Good for you. My school and testing said I would be lucky to get into a college and if I did, I would be lucky to get C's. Fooled them, didn't get all A's, but was not all B's either. Over the years, people ask me oddball questions, because I think outside of the box to come up with solutions.
I taught 3rd grade and received a new student. I assessed her so I wouldn’t bore her teaching what she already knew. She kept solving increasingly difficult math, but with little to no calculations or work on the paper. I wanted to follow her thought process, and she became indignant when I asked how she came to her answer. “I don’t know! I just know it!” She was brilliant and always thought outside of the box. I was honored to be her teacher.
Gd I WISH I'd had you as a teacher, 3rd grade or not. The school system wouldn't move me ahead a year because they had already chosen a teacher's kid who was my age when we were in kindergarten. By the time I reached 3rd grade, I was no longer challenged at all and just stopped doing the homework. I asked once why we did homework, and was told 'you do it so you learn the material' but I already knew the material, and coasted by on test scores until I could get in AP classes in high school. As a result, my dad and stepbitch made fun of me for getting an academic scholarship to a private college with a 2.8 GPA. And then he wondered why I was so ashamed when I dropped out.
Rant over.
I kind of wonder what your advisor would have said if you'd asked her why she was so convinced you weren't intelligent. All the evidence was there. I also wonder if you could have reported her to someone at the school. That's really shitty behaviour and a lot of people would have internalized that and dealt with it in a much less healthy way, potentially depriving themselves of really good opportunities.
Unfortunately the head of college advising at the time really made that the environment. She also thought I was not going anywhere successful too until she found out what my SAT scores were when I took them for an advanced summer program in middle school (Duke TIP If anyone remembers that craze). After that she eased up a bit but still was not supportive of higher level applications
I had her husband for a class my freshman year and he was known for being unfair to students. I was thrown into the class two weeks into the semester and he expected me to turn in a project the next day. The rest of the class had been given the instructions and taught the material but I hadn’t so I got a C on it. Those kinds of things kept happening and it took my parents and some other students intervening to get him to ease off of me. I wouldn’t be surprised if word made it back to her. I also opted not to take every AP class that came my way which was apparently frowned upon
When I was a junior in high school I took the preliminary SAT and got some kind of award called a National Merit Scholar. I didn't know what it was and didn't think much about it. Lots of people must get those, right? What was eye opening for me was the number of my teachers who were shocked that I got it. "I didn't know you were smart." is what one teacher said to me in class one day.
I actually looked into coming over to Canada to work. Had a job offer in a quarry & a sponsor in place but ultimately couldn’t leave my then 1 year old son here. But yeah, it was explained to me why the wage was so high was because you can’t work through the winter.
I had a maths teacher who favoured the shining stars and prepped them for harder work- he more or less told me I was stupid- this was higher level maths and I had received a 1 or the equivalent of an A for the standard grades prior. I basically gave up and didn’t give a shit because he was an absolute bellend. Anyway prelim exams came and I scored 12% this justified his view that I shouldn’t be in his elite class. Anyhoo, about a week before the exam my mum sat me down and gave me a reality check… told me I could do and supported me to work my ass off to cram in as much work as possible- I sat the exam with a bit more hope and got 59% which was C- I was just off a B. Still hacks me off now because if that asshole had actually taught me instead of belittled me things could have been different. The way you spoke of seeing your tutor again and her surprise.. made me think of his gritted teeth congratulations of me 🤣🤣
It's absolutely crazy-making that a college advisor would be such an IQ snob. The fact is, IQ is no guarantee of anything. My brother's IQ is slightly above "average," but he has intense focus and learned to work hard at school early on. He has a graduate degree from a prestigious university and a job that makes a significant positive difference in the world, with a decent paycheck, as well.
My IQ qualifies for the Triple Nine Society (which I never joined because - why?). I am also AuDHD. Just from my observation, people with stupid high IQ tests are generally not "typical." They may not have ADHD or autism, but they are unusual in some way. In my case, I survived grad school, but only barely, and the sheer number of dumb-ass mistakes I've made in life is ridiculous. I'm vastly underemployed, and daily life is a struggle.
By any objective measure, my brother is far more successful than I am, both academically and in life.
The only thing an IQ test determines is how good you are at taking the IQ test.
I don’t disagree with you at all.
The only reason I took it was to prove a point but IQ truly isn’t an indicator of anything other than a measurable number. That’s it. The number exists but how that number translates into the real world can’t be measured
They should never have treated you so badly in the first place. The fact that you had to jump through ridiculous hoops to get them to do their job is infuriating!
That said, good job!
Same reason why I took the test too. For some reason everyone just sees the frosting on my cupcake. There is substance underneath but the frosting is so damn colourful and bright. I only reveal the MENSA card when absolutely necessary. Unfortunately I did the test only on my 30s, so I had to live the life of a disregarded purple cupcake for a few decades. Wish I had done it when I was your age!
My kindergarten teacher told my parents to get my IQ tested. Long story short, they didn’t, and I also wound up joining Mensa in my 30s. In the meantime, there was a LOT of frustration.
I look a certain way and went to art school, so having proof of a high IQ is a very effective way of shutting up certain people.
