I feel like my DD is probably more like top 10% in her general peer group (as in, the people we hang around with), all around...BUT I really feel she is in the top 1% or beyond in terms of her motivation, curiosity, and drive. This is a big part of what makes her look different. I was explaining the concept of state standardized tests as a general metric for academic performance last night (she's never taken one) and her eyes lit up. "Can *I* take one? Do *I* get to take one of those tests?"
I wonder at times if this is what makes my dd12 look so different as well. If I had to guess, I'd say that the two communities we straddle school wise, both of which dd has attended school in, are 1) a very average make up where 98th nation-wide is probably 98th in this community, and 2) a somewhat more educated and intelligent community where a 98th nation-wide score might be 90th or 95th for this community. Dd has chosen to choice back to the higher ability and achieving community for high school b/c she feels like it is a better fit for her.
That said, she still looks like a kid who is rarer than the top 1-2% in both communities. She is probably a top 1-2% kid here when compared to kids 1-2 yrs older than she (the grade she's in). I'm not sure if it is b/c her IQ is actually much higher than measured so much as that her unusual drive and direction make her a force to be reckoned with. She's also just an "old soul" who seems somewhat older than her chronological age.
