Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion How to get noticed by college admissions officers?

DD's GIFTED magnet constantly emphasizes that they are grooming "leaders." I find this distasteful, bordering on offensive. Are gifted children automatically more qualified to lead? That's interesting, since they're much more likely to be introverted. Are general education children NOT qualified to lead? Are they the "followers" at the school?

Some of the world's greatest thinkers have NOT been "leaders" in the sense of "those who lead groups of others." Writers, artists, and inventors are rarely "leaders."

Actually, this subject makes me very angry. Intelligence and potential DO NOT necessarily come in a neat package with emotional IQ and ability to charm.

Well, the only relevant people in the modern financial hyper-economy are leaders.

And the masses, who you call "general education children" are certainly not qualified to lead.

If they were so qualified, they would not be "general education children" in the first place and instead would be leaders, and therefore relevant to the future.

Remember, most people fail to become leaders and drift aimlessly through life, bereft of purpose or meaning.

Only a select few, the best and the brightest become true leaders. They are the bright and shiny children that everyone adores because of their magnificent potential for future glory.

I think that the rest land on the industrial scrapheap somewhere in flyover country.

In the United States you can find entire states full of irrelevant non-leaders.

So, in any event, potential leaders automatically get noticed by the right people because their relevance is immediately obvious to the people who are responsible for noticing them.

I think JonLaw is onto something here.

In order to get noticed by admissions officers, you need to have Relevance (tm).

Do they have prep classes for that?

Yes. There is a class called "leadership" at high school. In less glorified words the school council. But it is an official class with a teacher, and grades that goes on students transcripts.

*hides under scrapheap, whimpering*

I don't suppose there's room for another under that scrapheap, by any chance? I'll bring water and a snack.

I'm always amused when student council is considered "leadership." When the primary activity is picking a theme for the senior prom, that word does not mean what they think it means.

Yes, but the student council is the first step toward establishing a lifetime of ever-increasing relevance.

And to think I was being facetious!



ETA: Wait, I was wrong. Wow! Leadership classes are even aligned with the Common Core!!!

Stupendous leadership classes

Too many student council positions, school newspaper positions, and yearbook committee positions, etc, may represent "leadership within tight parameters" or more simply "puppet leadership".

True leadership may be thinking outside the box and breaking the mold, replacing the old model with something new. Leaders acknowledge and prioritize problems, bring an issue to light and attempt to resolve it.

One student created their own extracurricular soccer team, recruiting a coach, assistant, and players. It was a consistently successful team.

Another example is a student drafting and promoting a new district policy.

Each of these examples illustrate being a person of influence within one's community.

Regardless of whether one is showcasing leadership or another talent, it may be wise to be authentic in representing one's self, to help ensure the best possible fit with a college or university.