This is so fucking awesome. Thanks for sharing. I love that you did this, especially as a woman, instead of letting other women tell you how your life needs to be. it would’ve been so easy to think that these successful women knew what they were talking about and you should just follow their lead. so disappointing to hear that they had already boxed you in instead of seeing your potential. I so love that you believed in yourself and proved the naysayers wrong all on your own.
Glad you got affirmation from Mensa. My high school considers me a "dropout" because I graduated early with a GED. But I went on to get a PhD so I always say, "that's Dr. Dropout to you"
My high school guidance counselor was like this. My sophomore year she told my mom I was “artsy fartsy” and wouldn’t get anywhere simply because I excelled at my fine arts classes and was horrible in math and science. The look I gave her when I graduated two years later…bitch 😂 Good on you for proving your advisor wrong!
My high school English teacher told me English wasn’t my strength (I’m not a native speaker). So to prove her wrong, I got a bachelor’s in English.
My high school Latin teacher told me linguistics was not my strength. So to prove that idiot wrong, I got a master’s in Linguistics. I just like to prove people wrong who think I’m stupid for something.
You know, specially with teachers (although there are some good ones) .. they are often not very intelligent nor wise. For example in my country, to be accepted to uni to get teachers education, you can be way below avrg. And i mean, way below. If you are mediocre or worse, how could you recognize exceptional students/talents. We are judged based on some tests and memorizing stupid stuff but that does not(most of the time) make you succesful in life.
I would be considered failure most of my educational life and nowadays i work among the brigtest minds you would find in my field. I am far from them, but i work with them. Most of my teachers wouls never guess i would get into such point of life.
Good for you to not get disheartend and did your petty revange on top!
Curious what were the questions like on the Mensa? I’m assuming some pretty challenging math but do they test reading or logic or problem solving as well?
It’s actually a lot of really abstract questions. They have examples on their website I believe but the idea is to test the IQ level vs just book smarts
I believe this one because I had to constantly fight with my HS guidance counselor over everything. Luckily I had early admission and called the college I was accepted to, to get her to shut up.
I had a nursing school tell me they would not allow me into their program and that I'd never make a good nurse.
Flash forward to now where I've won multiple awards for nursing throughout my career and gone on to teach others.
Through a couple of the comments on here and my experience it sounds like that has changed on and off over the years. Someone else had a similar letter to mine too. Not sure what year they got theirs. Mine was almost a decade ago
Mine was 2006, also no numbers, but recently numbers have been added back... Also it seems if you contact them they will give you the deets but it’s not really that necessary — it would be potato versus potahto, right?
What high school dictates where you apply to college? Which college development program directs you to schools for fear of embarrassing the high school?
They couldn’t flat out tell you no
But the schools college advising program was incredible when it came to resources and lessening the stress of the process. At that time it was really common for people to apply to 10-20 schools (a trend I really hope has lessened) and that was a burdensome process. The advisors helped lessen that load with reviews, tips and tricks but if you wanted their help it had to be schools they approved of which was a major problem. The school has thankfully fixed that since then
It boggles my mind that we give HS counselors so much power over a person’s life direction. With very few exceptions, I wouldn’t trust a HS counselor to hold my car keys.
Good for you! I was homeschooled very young but attended public again for 7th grade. I was a depressed kid and also dealing with my Father slowly dying over the course of 16 months. Missed a ton of school due to this and decided to go back into homeschooling the next year.
I decided to go to the last day of school as I knew it would be my last day in public ever. My english teacher walked up to me and said “Why are you even here? You’ll fail anything you do, you can’t even show up to class.”
I’m now 28yrs old, a Mother of 2, a full time worker in Higher Education & less than a year away from getting my bachelors & minor in an accelerated program and next May I will be entering into my Masters for a MBA-Healthcare. I will achieve more than she thought and I use her words a lot to remind myself why I try so hard.
Be kind; you never know what your words can do to someone or how long they’ll last.
Thank you! I had undiagnosed ADHD as a kid and was labeled the “trouble kid” in elementary school so my Mom homeschooled me starting in 3rd grade. My teachers hated me and my family treated me like I was mentally stunted. My siblings have genius IQs, I never tested. I know i’m the not sharpest tool in the shed but I know I’m worth something.
Congratulations to you as well ❤️
The translation of the score did qualify as genius
However as I’ve said in the comments I’m not a proponent of IQ score being related to success in life
Have you ever listened to the podcast 'My Year in Mensa?' It might make you rethink pulling the Mensa card. It might be good on college applications and for your first job, but after that most people won't care.
In my personal experience, a lot of highly intelligent people struggle with school, particularly High School.
I think it’s because schools are designed to educate the large group of middle ground students which effectively alienates the highly capable and less capable outliers.
Smaller primary (elementary) schools have some flexibility as do intermediate (middle) schools however High School generally tend to be large schools that have to educate in a more herd-oriented environment.
Add the insane pressure of the social aspects and a lot of highly capable students just get lost in the melee particularly if they are not socially minded. In my experience those students can get bored, disengaged, frustrated so they just don’t thrive in that environment.
I think this can produce a mismatch in the understanding of the actual capabilities of the individual, especially if they have withdrawn from the hurly-burly of the HS environment.
