In reading through this thread again, I'm still deeply bothered by the college admissions process. The IQ thing is only a small part of it.
Specifically, why all this focus on achievement (past grades and test scores) as a
requirement to get into college? Isn't achievement supposed to be what you're shooting for as a grownup,
after you've finished college or whatever training you need to get there?
When we expect 17-year-olds to have won prizes, completed hundreds of hours of "volunteer" work, captained a team, and also excelled highly in an additional area, we're forcing them into a role that (IMO) the vast majority aren't ready for. We're also teaching them that you do the volunteer work because it will help
you, not because it might actually help
others. And of course, because it's required, it's not truly volunteer work. Not to mention summer "experiences" chosen for
application essay appeal?
It all seems so...shallow and false. Why is this the message we've chosen to send to our kids?
