Friday, November 09, 2007
Intelligence Bullshit
I have always prided myself for being blessed with intelligence. I remember very early on that I always got good grades in spite of the fact that I was lazy. Later on, I needed to work a bit harder to stay on top but still my effort was not that much. It was easy for me to memorize, analyze and well do stuff. I was also in the student council, choir, and what one would call one of those "great" students.
However, now that I am older, I realize how grades do not really measure a person´s intelligence. It just measures one´s ability to try to fit within the norms of a system made up by people obsessed with systems. While it is true that having good grades can open up doors of opportunities, what people fail to mention is that it does not really mean you would know how to enter those doors.
I am mentioning this now because I have been reviewing for my GMAT and TOEFL exams as much as I have been browsing through schools. Some school´s requirements are just too clinical for me! I have read through requirements that do not even ask for motivation letters or CVs of recommendation letters. After 5 years of work experience, one of which was spent leading a national organization (with a -20k loss and later on gaining +70k more), how the hell do my grades 5 years ago measure whether I am good enough or not? I mean my GPA was 3.20 (out of 4) which sounds good but it does not mention that I was Secretary General of the Student Council or that I sang in a choir or that I was nominated to get the Departmental Award. So in the end, I could have gotten a better GPA if I dedicated my hours on studying!
In a way, I have gained extra respect for universities that try their best to see a more complete picture of the person applying. Call it being older or (hopefully) being wiser, but I seriously doubt that these schools merely looking for people with good grades or high scores would really get the best kind of people. Of course, grades are important but it is not the ONLY way to measure a candidate´s potential.
But then again, maybe I am not fit to be in those kinds of schools. I am already wired very differently from normal people anyway. This is just a confirmation that I can only blossom in places where one is celebrated for who she is and who she wishes to become. :)
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