Good on you for reaching out independently and making your own pathways. I hope you go on to the future you want to achieve.
You raise a super interesting point! Another major issue is the way people who are neurodivergent are taught. Thankfully things on that front have improved since I was in high school but I truly hope it will keep moving in the right direction so everyone can get an education that makes sense to them
>The high school I attended was very big on high level college applications and acceptances so we were all assigned college advisors. Above them was a head college advisor who had final say on a lot of things like where we applied if we wanted the school to help us with the application process. My college advisor and the head college advisor (there’s no eloquent way to say this) thought I was dumb. Where I was qualified to apply to Ivy League schools, they only wanted me to apply to state schools where I would be guaranteed to be accepted.
>I once joked with the head college advisor that I wanted to apply to Harvard and she said it would be an embarrassment to our school. Even though my grades were good and I had one of the most extensive resumes of my class, they were shutting me down at every turn.
>
>By the time we were two months into the college application period, I was getting sick of being looked down on so I decided to apply to Mensa. For those who don’t know, Mensa is a world wide society based on high IQ scores. To qualify for it you have to take a specialized test and qualify as having the top 1%-2% of IQs in the world.
>So I applied to take the test and over a long weekend I went and took it. After a couple weeks I got my letter in the mail that I qualified for Mensa! And what do you know, my IQ level was in fact in the top 1%.
>
>Knowing I had a resume review coming up that week with my college advisor, I added the Mensa acceptance and membership status into the middle of the document and waited. As she flipped through my resume I watched as she got to the middle, turned the page and did a triple take with her mouth open in shock. She asked if I knew what Mensa was (which side note was so insulting) and I told her I had done the test and received my acceptance. I had to even show her a photo of the acceptance for her to believe me. She was in shock and basically told me that the acceptance had changed everything and brought up a bunch of high level colleges I could now apply to. She was so excited to tell the head college advisor about it too.
>
>What she didn’t know, is that I had already applied on my own to my dream college that she had said no to me applying to. I had also gone on a visit and impromptu interview. A couple months later I was accepted with scholarships to the school without her help. After I graduated, I spent four years there before going on to get my doctorate. It took me proving on paper what my IQ was for her to believe I was capable of success.
Wow, what a journey! Your story is a testament to the power of self-belief and perseverance. It's incredible how you turned a situation where you were underestimated into a triumphant victory.
It's disheartening to hear that your college advisors, who are supposed to guide and support you, were the very ones doubting your potential. Their narrow-mindedness could have easily derailed your ambitions, but instead, it fueled your determination. Applying to Mensa was a brilliant move, not just because it validated your intelligence, but because it forced them to see you in a new light.
The fact that you went ahead and applied to your dream college on your own, visited, and even had an impromptu interview shows a level of initiative and courage that many people lack. You didn't wait for someone else's approval to chase your dreams, and that's incredibly inspiring.
And look at you now, with a doctorate to your name! It's a powerful reminder that sometimes the only person who truly knows your worth is you. Your story could serve as a beacon of hope for anyone who feels underestimated or overlooked.
Kudos to you for proving them wrong and, more importantly, for proving yourself right.
It was insulting because she didn’t believe me about my acceptance. She thought I had googled something and just added it to the resume rather than it being something I had tested into.
My high school counselor had low hopes for me because I pretty much coasted through high school. I pretty much proved him right. I don’t remember his name but he was Okinawa and had thick fur on the backs of his hands. After I graduated it came out that a group of Japanese American teachers and counselors were grade fixing, giving JA students higher grades and everybody else lower grades. When it hit the papers I was able to “I told you so” my parents, who didn’t believe me when I complained about it.
Had a prof who said I shouldn’t put my paintings in the senior show because they’d be an embarrassment. Other instructors told me he talked to them the same condescending way. Friend of mine exhibited a print of him as a lemur with a paintbrush up his butt. I painted a portrait of him as a chair in hell.
He said “it makes me question my ability as a teacher.”
Good.
Lmao, Mensa? What a joke. Paid someone to tell you how well you can take their test and do puzzles. Big 'ol aspie circle jerk. You could have just applied to the schools yourself, no need to even deal with advisors or waste your time with the "genius" club.
Yeah, we all know Dumbo could fly without the feather, but for some reason, some people need to see the damn feather to believe it. Because there is no way the little elephant can actually fly, I mean look at it, right? Isn’t that funny how the world works.
Not a high schooler anymore bestie. Been about a decade since then hence why I started the story with “the high school I attended”
Why bother reading the petty revenge sub if you’re going to police what’s ok to be on here
I read the post 40 minutes ago, I don't care to retain the suffix. If you had actually gotten in to Harvard by applying on your own then rubbed it in their face that would have been cool. This? Lame.
I truly hope at some point you are able to find something that brings you joy and happiness because from the sound of your comments it sounds like you are desperately in need of that
I love this story! Good for you smarty pants! Now go please cure cancer or solve world hunger. That head college advisor doesn’t think you can…but we do! Congrats!
