Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 09:32     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:With so much talk about colleges that TO, even Dartmouths with only 1/3 submitting as the rest likely scoring under 1450 if they had submitted...which colleges have a majority student body of say 1540 SAT without heavy prepping?

Our DC got 1540 with some self prep and no tutoring. We know she doesn't belong in a MIT, Caltech, Chicago type genius schools full of high scoring geniuses, but so many T30 seem to have at least 1/2 scoring under 1500. Which colleges have majority who could score in mid-1500 without tutoring and superscoring?

Chicago is not like that anymore. It is 75% ED kids who did not have a realistic chance at ivies. Naviance shows the scores are lower than the kids who get in ivies. HW school shows the same pattern, and Groton, and many other top privates


+1 it’s because they are test optional and started gaming the system for rankings. THREE rounds of ED (0, 1 and 2). Other than Hopkins, I don’t think any of the other T10s or Ivies have more than 1 round of ED (or are SCEA).


Dumping on UChicago seems to be a sport around here! Since this thread is about test scores, numbers don’t lie. Even though UChicago is test optional (and has been since before covid), 76 percent of students submit ACT or SAT scores. The median SAT is 1540.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 08:56     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Brainiacs (where they seem to be the majority) : Georgia Tech, MIT, Swarthmore, Reed, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Yale, Harvard, Harvey Mudd, Cal Tech

That being said, brainiacs are everywhere.





Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 08:36     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:With so much talk about colleges that TO, even Dartmouths with only 1/3 submitting as the rest likely scoring under 1450 if they had submitted...which colleges have a majority student body of say 1540 SAT without heavy prepping?

Our DC got 1540 with some self prep and no tutoring. We know she doesn't belong in a MIT, Caltech, Chicago type genius schools full of high scoring geniuses, but so many T30 seem to have at least 1/2 scoring under 1500. Which colleges have majority who could score in mid-1500 without tutoring and superscoring?

Chicago is not like that anymore. It is 75% ED kids who did not have a realistic chance at ivies. Naviance shows the scores are lower than the kids who get in ivies. HW school shows the same pattern, and Groton, and many other top privates


+1 it’s because they are test optional and started gaming the system for rankings. THREE rounds of ED (0, 1 and 2). Other than Hopkins, I don’t think any of the other T10s or Ivies have more than 1 round of ED (or are SCEA).


chicago should not be t10 anymore, nor should JHU. Give it to columbia or brown or both.

Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 08:30     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:EQ and IQ are not mutually exclusive. In fact they often accompany each other. Trump is a good example, with both EQ and IQ low. Most of the high IQ kids I know also have high EQ, and vice versa.

It's funny whenever talking about high IQ kids, magas and anti-intellectuals always want to emphasize on EQ. But no, those high IQ kids also have high EQ.


True. My son’s freshmen year roommate was such a character, so fun and social. My mom (kid’s grandma) loved him. When my son would call in FaceTime, he would grab the phone and talk to us. The kid is brilliant, but was out all the time and still able to hang in pre-med. Ivy. My son is similar - huge group of friends in different circles and captain of club sport.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 08:28     Subject: Re:Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

The top 10% of any school will be full of brainiacs.

Take a look at the research. Someone in the top 10% of Haverford will do better than someone in the bottom 25% at Harvard...

Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 08:25     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think you are assigning value to the SAT that isn’t true. Lots of brainiacs at many schools.

I don’t think you can tell the difference between a kid scoring a 1540 and 1400 if you meet them on the street.





+1

It's really not an important part of life. Just like, go check where everyone you work with attended college. Good chance most are not T30 schools (or even T50). Good chance you report to someone (or a few levels up from you) who didn't even attend a T100 school.



I am the co-owner. 4/5 of us went to ivy/T10 for undegrad or professional school or both. Most of our spouses went to similar. 70% of the next level down went to t30 or better.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 08:25     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:With so much talk about colleges that TO, even Dartmouths with only 1/3 submitting as the rest likely scoring under 1450 if they had submitted...which colleges have a majority student body of say 1540 SAT without heavy prepping?

Our DC got 1540 with some self prep and no tutoring. We know she doesn't belong in a MIT, Caltech, Chicago type genius schools full of high scoring geniuses, but so many T30 seem to have at least 1/2 scoring under 1500. Which colleges have majority who could score in mid-1500 without tutoring and superscoring?

Chicago is not like that anymore. It is 75% ED kids who did not have a realistic chance at ivies. Naviance shows the scores are lower than the kids who get in ivies. HW school shows the same pattern, and Groton, and many other top privates


+1 it’s because they are test optional and started gaming the system for rankings. THREE rounds of ED (0, 1 and 2). Other than Hopkins, I don’t think any of the other T10s or Ivies have more than 1 round of ED (or are SCEA).
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 08:25     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:With so much talk about colleges that TO, even Dartmouths with only 1/3 submitting as the rest likely scoring under 1450 if they had submitted...which colleges have a majority student body of say 1540 SAT without heavy prepping?

