<p>Gotta tell ya
I read the chance me stuff and the stat profiles etc etc and think
WHO has TIME to do all that—an wonder if we add the hours etc --does it compute…</p>
<p>I just read a post of a mom writing about a really great kid
a great student, a 211 on PSATs, varsiy athlete, lots of leadership…
yet characterized as “normal” and not setting the world on fire</p>
<p>I believe all kids with those kinds of stats are amazing–and without even knowig this family --I bet this young man is terrific…and I would love to have him in a classrooom </p>
<p>so I wonder–
if this is just “normal” and not exceptional–
then WHO really knows …or who really has …a son/daughter that IS exceptional…?? and can get into the school of choice??</p>
<p>Does anyone really believe that their kid is bringing world peace, eliminating poverty or a cure to cancer etc??? this year so to append their resume???</p>
<p>Are the stats posted by faceless people to be believed? So many with amazing qualities and test scores are denied…but where do they go? Often that isn’t updated…</p>
<p>I say this coming off of 3 weeks of substitute teaching in a suburb…and I saw a variety of things from 8th graders with 3rd grade reading/math to “gifted” but lazy…
I myself have 2 teens (gifted) in private school…</p>
<p>If AdComms deny so many with 800s…and deny valedictorians…
then …may we need to consider real kids and what he/she looks like</p>
<p>don"t real kids…</p>
<p>go to school
play sports
have friends in and out of school
volunteer
read
have social skills
have a social conscience
spend time with family and the ones they love</p>
<p>Gosh CC parents—
I worry that our kids who are often the best and brightest…in terms of so many qualities…are “average” because now there are so many turned away …</p>
<p>If you stay around long enough you’ll find out that this particular forum is really an “old girls/PC/bullies club” with only a precious few daring to disagree with the minority that make the vast majority of the posts here. </p>
<p>For those of us not in that group it provides an opportunity for allot of fun!</p>
<p>I’ve not had the experience that tobin has had here. </p>
<p>I’m not sure what you mean by a child being average because they are turned away? Nor do I understand what is undesirable about being average. Can you clarify a bit?</p>
<p>Stating one’s gifted kid is normal is not an oxymoron, nor does it imply kid is average. It means the kid may be terrific in school but still behaves like most kids. You will find that most people don’t bother looking for help- it is those whose kids are at the downslope of the IQ Bell curve who are looking to maximize their kids’ potential and who don’t know exactly where they fit in. Remember that there is a wide range of normal and having a high IQ is not abnormal.</p>
<p>Your gifted kids may be astounding, but many behave normally. They act just like their bright but not as high IQ peers- they may do well academically but don’t do extraordinary things. They do things that typical teens do under the heading of “how could he/what was he thinking?” Even though the percentage of gifted students is obviously small the absolute numbers are large enough that spaces in elite colleges do not automatically open up for them. Parents want to optimize their children’s future and most of us are stuck with less than ideal educational options for our kids through the HS level. And, since giftedness is a continuum on the IQ scale, as well as existing in many forms, you can extend the parental searching to many whose children are considered bright but not gifted by various cutoff points.</p>
<p>Like Kermit said- it is not easy being green. In other words, being those 1-2 standard deviations or more above average opens one up to many opportunities the general population doesn’t consider and therefore the information isn’t as readily available. Also, most don’t know where their child fits in the upper echelons since we don’t overcategorize people. CC helps people navigate unfamiliar territory.</p>
<p>PS- you may love my kid in your classroom but he was not the same kid at home. I’m sure most parents see the worst side of their kids- rudeness, sullenness… part of the growing up/separating from parents phase.</p>
<p>I guess my point is–
if these kids who have amazing qualities, great grades etc…
and are normal kids --normal teens
and they have to do far more to impress and AdComm (who may not have the qualities themselves to get into said university)
and they aren’t getting into these schools</p>
<p>Heavan help us–because these are the leaders of our future—we need them at the top schools–</p>
<p>I think focusing on the admittance rates of some of the most competitive ( and expensive) universities in the world- is not what is needed to help your child transition into post high school academics.</p>
<p>What is a better use of resources, is to build criteria to gauge what is sought.
Strength of department- learning support services, access to medical facilities, sports teams, whatever your child and your family decide are priorities.</p>
<p>Prestige is admittedly a priority for some families, but they are naive ( and closeminded) if they associate it exclusively with rigor, rigor in curriculum and high performing peers are not restricted to universities that are expensive/prestigous.</p>
<p>CC is a great place to share impressions and perspectives of schools and kids, to help you support and guide your own kid, whether they be a prodigy or merely " good enough".</p>