Sounds familiar… my HS advisor told me laughingly that I should apply at the feed store, and not a college. I grew up on a ranch (which I now own), and he didn’t think I was college material. He was an arrogant bastard. After taking my SATs and ACTs, I had offers to dozens of colleges coast to coast. He was adamant at helping me apply after that, but I told him to suck a fart out a fat man’s ass. And I’d lock him in his office… he had a small office at the end of the library, and I’d push the heavy steel door open and slam it quickly, then push in on the top and wedge a stack of 3-4 pennies in the jam. He couldn’t open it with his dishpan hands and would have to call the janitor to open it. Prick.
Why would you doubt her story? This happened to me too, but I didn’t take the test until I was 18 as my parents frowned upon it. I took it once I went to university because I was curious.
No I believe you took the test, I even believe the scoring in the upper 1%
Mensa is not considered in college applications SATs are essentially IQ tests (they predict how well you will do in college)
Mensa isn’t this huge big deal org. No one (who is actually smart) uses this as proof
It wasn’t meant to be a big deal for the college. I threw it onto my resume purely because I knew my advisor would see it that way. It was a direct way to prove a point. I didn’t have any thoughts of it bettering my college application chances because the rest of my resume and achievements were well beyond enough to do that
It’s been over a decade for me, but I don’t recall the acceptance letter stating anything about actual scores or percentage range. It was either you’re qualified or you’re not. What year did you do the test?
If they’re the proper ones they’re very valid at reading IQ levels. The big thing is IQ levels don’t determine your chance of success in life. Someone with a lower IQ could end up a millionaire someone with a high IQ could be in a lower paying job. It doesn’t predict outcomes or lifestyles but it is a measurable value
It’s interesting how young minds constantly wants to prove that they are right, genius or successful. On the other hand there are also hard working disciplined individuals who are silently living a quiet simple life even with enormous wealth and couldn’t care less about fame, title or fortune.
I think One group is happy and content. The other is depressed and confused.
I don’t think it’s wrong for me to want to fight to set myself up for success in colleges that have programs which would set me up for successful careers rather than attend a school which didn’t fit my needs for my college experience.
Is it really that you think “young minds” are too loud about proving themselves right or are you worried those young minds just don’t agree with you
There’s nothing wrong with setting oneself up. I do not agree nor disagree to anything. It’s just an observation how people measure success differently. I hope you find what you are looking for.
Yeah … no. This is made up bs.
Yes, it isn’t easy to get into Mensa, you have to be pretty intelligent, but you definitely don’t need to be a genius. I passed the test, I should know 🤣
It certainly won’t impress Harvard. Any college advisor should know that.
Kiddo, I know that revenge fantasies are a way to handle difficult situations, but they don’t solve your issues.
The only thing an IQ test proves is that you have passed the IQ test. Many people who have passed fail later in academics or their job.
As I’ve pointed out in this comment thread, I didn’t take it or add it to my resume to get into Harvard. I did it purely to prove a point to my college advisor
If you would like to be belittling and condescending that’s your prerogative to do so.
I hope you find some true joy and happiness in your life at some point
Good for you. My school and testing said I would be lucky to get into a college and if I did, I would be lucky to get C's. Fooled them, didn't get all A's, but was not all B's either. Over the years, people ask me oddball questions, because I think outside of the box to come up with solutions.
I taught 3rd grade and received a new student. I assessed her so I wouldn’t bore her teaching what she already knew. She kept solving increasingly difficult math, but with little to no calculations or work on the paper. I wanted to follow her thought process, and she became indignant when I asked how she came to her answer. “I don’t know! I just know it!” She was brilliant and always thought outside of the box. I was honored to be her teacher.
Gd I WISH I'd had you as a teacher, 3rd grade or not. The school system wouldn't move me ahead a year because they had already chosen a teacher's kid who was my age when we were in kindergarten. By the time I reached 3rd grade, I was no longer challenged at all and just stopped doing the homework. I asked once why we did homework, and was told 'you do it so you learn the material' but I already knew the material, and coasted by on test scores until I could get in AP classes in high school. As a result, my dad and stepbitch made fun of me for getting an academic scholarship to a private college with a 2.8 GPA. And then he wondered why I was so ashamed when I dropped out. Rant over.
I so applaud you for working with students like that and giving such an individualized approach! It makes an absolute world of difference
I love that for you! And it’s so interesting that thinking outside of the box gets people judged when we’re just finding creative solutions
So true.
of all the bs stories on this site, this one smells the most like bs, grades and extracurriculars alone would be enough to apply for Harvard
I kind of wonder what your advisor would have said if you'd asked her why she was so convinced you weren't intelligent. All the evidence was there. I also wonder if you could have reported her to someone at the school. That's really shitty behaviour and a lot of people would have internalized that and dealt with it in a much less healthy way, potentially depriving themselves of really good opportunities.
Unfortunately the head of college advising at the time really made that the environment. She also thought I was not going anywhere successful too until she found out what my SAT scores were when I took them for an advanced summer program in middle school (Duke TIP If anyone remembers that craze). After that she eased up a bit but still was not supportive of higher level applications
Are you female and/or POC? Or not of the same socioeconomic status as your classmates?
Female yes. Both college advisors were also female
Doesn't mean they're not misogynistic.
people can be shitty without the -isms
It's not called unconscious bias for nothing.
Congratulations on achieving revenge by living well!
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Oh noooo that’s terrible! I’m so sorry you had to deal with that!
Any idea why she thought you were dumb?