Our DC got 1540 with some self prep and no tutoring. We know she doesn't belong in a MIT, Caltech, Chicago type genius schools full of high scoring geniuses, but so many T30 seem to have at least 1/2 scoring under 1500. Which colleges have majority who could score in mid-1500 without tutoring and superscoring?


There’s another thread on this: absolute number of students with scores 1530+. The schools with the most are MIT Caltech Penn and Hopkins. Thats where the most brainiacs are these days. Stanford Yale Harvard Princeton were close behind.


1530 means smart, relatively quick, willing to work at the SAT's quirks, and cool under test pressure. The SAT does not test for "braniac" at all.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 08:23     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:With so much talk about colleges that TO, even Dartmouths with only 1/3 submitting as the rest likely scoring under 1450 if they had submitted...which colleges have a majority student body of say 1540 SAT without heavy prepping?

Our DC got 1540 with some self prep and no tutoring. We know she doesn't belong in a MIT, Caltech, Chicago type genius schools full of high scoring geniuses, but so many T30 seem to have at least 1/2 scoring under 1500. Which colleges have majority who could score in mid-1500 without tutoring and superscoring?


This is wrong. Not longer the case.


True. Chicago was once brainiac central. Now it’s struggling to save its life ($6.6 billion in the hole) and marketing furiously to climb the rankings services.


School finances has nothing to do with "braniac"
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 08:21     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think you are assigning value to the SAT that isn’t true. Lots of brainiacs at many schools.

I don’t think you can tell the difference between a kid scoring a 1540 and 1400 if you meet them on the street.





OP here. Please no flame, but at our school, DD and 2 close friends who are similarly smart but not genius types scored 1530-1540 first try, minimal prep. While a true brainiac kid who has been brilliant since 1st grade scored 1600 first try, no one was surprised. Other friends told us their kids scored in the 1300s and need tutors to get up to 1450-ish. Those are the kids who always needed tutors and consistently performed a band under the 1540 kids (bc the school have different tracks for core subjects since middle school) and def under the 1600 kid. We have known all these kids since K and it's been very consistent. I disagree you can't tell the difference between a 1540 and 1400 kid, just as I can tell the difference between my 1540 kid and the 1600 kid. I have also seen kids who were happy in normal courses and got pushed by parents to get tutored into the advanced track math and chem classes and ended up having to drop back down to non-advanced track the following year.

I truly think kids do well in the track they naturally excel in but all have a chance to be very successful when they grow up if they learned in an environment where learn with peers with similar aptitudes and build confidence.


So I’m going to tell you a story about my Ivy kid.

1400 first try no prep. With a few attempts, up to 1540. It’s test prep. Whatever. Private HS.

Now at Ivy - their “brainiac” friends are in the library nonstop. Devastated they don’t get into the right business club. Devastated with choices with Greek life. Devastated by not getting the next “rung” (internships, coffee chats, etc).

Then there are other kids that are really low-key and easy-going that end up rolling with the punches. None of this makes or breaks them. Now those low-key kids (including mine) are in the ultimate student leadership positions of the Ivy and no one knows how it happened. The PE internships are just falling in their lap.

Strange tbh. Those other kids - my kids friends - intuitively have perfect stats, perfect scores, perfect college grades (which mine definitely doesn’t have) perfect everything. But they are frankly just overwhelmed by constantly seeking perfection. They almost can’t cope or deal with the fast balls that come their way.

What you think is the perfect environment for your kid may actually not be. We have been so surprised.

My kid always said they were bottom 50% of the class when they matriculated. But now? Leading everything. President of uni knows on first name basis on speed dial.

I wouldn’t over rotate on your kids perceived strengths. What you think of is a strength man being a weakness and vice versa.

You can’t over engineer this. Cream rises. Let your kid figure it out.


It all come down to EQ. The 1580, grinder, 4 research papers in high school types can find their way into the Ivies but they're not they're not the people anyone wants to spend 50 hours a week with. Smart enough, high EQ, person you want to go out with for drinks after work individual will get the job every time.

This is really last century. GenZ would never put up with this crap.


Well it's accurate. Those with EQ, those who are team players and go above and beyond and people like go far in life. Sure you need a certain level of smarts to get there but beyond that you have to be able to work well with others.

