharpened elbows whose leadership positions stem from, sometimes, not being so nice. Everyone knows who these cutthroat kids are. Put them all together in an elite school and I would think the results are horrifying. Any institution, work group — anything — needs a mix of personality types to function well. Each personality type has something to offer. And yet…[/quote]

Yes, this is what I've seen. My A-/B+ kid says a lot of the kids with higher GPAs just know how to whine for them -- extra credit, retakes, flattering the teacher. [b]He's also turned off from some of the extracurriculars ruled by these loud, popular kids. What does he do -- sit there in meetings and still not get noticed, [/b]or just not join in the first place? [/quote]

Hm yes, that was/is a huge hurdle for many introverts.  Our DC enjoyed robotics, but felt like the extroverts sucked the air out of it.  Still stuck it out.  Quietly and stubborn, venting at home (we just listened gave pointers but did not interfere).  Eventually there was a year where they were all introverts on the team and maybe by coincidence DC's team made it into the final round (they just quietly worked together).

Some teachers are better at recognizing the quiet talent in their classroom, but maybe they are also hidden introverts?

DC is now in college, and it has taken focused effort to no blend into the background, but to reach out to professors and slowly build a relationship.  Was it comfortable, no. Was it enjoyable, not really. Did DC see others make quicker connections and charming the professors, yes.  It took all of freshman year, and once in the research lab it might take effort again to do more than media prep.
It is an uphill battle, but the realization has sunk in, this is an extroverts world.  Learn the skills to fake it and then make sure you have all the quiet alone time you need to recharge.[/quote]

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