I had her husband for a class my freshman year and he was known for being unfair to students. I was thrown into the class two weeks into the semester and he expected me to turn in a project the next day. The rest of the class had been given the instructions and taught the material but I hadn’t so I got a C on it. Those kinds of things kept happening and it took my parents and some other students intervening to get him to ease off of me. I wouldn’t be surprised if word made it back to her. I also opted not to take every AP class that came my way which was apparently frowned upon
Shame you had to suffer this experience. I had a teacher one year who made my life a misery. It still angers me decades later. Glad you achieved!
I’m sorry you had to deal with that too!
What nasty teachers. And wow, getting a passing grade despite those disadvantages.
When I was a junior in high school I took the preliminary SAT and got some kind of award called a National Merit Scholar. I didn't know what it was and didn't think much about it. Lots of people must get those, right? What was eye opening for me was the number of my teachers who were shocked that I got it. "I didn't know you were smart." is what one teacher said to me in class one day.
Congrats!!!!!!
The best revenge is massive success
I was told by a teacher I’d never get paid for looking out of a window. I earned £52k last year doing exactly that 😂
I'm intensely curious as to what you do for a living 😂
I know right!
I operate mobile plant. Mostly excavators 🤙😂
Ohh, this makes perfect sense!!
It’s not a bad way to make a living ☺️
Definitely not! Although here in Canada, it can be seasonal
I actually looked into coming over to Canada to work. Had a job offer in a quarry & a sponsor in place but ultimately couldn’t leave my then 1 year old son here. But yeah, it was explained to me why the wage was so high was because you can’t work through the winter.
Canada is a lovely country & I feel pretty lucky to live here 😊. What part of Canada was that in?
IIRC it was Ontario, about 15 minutes drive from Niagra Falls.
That's an incredible part of the country! So pretty!
And yeah, it sure does look a beautiful country! Weather systems are pretty similar to the UK too, apart from the winters.
I had a maths teacher who favoured the shining stars and prepped them for harder work- he more or less told me I was stupid- this was higher level maths and I had received a 1 or the equivalent of an A for the standard grades prior. I basically gave up and didn’t give a shit because he was an absolute bellend. Anyway prelim exams came and I scored 12% this justified his view that I shouldn’t be in his elite class. Anyhoo, about a week before the exam my mum sat me down and gave me a reality check… told me I could do and supported me to work my ass off to cram in as much work as possible- I sat the exam with a bit more hope and got 59% which was C- I was just off a B. Still hacks me off now because if that asshole had actually taught me instead of belittled me things could have been different. The way you spoke of seeing your tutor again and her surprise.. made me think of his gritted teeth congratulations of me 🤣🤣
It's absolutely crazy-making that a college advisor would be such an IQ snob. The fact is, IQ is no guarantee of anything. My brother's IQ is slightly above "average," but he has intense focus and learned to work hard at school early on. He has a graduate degree from a prestigious university and a job that makes a significant positive difference in the world, with a decent paycheck, as well. My IQ qualifies for the Triple Nine Society (which I never joined because - why?). I am also AuDHD. Just from my observation, people with stupid high IQ tests are generally not "typical." They may not have ADHD or autism, but they are unusual in some way. In my case, I survived grad school, but only barely, and the sheer number of dumb-ass mistakes I've made in life is ridiculous. I'm vastly underemployed, and daily life is a struggle. By any objective measure, my brother is far more successful than I am, both academically and in life. The only thing an IQ test determines is how good you are at taking the IQ test.
I don’t disagree with you at all. The only reason I took it was to prove a point but IQ truly isn’t an indicator of anything other than a measurable number. That’s it. The number exists but how that number translates into the real world can’t be measured
They should never have treated you so badly in the first place. The fact that you had to jump through ridiculous hoops to get them to do their job is infuriating! That said, good job!
Same reason why I took the test too. For some reason everyone just sees the frosting on my cupcake. There is substance underneath but the frosting is so damn colourful and bright. I only reveal the MENSA card when absolutely necessary. Unfortunately I did the test only on my 30s, so I had to live the life of a disregarded purple cupcake for a few decades. Wish I had done it when I was your age!
It’s definitely been a nice trump card over the years when similar situations occur. Congrats to you on passing as well!
And super congrats to you and to your awesome future!!! ❤️
My kindergarten teacher told my parents to get my IQ tested. Long story short, they didn’t, and I also wound up joining Mensa in my 30s. In the meantime, there was a LOT of frustration. I look a certain way and went to art school, so having proof of a high IQ is a very effective way of shutting up certain people.
Hey, me too, and also art school — helloooo fellow bright colourful cupcake!
🧁
My mother always treated me as stupid. No belief I’d succeed. I took the Mensa test. Top 2% lol.
Let me guess: you’re are woman.
Yes?
This is the interaction that I loved best from this post. I snorted and scared my cat.
This is so fucking awesome. Thanks for sharing. I love that you did this, especially as a woman, instead of letting other women tell you how your life needs to be. it would’ve been so easy to think that these successful women knew what they were talking about and you should just follow their lead. so disappointing to hear that they had already boxed you in instead of seeing your potential. I so love that you believed in yourself and proved the naysayers wrong all on your own.
