<p>I think “lazy” is a harsh word. It’s the right word if the kid does NOT show any passion for anything. It sounds like your son is active in other activities. He just does not happen to show a lot of initiative for getting high grades. If this is the case, I wouldn’t worry that much about him. He will do well later in life when he finds his passion.</p>
<p>My son is just like yours. Extraordinary bright. Very well adjusted, sociable, well liked, happy young man. Attends public magnet HS school with highly selective admission (HS is rated within top 5 among public HS in USA). Does not sweat on anything, and still gets A. Of course, if he studied even 20 minutes for each test, he would be getting A+ on everything. But he does not seem to think it’s worth the effort. Gets perfect SATs without even finishing a single practice test. Not very hot on doing a lot of ECs that can build college resume - you know, the ones that can be easily validated, proven, and quantified, like awards, service hours etc. What ECs he does have is the kind of things that did out of sheer joy of doing it without consideration for college admission (mostly related to economics and finance) He even spent HS freshman and sophomore years mostly devoted to on line games. .</p>
<p>however, I wouldn’t consider him lazy. He has always been a voracious reader, and a very sophisticated thinker. His idea of fun is going to Barnes and Nobles and reading books of wide ranging subject matters for hours. Then two years ago, he discovered macro economics and international finance. Since then, he breathes and lives thinking about economics policies and international financing, taking local college courses in economics, corresponding with college faculty members, etc. He found his passion. Since he was never “made” to study with reward/punishment driven by our agenda, he takes complete ownership on all the intellectual endeavors he finds on his own. Lately, it’s been a real pleasure to see his intellect blossom in a way no artificial prodding from helicopter parents would have have accomplished. </p>
<p>Alas, yes, the fact that he did not build his EC resume for the purpose of college admission will hurt him. But he is managing his intellectual growth with a complete sense of confidence and ownership - all intrinsically driven. I think in the long run, this is going to be his most powerful asset. </p>
<p>By the way, I read his college essay. The theme is how he discovered his passion through various paths of intellectual meandering. His sense of joy of having discovered his passion and how he looks forward to cultivating it further in college was obvious. It does package him very differently from other competitive candidates with a single minded goal of producing a powerful resume for the eyes of the adcoms. I used to joke that if colleges are looking for a few token “organic free range chickens” in a sea of growth hormone fed super resume builders, he will get in on that quota! Maybe some adcoms saw it that way also - he got an EA from a prestigious university which is ranked at the top in his chosen field (economics). Now, he waits for the rest of the RD decisions…</p>
<p>So, moral of the story: as long as your son shows initiative to devote himself in something that he is passionate about, I wouldn’t worry about the grades too much. You may actually limit the growth of extraordinary minds by putting too many artificial constraints. Let it wonder through all the nooks and crannies of the garden, and see what it finds on its own. In the end, its the marathon they are running, not 100 m sprint. In the long run, that sense of ownership in one’s growth and the confidence and happiness that come with it is far more important than a diploma from a particular school. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>(boy, I took a day off today, and I became a rather “garrulous” poster on CC…)</p>