<p>As the mother of 2 sons, one a genius, 4.0 IB, near perfect SATs, head of student government, winner of several NYS best editorial in a student newspaper awards, ran XC and track varsity etc etc etc who was waitlisted at every single top tier school to which he applied , and his brother, smart but second in NY section — in his sport who was a recruited athlete, I’d have to say that it taught our entire family a valuable lesson in what makes the elite academic world go round.
We’d say “Billy is a genius, but Tommy can throw a baseball” Look who gets in easily.
Quite a contrast, and my advise to all the smart not poor not first generation not ethnically interesting kids I know, is take up a sport and say you’ll do it in college. Can’t hurt, and seems to help disproportionately.</p>
<p>Please take my comments in the light they are intended. I am not insulting anyone’s hard work, but apparently plain old geniuses are a dime a dozen. Luckily brother A was not jealous of brother B’s good fortune.</p>