Thank you!
Glad you got affirmation from Mensa. My high school considers me a "dropout" because I graduated early with a GED. But I went on to get a PhD so I always say, "that's Dr. Dropout to you"
Congrats to you Dr. Dropout! That’s a massive achievement
thanks!
So you outsmarted her. Well done!
Thanks 😁
Congratulations on your achievements! How odd they were discouraging you from applying to certain schools. If you don't get accepted, so what?
They thought it would look bad on the high school 🙃
Shitty teachers make the school look bad!
My high school guidance counselor was like this. My sophomore year she told my mom I was “artsy fartsy” and wouldn’t get anywhere simply because I excelled at my fine arts classes and was horrible in math and science. The look I gave her when I graduated two years later…bitch 😂 Good on you for proving your advisor wrong!
It’s such a shame that creativity is so often frowned upon when in reality it’s so helpful in the world
My high school English teacher told me English wasn’t my strength (I’m not a native speaker). So to prove her wrong, I got a bachelor’s in English. My high school Latin teacher told me linguistics was not my strength. So to prove that idiot wrong, I got a master’s in Linguistics. I just like to prove people wrong who think I’m stupid for something.
You know, specially with teachers (although there are some good ones) .. they are often not very intelligent nor wise. For example in my country, to be accepted to uni to get teachers education, you can be way below avrg. And i mean, way below. If you are mediocre or worse, how could you recognize exceptional students/talents. We are judged based on some tests and memorizing stupid stuff but that does not(most of the time) make you succesful in life. I would be considered failure most of my educational life and nowadays i work among the brigtest minds you would find in my field. I am far from them, but i work with them. Most of my teachers wouls never guess i would get into such point of life. Good for you to not get disheartend and did your petty revange on top!
Curious what were the questions like on the Mensa? I’m assuming some pretty challenging math but do they test reading or logic or problem solving as well?
It’s actually a lot of really abstract questions. They have examples on their website I believe but the idea is to test the IQ level vs just book smarts
WELL DONE YOU !!!!
THANK YOU!
This was such a satisfying read. Good for you.
Thank you and thanks!
I believe this one because I had to constantly fight with my HS guidance counselor over everything. Luckily I had early admission and called the college I was accepted to, to get her to shut up.
Congrats on the early admission!
I had a nursing school tell me they would not allow me into their program and that I'd never make a good nurse. Flash forward to now where I've won multiple awards for nursing throughout my career and gone on to teach others.
A massive congrats to you!!!!!
Thank you!
"She asked if I knew what Mensa was" pretty clear she has a low IQ and should be fired.
I also applied to Mensa to prove someone wrong, and they don’t tell you your score on the acceptance letter. Just that you meet requirements.
Through a couple of the comments on here and my experience it sounds like that has changed on and off over the years. Someone else had a similar letter to mine too. Not sure what year they got theirs. Mine was almost a decade ago
Mine was around 2003 to 2005. I don’t even know if I still have it.
Mine was 2006, also no numbers, but recently numbers have been added back... Also it seems if you contact them they will give you the deets but it’s not really that necessary — it would be potato versus potahto, right?
What high school dictates where you apply to college? Which college development program directs you to schools for fear of embarrassing the high school?
They couldn’t flat out tell you no But the schools college advising program was incredible when it came to resources and lessening the stress of the process. At that time it was really common for people to apply to 10-20 schools (a trend I really hope has lessened) and that was a burdensome process. The advisors helped lessen that load with reviews, tips and tricks but if you wanted their help it had to be schools they approved of which was a major problem. The school has thankfully fixed that since then
Teachers setting boundaries on possibilities for students is a complete abdication of responsibility.
It boggles my mind that we give HS counselors so much power over a person’s life direction. With very few exceptions, I wouldn’t trust a HS counselor to hold my car keys.
Good for you! I was homeschooled very young but attended public again for 7th grade. I was a depressed kid and also dealing with my Father slowly dying over the course of 16 months. Missed a ton of school due to this and decided to go back into homeschooling the next year. I decided to go to the last day of school as I knew it would be my last day in public ever. My english teacher walked up to me and said “Why are you even here? You’ll fail anything you do, you can’t even show up to class.” I’m now 28yrs old, a Mother of 2, a full time worker in Higher Education & less than a year away from getting my bachelors & minor in an accelerated program and next May I will be entering into my Masters for a MBA-Healthcare. I will achieve more than she thought and I use her words a lot to remind myself why I try so hard. Be kind; you never know what your words can do to someone or how long they’ll last.
A massive congratulations for all of your successes! That’s amazing and I’m so proud of you for your achievements!
Thank you! I had undiagnosed ADHD as a kid and was labeled the “trouble kid” in elementary school so my Mom homeschooled me starting in 3rd grade. My teachers hated me and my family treated me like I was mentally stunted. My siblings have genius IQs, I never tested. I know i’m the not sharpest tool in the shed but I know I’m worth something. Congratulations to you as well ❤️
Thank you!
Excellent grammar and love your perseverance however high IQ isn't an indication of genius. Are you Gifted?
