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A comment on Harvard University Won’t Require SAT, ACT for Admissions Next Year. Parent comment

Re:Harvard University Won’t Require SAT, ACT for Admissions ... by malandrew on Tuesday June 16, 2020 @11:15AM (#23540107)
> The secret of being an honors kid isn’t aptitude but being told that you’re smart and your parents/peers expecting it of you.

This condescension isn't even based on fact. I was in some honors classes but not in others and for the classes I was in an honors class, I had more aptitude than my peers. For those in the classes I was not in, those peers had more aptitude than me (probably more motivation too since it was for subjects I didn't care for like English Literature)

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Re:Harvard University Won’t Require SAT, ACT for Admissions ... by Spivak on Tuesday June 16, 2020 @11:48AM (#23540562)
I mean I don’t think it’s condescending. I was the “smart kid” at my HS. People on the honors track weren’t any smarter than the rest, we just cared a lot more about our grades and looking good for colleges.

The “low performers” during HS, now that they’re unburdened by a stifling institution, are showing that they’re just as smart and talented but in areas that school didn’t bring out. One is a pastry chef, quite a few are artists and graphic designers, one is a copyrighter, one does industrial design, two are in theater now.

They could have done just fine in maths and physics but they, rightfully, didn’t really care.

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