Reply to Which of the T20 schools have the least driven, intense, goal-oriented students?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yeah, it’s a real problem. You aren’t going to find a T20 that isn’t largely populated by Tracy Flicks. Sorry. [/quote]

Especially nowadays given what it takes to get into a t 20. Might have been different 25 years ago [/quote]

25 years ago you could get the disorganized geniuses who walked into the SATs and got 1600 without studying and who kept up a 3.7 or so GPA by never doing the homework but acing the tests. Perfect and intense executive function wasn’t a skill set universally required for admissions back then. But the admissions have changed to essentially remove the quirky geniuses from the student population, because you are only getting into a T20 if you have the executive functioning skills of a mid-career project manager. Hence schools populated almost entirely by Tracy Flicks. Even the athletes are Tracy Flicks. It’s kind of bizarre. [/quote]

This whole notion that there were all these "disorganized geniuses " in earlier years, and kids now are just well organized with the "geniuses" getting shut out is silly. Back in my day 1600 was an unheard of score. Kids who did well were likely natural test takers with parents who valued education and/or in good schools. We weren't necessarily smarter than kids who didn't score as well. You didn't find these natural Good Will Hunting " geniuses laying about. That is just nonsense.  [b]Kids these days are working hard to demonstrate their intellect, artistic talent and work ethic. A[/b]nd, competition is tough. It's not like the "true geniuses" are getting shut out by average bureaucrats. In fact, back in the day, a lot more spaces were going to legacy and connected. Now, kids are submitting evidence of far more course rigor than we had plus talents, etc [/quote]

But that is the point. I think PP is talking about those genius-type kids who don't join the uber competitive high school rat race because they don't value that kind of perfectionist behavior. These days they will not apply to or will be not shut out o f the top schools due to imperfect GPAs, and they will go to a school that is a great fit for them, be surrounded with kids who are intellectually creative and honest, and not afraid to take risks and fail. They will be the next inventors and creators in the world.

It should not be a surprise that some kids are finding those top ranked schools more boring than anticipated. They have been recruiting a generally narrow type of student lately. I expect there will be another sea change soon. It is likely part of the reason why MIT wants SATs again. They want bright, prepared, diverse and creative risk takers, but without the SAT they can't see through and interpret the GPA as well.[/quote]

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