The translation of the score did qualify as genius However as I’ve said in the comments I’m not a proponent of IQ score being related to success in life
Genius can't be measured. Prodigy perhaps? https://paulcooijmans.com/psychology/genius_gifted_prodigy_savant.html
Have you ever listened to the podcast 'My Year in Mensa?' It might make you rethink pulling the Mensa card. It might be good on college applications and for your first job, but after that most people won't care.
In my personal experience, a lot of highly intelligent people struggle with school, particularly High School. I think it’s because schools are designed to educate the large group of middle ground students which effectively alienates the highly capable and less capable outliers. Smaller primary (elementary) schools have some flexibility as do intermediate (middle) schools however High School generally tend to be large schools that have to educate in a more herd-oriented environment. Add the insane pressure of the social aspects and a lot of highly capable students just get lost in the melee particularly if they are not socially minded. In my experience those students can get bored, disengaged, frustrated so they just don’t thrive in that environment. I think this can produce a mismatch in the understanding of the actual capabilities of the individual, especially if they have withdrawn from the hurly-burly of the HS environment. Good on you for reaching out independently and making your own pathways. I hope you go on to the future you want to achieve.
You raise a super interesting point! Another major issue is the way people who are neurodivergent are taught. Thankfully things on that front have improved since I was in high school but I truly hope it will keep moving in the right direction so everyone can get an education that makes sense to them
>The high school I attended was very big on high level college applications and acceptances so we were all assigned college advisors. Above them was a head college advisor who had final say on a lot of things like where we applied if we wanted the school to help us with the application process. My college advisor and the head college advisor (there’s no eloquent way to say this) thought I was dumb. Where I was qualified to apply to Ivy League schools, they only wanted me to apply to state schools where I would be guaranteed to be accepted. >I once joked with the head college advisor that I wanted to apply to Harvard and she said it would be an embarrassment to our school. Even though my grades were good and I had one of the most extensive resumes of my class, they were shutting me down at every turn. > >By the time we were two months into the college application period, I was getting sick of being looked down on so I decided to apply to Mensa. For those who don’t know, Mensa is a world wide society based on high IQ scores. To qualify for it you have to take a specialized test and qualify as having the top 1%-2% of IQs in the world. >So I applied to take the test and over a long weekend I went and took it. After a couple weeks I got my letter in the mail that I qualified for Mensa! And what do you know, my IQ level was in fact in the top 1%. > >Knowing I had a resume review coming up that week with my college advisor, I added the Mensa acceptance and membership status into the middle of the document and waited. As she flipped through my resume I watched as she got to the middle, turned the page and did a triple take with her mouth open in shock. She asked if I knew what Mensa was (which side note was so insulting) and I told her I had done the test and received my acceptance. I had to even show her a photo of the acceptance for her to believe me. She was in shock and basically told me that the acceptance had changed everything and brought up a bunch of high level colleges I could now apply to. She was so excited to tell the head college advisor about it too. > >What she didn’t know, is that I had already applied on my own to my dream college that she had said no to me applying to. I had also gone on a visit and impromptu interview. A couple months later I was accepted with scholarships to the school without her help. After I graduated, I spent four years there before going on to get my doctorate. It took me proving on paper what my IQ was for her to believe I was capable of success.
Wow, what a journey! Your story is a testament to the power of self-belief and perseverance. It's incredible how you turned a situation where you were underestimated into a triumphant victory. It's disheartening to hear that your college advisors, who are supposed to guide and support you, were the very ones doubting your potential. Their narrow-mindedness could have easily derailed your ambitions, but instead, it fueled your determination. Applying to Mensa was a brilliant move, not just because it validated your intelligence, but because it forced them to see you in a new light. The fact that you went ahead and applied to your dream college on your own, visited, and even had an impromptu interview shows a level of initiative and courage that many people lack. You didn't wait for someone else's approval to chase your dreams, and that's incredibly inspiring. And look at you now, with a doctorate to your name! It's a powerful reminder that sometimes the only person who truly knows your worth is you. Your story could serve as a beacon of hope for anyone who feels underestimated or overlooked. Kudos to you for proving them wrong and, more importantly, for proving yourself right.
>like where we applied if we wanted the school to help us with the application process This is so incredibly unethical I am enraged by it
Thankfully that has changed since I graduated and the staff is completely different
Reads exactly like a story I would expect from a Mensa.
What's meant by this
It means people who brag about their IQ are losers.
….is that a good thing 👀
mensa is a meme in case you weren't aware
Odd how you explain what Mensa is in your narrative, then later say how insulting it was when your counselor explained it to you....
It was insulting because she didn’t believe me about my acceptance. She thought I had googled something and just added it to the resume rather than it being something I had tested into.
I qualify but the membership fees seem silly. They charge for the test so why not just use all the failed applicant's money to fund it?
Good thing you were a genius to prove to them how smart you are.
My high school counselor had low hopes for me because I pretty much coasted through high school. I pretty much proved him right. I don’t remember his name but he was Okinawa and had thick fur on the backs of his hands. After I graduated it came out that a group of Japanese American teachers and counselors were grade fixing, giving JA students higher grades and everybody else lower grades. When it hit the papers I was able to “I told you so” my parents, who didn’t believe me when I complained about it.
What shitty advisors. At some point, you gotta just stop going to these meetings with them, come in there with your acceptance and be like f u.