My 1220/3.5Uw/no AP kid went to a t100 struggled and found their way, graduated with 3 W and a 3.4 gpa. Had a great job immediately upon graduation and is doing well. We always knew that because everywhere they worked/volunteered always loved them and promoted them/gave them more responsibilities, because they could be counted upon. Meanwhile some of their "smarter friends" are still struggling because they are looking for the "right job" . Smarts is only a small part, the rest comes from your work ethic and what you actually do!


OK but taking a yesr or two to find a much better job pays back the cost very quickly.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 02:55     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:With so much talk about colleges that TO, even Dartmouths with only 1/3 submitting as the rest likely scoring under 1450 if they had submitted...which colleges have a majority student body of say 1540 SAT without heavy prepping?

Our DC got 1540 with some self prep and no tutoring. We know she doesn't belong in a MIT, Caltech, Chicago type genius schools full of high scoring geniuses, but so many T30 seem to have at least 1/2 scoring under 1500. Which colleges have majority who could score in mid-1500 without tutoring and superscoring?

Chicago is not like that anymore. It is 75% ED kids who did not have a realistic chance at ivies. Naviance shows the scores are lower than the kids who get in ivies. HW school shows the same pattern, and Groton, and many other top privates


Just look at the HW matriculation, you are right.
Chicago takes kids all the way to the 3.2-3.4 gpa band.
Northwestern takes kids from 3.4-3.6 gpa band.
JHU takes only kids in the 3.8-4.0 gpa band.
Unhooked.


Yes, it is the same at the good NYC privates and DC schools like STA and Sidwell. If you have 95K and ED1 or 2 they will take you with a GPA lower than 3.5.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2025 00:07     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:With so much talk about colleges that TO, even Dartmouths with only 1/3 submitting as the rest likely scoring under 1450 if they had submitted...which colleges have a majority student body of say 1540 SAT without heavy prepping?

Our DC got 1540 with some self prep and no tutoring. We know she doesn't belong in a MIT, Caltech, Chicago type genius schools full of high scoring geniuses, but so many T30 seem to have at least 1/2 scoring under 1500. Which colleges have majority who could score in mid-1500 without tutoring and superscoring?

Chicago is not like that anymore. It is 75% ED kids who did not have a realistic chance at ivies. Naviance shows the scores are lower than the kids who get in ivies. HW school shows the same pattern, and Groton, and many other top privates


Just look at the HW matriculation, you are right.
Chicago takes kids all the way to the 3.2-3.4 gpa band.
Northwestern takes kids from 3.4-3.6 gpa band.
JHU takes only kids in the 3.8-4.0 gpa band.
Unhooked.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2025 23:51     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:With so much talk about colleges that TO, even Dartmouths with only 1/3 submitting as the rest likely scoring under 1450 if they had submitted...which colleges have a majority student body of say 1540 SAT without heavy prepping?

Our DC got 1540 with some self prep and no tutoring. We know she doesn't belong in a MIT, Caltech, Chicago type genius schools full of high scoring geniuses, but so many T30 seem to have at least 1/2 scoring under 1500. Which colleges have majority who could score in mid-1500 without tutoring and superscoring?


It’s fair to care about it. Look up pre-TO data and you will find that the median was 1510-1520 at most ivies (cornell and dartmouth were lower) as well as MIT and a couple of other privates back in fall 2020(20-21 datasets). Those students took the tests in 2018 or 19. A 1510 then converts to a 1530 for the 2024 tests and beyond. Now that all the TO bulls%#is over the common data sets will show medians of 1530ish at most ivies and a couple of other top schools. Aim for those if you want majority top scoring peers.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2025 23:45     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:With so much talk about colleges that TO, even Dartmouths with only 1/3 submitting as the rest likely scoring under 1450 if they had submitted...which colleges have a majority student body of say 1540 SAT without heavy prepping?

Our DC got 1540 with some self prep and no tutoring. We know she doesn't belong in a MIT, Caltech, Chicago type genius schools full of high scoring geniuses, but so many T30 seem to have at least 1/2 scoring under 1500. Which colleges have majority who could score in mid-1500 without tutoring and superscoring?

Chicago is not like that anymore. It is 75% ED kids who did not have a realistic chance at ivies. Naviance shows the scores are lower than the kids who get in ivies. HW school shows the same pattern, and Groton, and many other top privates
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2025 23:42     Subject: Which colleges have majority student body of very bright kids but not brainiacs?

Anonymous wrote:EQ and IQ are not mutually exclusive. In fact they often accompany each other. Trump is a good example, with both EQ and IQ low. Most of the high IQ kids I know also have high EQ, and vice versa.

It's funny whenever talking about high IQ kids, magas and anti-intellectuals always want to emphasize on EQ. But no, those high IQ kids also have high EQ.


This. Pretending high IQ people are somehow brainiac robots with no creativity or EQ just shows one does not know many 140+ IQ people. Most have very high EQ and are highly artistic as well.