Some of the population at my magnet school has the potential to earn better grades than I do, and some even try as hard as I do and they end up with straight As with their 4-5 AP classes while I am struggling with getting straight As with two AP classes. How do you average (not the super smart) CCers feel about competing with smarter people for admissions with people who destroy your application in terms of academics.
I feel cooler.
Kidding (sort of).
I’m number four in my class of about 400 (I don’t know why, because other than the valedictorian, I and the other two above me have the exact same grades and the exact same number of APs. In the end, though, it’s whatever). I used to flip out about this, and the fact that I’d be competing against even more capable students in my school/district, but then I focused on what makes me ME. That can’t be quantified or copied – not if I’m doing it right, at least. I presented myself as a human being, and was very honest in all my applications. I (eloquently) wrote about how I really did not know what I was going to do with myself, but BOY, WOULD I MAKE IT WORK!
Also, I would refrain from calling others “smarter.” At the risk of sounding like a hippie, you’re brilliant in your own way. Make it happen 
Hard work will get you farther than those who are “smarter.” The smartest person I know is number 7 in my class… The hardest working isn’t even top 10.
I find it exhilarating. At my magnet hs I closely observed the brilliant students (about, say, five or so people) and sought to arrive on their levels, if you will.
I just about died when two of these people I admire/d complimented my “intelligence.” Even now I look to their achievements and intellect as motivation to work hard. Very nice.
Intelligence is one of the least democratic things there is. Hard work will only get you so against the brilliant (in school). The same is true with athletic ability (on the field), training will only make one jump so high or run so fast. Do the best you can and be happy for it.
@lasbuenas Of course by calling someone smarter I am referring to them being more book smart than I am.
@sosomenza I agree with you on this, but I believe that the hard working person is more likely to achieve more with their life in their career.
Now let me say again that I am solely discussing about the academics of book smart people. Many of the people at my school, including some in the 10% of my class would sometimes tell me I am one of the hardest working people in the school and that I shouldn’t work hard to achieve the grades I aspire to achieve. I wish that in a perfect world there was a way for colleges to base their admissions on the amount of effort people put in to their studies where everyone was nearly as equally intelligent, but that is impossible. It is painful knowing that I can’t practice my favorite sport consistently or maintain a normal social life because I am so obsessed with attaining perfect grades whereas a select few get to put in less effort than I do while they can party and enjoy their lives at the same time. I am not jealous of these people but it really is mind blowing for me when I realized that I can’t compete with the top 10% of my class.
My son is “nerd smart”, but you don’t see him working hard because he studies at home DaY and NIGHT! It’s not a gift and it’s not NATURAL ability. He works hard to get the concepts down. You think kids like him have it easy. They don’t. With solid AP classes, they have to manage their time. But they work hard.
My only hope ( being not super smart) has been that super smart people can also be lazy, dull, not team players like us mere mortals ! Therefore, intelligent, hardworking, conscientious, helpful, and passionate will always prevail over super-smart alone! Eventually you will have to work for or with someone and your " super intelligence" won’t be that attractive without the other attributes! So valedictorians beware unless you are truly amazing in all ways not just intelligence!!
I think you shouldn’t think of “smart people destroying your application”. Nobody’s destroying your application, even though you might be competing with them. If you work hard and dedicate yourself to what you’re doing you will achieve what you aim for. Just don’t look at others and compare yourself too much to them. This was a major mistake I made during my last two years of high school and it really destroyed myself. Try to be your own best and you will get everthing done just fine. Good luck with the application process, whenever that might be for you.
conceivably, science may, in the not to distant future, be able to do something about our inferior ignominious genetics. so, what would i do? i would hold-out for the cure, follow the developments, and stay optimistic and hydrated so when the clinical trials are announced i could nab a spot.
I’m best friends with all the smart kids and we don’t compete. It actually ends up great for me because whenever I don’t understand a concept, they all focus on helping me. I take 5 AP classes and have a couple of As, a couple of Bs and a C every marking period. In the classes I’m struggling in, I’m simply aiming for a B and with all the studying I do, I never question what grade I get, I just roll with it. Also, they were all wait listed by Harvard and Penn and Brown which sucks 
I got into Cornell ED for architecture, even though my grades and SATs are considerably lower. I think it just goes to show how unpredictable the process is. Though if they didn’t help me out and push me to do my best I would have never been admitted and to them I’m eternally grateful <3