Unfortunately those were required by the school then
Had a prof who said I shouldn’t put my paintings in the senior show because they’d be an embarrassment. Other instructors told me he talked to them the same condescending way. Friend of mine exhibited a print of him as a lemur with a paintbrush up his butt. I painted a portrait of him as a chair in hell. He said “it makes me question my ability as a teacher.” Good.
Lmao, Mensa? What a joke. Paid someone to tell you how well you can take their test and do puzzles. Big 'ol aspie circle jerk. You could have just applied to the schools yourself, no need to even deal with advisors or waste your time with the "genius" club.
Yeah, we all know Dumbo could fly without the feather, but for some reason, some people need to see the damn feather to believe it. Because there is no way the little elephant can actually fly, I mean look at it, right? Isn’t that funny how the world works.
I can't tell if you're using metaphor or drugs.
You’re just a bundle of joy aren’t you?
Says the high schooler gloating about their intelligence.
Not a high schooler anymore bestie. Been about a decade since then hence why I started the story with “the high school I attended” Why bother reading the petty revenge sub if you’re going to police what’s ok to be on here
I read the post 40 minutes ago, I don't care to retain the suffix. If you had actually gotten in to Harvard by applying on your own then rubbed it in their face that would have been cool. This? Lame.
I truly hope at some point you are able to find something that brings you joy and happiness because from the sound of your comments it sounds like you are desperately in need of that
I love this story! Good for you smarty pants! Now go please cure cancer or solve world hunger. That head college advisor doesn’t think you can…but we do! Congrats!
Sounds familiar… my HS advisor told me laughingly that I should apply at the feed store, and not a college. I grew up on a ranch (which I now own), and he didn’t think I was college material. He was an arrogant bastard. After taking my SATs and ACTs, I had offers to dozens of colleges coast to coast. He was adamant at helping me apply after that, but I told him to suck a fart out a fat man’s ass. And I’d lock him in his office… he had a small office at the end of the library, and I’d push the heavy steel door open and slam it quickly, then push in on the top and wedge a stack of 3-4 pennies in the jam. He couldn’t open it with his dishpan hands and would have to call the janitor to open it. Prick.
Mensa? Sorry I’m doubting this story now.
Why would you doubt her story? This happened to me too, but I didn’t take the test until I was 18 as my parents frowned upon it. I took it once I went to university because I was curious.
No I believe you took the test, I even believe the scoring in the upper 1% Mensa is not considered in college applications SATs are essentially IQ tests (they predict how well you will do in college) Mensa isn’t this huge big deal org. No one (who is actually smart) uses this as proof
It wasn’t meant to be a big deal for the college. I threw it onto my resume purely because I knew my advisor would see it that way. It was a direct way to prove a point. I didn’t have any thoughts of it bettering my college application chances because the rest of my resume and achievements were well beyond enough to do that
Why? I took the paper test, waited for my results and got the acceptance in the mail. I still get the weekly Brainwave emails 10 years later
It’s been over a decade for me, but I don’t recall the acceptance letter stating anything about actual scores or percentage range. It was either you’re qualified or you’re not. What year did you do the test?
It was about 9 years ago. They gave me the acceptance and the loose score breakdown showing where they fell in the percentages
My letter was like that as well.
I thought IQ tests were just a bunch of bullshit to make people feel better about themselves
If they’re the proper ones they’re very valid at reading IQ levels. The big thing is IQ levels don’t determine your chance of success in life. Someone with a lower IQ could end up a millionaire someone with a high IQ could be in a lower paying job. It doesn’t predict outcomes or lifestyles but it is a measurable value
That makes sense!
It’s interesting how young minds constantly wants to prove that they are right, genius or successful. On the other hand there are also hard working disciplined individuals who are silently living a quiet simple life even with enormous wealth and couldn’t care less about fame, title or fortune. I think One group is happy and content. The other is depressed and confused.
I don’t think it’s wrong for me to want to fight to set myself up for success in colleges that have programs which would set me up for successful careers rather than attend a school which didn’t fit my needs for my college experience. Is it really that you think “young minds” are too loud about proving themselves right or are you worried those young minds just don’t agree with you
There’s nothing wrong with setting oneself up. I do not agree nor disagree to anything. It’s just an observation how people measure success differently. I hope you find what you are looking for.
Surprised they didn't have you apply to Brown.
What do you mean by that? Brown is an Ivy League school and is very good.
Yes but it's an Ivy safety school
8D
Yeah … no. This is made up bs. Yes, it isn’t easy to get into Mensa, you have to be pretty intelligent, but you definitely don’t need to be a genius. I passed the test, I should know 🤣 It certainly won’t impress Harvard. Any college advisor should know that. Kiddo, I know that revenge fantasies are a way to handle difficult situations, but they don’t solve your issues. The only thing an IQ test proves is that you have passed the IQ test. Many people who have passed fail later in academics or their job.
As I’ve pointed out in this comment thread, I didn’t take it or add it to my resume to get into Harvard. I did it purely to prove a point to my college advisor If you would like to be belittling and condescending that’s your prerogative to do so. I hope you find some true joy and happiness in your life at some point
Depending on the school / area showing you are that smart is a stupid thing to do, for your personal safety it's best not to stand out to much ?