<p>Obviously top colleges want students who are naturally gifted and have a dedicated work ethic so that's not a question. But I was wondering do colleges prefer someone who is highly motivated but has a harder time grasping concepts and understanding material, or someone who is very bright and understands what they learn but are less motivated. If you really want to generalize it I'm guessing it's High GPA/Low SAT vs. Low GPA/High SAT, but thats speaking in very broad terms. Just wondering what y'all thought.</p>
<p>The smart, lazy one of course.</p>
<p>I think this is a tricky subject. A top school respects a kid that works hard and struggles through difficult curriculum but eventually suceeds. BUT for the purposes of their classroom settings and the type of student body they want, they may very well prefer the kid who's brilliant because they are less likely to need gobs of help come freshman year.</p>
<p>...bump...</p>
<p>Low GPA/High SAT every time, assuming the difference in GPA and SAT quality are the same for the High GPA/Low SAT student.</p>