<p>I've been a hard working student all my life. Especially in these last couple years of high school I tried pretty hard. However it seems that the time I put in to study the material, doesn't reflect my performance during tests and other evaluations. Now I'm at the end of my high school career, I got rejected from my ivy choices, and I consistently see people getting better marks than me in my classes. I did not score perfect on my SAT like most Harvard students...so I am beginning to wonder...am I just not smart enough to go to these schools? Am I intellectually just not there? What do I do?</p>
<p>It depends. If you are reading and rereading the material and are not understanding it, perhaps the marbles could be moving a bit faster. But, I’m sure it’s just the way you attack the problem. Remember, it’s not how long or hard you work, it’s the way you work;be a smart worker, not a hard worker! Find the best studying or test taking technique for you and I’m sure you will be fine.</p>
<p>How do you study? Do you read and reread the material, make extensive notes and review them, come up with cute songs about class material, or what? </p>
<p>You may not have found the best method of retention and understanding for you yet. Experiment with new ones. Even so, there are bound to be people who learn more easily and more quickly than you do. That’s life. It doesn’t mean you’re not “smart enough.”</p>
<p>You might not be smart enough. Most people aren’t. Remember, there are as many people in the 88th percentile as in the 99th percentile. It’s just that the 99th percentile is a little bit better of a place to be.</p>
<p>Honestly, I sincerely doubt that you’re not smart enough, and I’m not saying that just to be nice. I know a girl who is only reasonably intelligent and she got into four Ivy Leagues simply by virtue of her very high class rank, which she obtained partially by cheating throughout most of her school career. Admission to these schools is just a crapshoot; if you can still claim to have your integrity and your sanity at the end of the day, then you can hold your head up high and know that you were just unlucky. DO NOT let it be a judgment of your capabilities, because if you give admissions offices the final say over whether or not you are intellectually inferior, you’ve just doomed yourself to a self-fulfilling prophecy.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Ivies don’t have the capacity to accept all of the people they want to accept… In my opinion, hard-work ( or “smart-work”) are way more important than this “intelligence” everyone talks about anyway. I admire people who work hard and do well infinitely more than lazy bums who happen to be really intelligent. Just my two cents.</p>
<p>I have the same problem as you because I have ADD.
It’s rarely ever a problem about intelligence, it’s just how you are able to retain information, focus, get motivated, etc.</p>
<p>its not like everyone who goes to harvard had a 4.0 while taking 25 APs with a 2400 SAT and 36 (is that the highest i dont really know the ACT) ACT score… while some do, the average definitely dont. when you get into the world, and your a doctor or lawyer or businessman, your gonna find that your the one sitting in your office with your work for the week already done while the so called “smarter” guy is sleeping in his 10X10 cubicle</p>
<p>Beyond a point, getting into Ivies really isn’t about raw intelligence, it’s more about passion, for example with extracurriculars.</p>
<p>I don’t think a rando online community is the place to ask this question.</p>