The use of the familiar names of Einstein or Mozart is just to illustrate a point. Talents at a level much below these two also have a natural component.
But is the ânormalâ for the upper edge of upper middle class really that ânormalâ in the context of society as a whole?
Just an aside. Hoggâs SAT was around 1290 and the other kid in his class admitted to Harvard had a 5.345 wGPA so Hoggâs 4.2 wGPA and his SAT were well below what Harvard would accept for his HS grading system. He had been rejected from 4 UC schools already that year.
He got in because he was a media celebrity.
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He got in because he was a media celebrity.
Thatâs disingenuous to say. Yes, he had publicity - but he is not a celebrity and that minimizes everything he has accomplished - which is far more in his brief life then most accomplish in his full lifeâŠregardless of if you agree with his position.
Again, college is about far more than school. Heâs a huge asset.
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There are plenty of elite college graduates teaching third grade language arts, working as social workers, pastors, librarians, etc. Are those professions now classified as the âupper edge of upper middle classâ???
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@vpa2019 put Hoggâs GPA in context, and his SAT score seems to correspond to his class rank. They reinforce each other as describing him as an above average student at a good but not exceptional high school. There are hundreds of thousands of students with similar academic achievements graduating each year. Thatâs why I call him a risk bet.
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We can agree to disagree. He became well known because the media chose to cover and promote him. Whether he is an asset is an opinion.
Iâm not taking a political position here. Yes a horrible tragedy and media attention brought him to the forefront. But is he taking a lead ? Yes
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vpa2019, can you give a source for your gpa numbers? Iâm not finding anything close to that. 3.9 GPA and 4.18 wGPA is what Iâm finding.
David Hogg did not get into Harvard because heâs a celebrity. Kim Kardashian is a celebrity, but sheâs not getting into Harvard. Hogg got in because he accomplished something post trauma, which is extraordinarily rare for someone of his age. Less well known from Parkland and therefore nowhere near the celebrity that Hogg was, Jaclyn Corin also got into Harvard based on what she too accomplished as a leader and organizer of the #NeverAgain movement.
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Iâm not either. Iâm saying Hogg was an average student and Harvard wouldnât have given him a second glance until he became famous. No different than movie stars, their kids or world leadersâ kids.
Here is a NY Times article that describes another Marjorie Douglas student that was initially accepted to Harvard and then rescinded (rightly IMO) for racist remarks.
And here is the section on SAT and GPA:
I doubt it. See Lori Laughlin Felicity Huffman
If their kids were accomplished then perhaps they could get in because they add a different dimension. Hence successful teen actors get in.
On Monday, Mr. Kashuvâs defenders noted that Mr. Hogg had a 4.2 grade point average and scored 1270 on the SAT test, while Mr. Kashuv said in the interview that he had a 5.4 G.P.A., and a 1550 SAT score.
Kim may not, although Iâd be interested to see what would happen if she did apply, but plenty of celebrities go to elite schools.
Hebegebe, what was David Hoggâs class rank at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas HS? I havenât seen that reported anywhere.
The fact that there are hundreds of thousands of other students with his academic achievements is irrelevant to whether he can do the work. Grades are the result of hard work and persistence, not genius.I donât believe that Harvard saw Hogg as a risk at all.
That article is behind a pay wall. The part you excerpted says that Kashuvâs claimed GPA was 5.4, not the average Harvard admit
There is a pretty significant body of evidence that shows that nurturing played a FAR larger role in most âprodigiesâ that we realize. Cal Newport goes deeply into this in So Good They Canât Ignore you. Mozart for example was driven hard by his father, a composer, from about age 3. Contrary to myth, he didnât pop out of the womb playing piano. Thatâs not to discount raw horse power, but much of that is predicated on previous experience and work ethic. 
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Two actresses in that scam doesnât show the whole story.
Harrison Fordâs kid is at Amherst for example. Plenty of celebrities have attended elite schools.
He was admitted to Harvard. Based on an actual application before the shooting. And how is a 5.3 wGPA not in line with Harvard stats?
Bottom line is Hogg was an average student period.
Vpa2019, Hogg was an âAâ student in high school. Thatâs not average. Neither is 1270; average on the SAT is 1000.
His situation is nothing at all like movie starsâ kids or world leadersâ kids. Those kids did absolutely nothing to achieve any special status. Hoggâs stature was the result of his own accomplishments. Thatâs what Harvard saw, and thatâs what Harvard liked. More comparable to movie starsâ kids would be Jared Kushner, whose uncle bought Jaredâs admission to Harvard when it was far less competitive than it is now.
Harvard didnât give him a second look the first time around because he never applied there when he was in school. His application in 2018 was his first attempt there, and Harvard jumped all over it, EA.
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Gpa2019, who was admitted to Harvard before the shooting?