A lot of IQ kids going through gifted programs may have nothing to say but high grades. At least that is what Yale admissions is saying about applicants these days.
Harvard and Yale applicants are overwhelmingly the children of affluent helicopter parents, regardless of actual intellectual levels. A wealthy parent can invest a lot of hours and dollars in the "right" schools at all levels, private tutors, etc. Then they can bully school officials into making unnecessary accommodations, changing grades, etc. All of this can force an ungifted child through a gifted education.
And, even for the truly gifted among this population, the workload and pressure are ridiculous, leaving children little or no experience in dealing with problems themselves, or for outside activities.
Contact the admissions departments for NYU or San Diego State, and I would expect them to have a different perspective on gifted children.
