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8 replies
  1. JT
    JT says:

    The kid who invented the cancer test attends public school (so does his brother, who is also brilliant)

    • Penelope Trunk
      Penelope Trunk says:

      I think what you’re saying is that parents who have brilliant kids send them to public school. I think we all know this is true. A lot of brilliant parents would rather be doing their own brilliant stuff than staying home with their brilliant kids. So this seems like a no-brainer.

      As an aside, the kid you refer to attended the Johns Hopkins Summer program which was specifically launched because public school so completely fails the top .05% of students in public school.

      Penelope

      • JT
        JT says:

        I don’t think we can say why this boy’s parents send him to public school. It seems rather harsh (and unsubstantiated) to say that his “brilliant parents” would rather be off doing their own “brilliant things.”

        From the sound of it, he has very involved and encouraging parents,who perhaps were quite satisfied with the public schools in their area. They’ve gotten good results, anyhow. All this talk about public school ruining this or that clearly doesn’t apply to this boy.

  2. another Lisa
    another Lisa says:

    Yes he is enrolled public school and at the end of the article they tell you “Jack is very self disciplined and has been able to self study most of the material that he would be doing in the class room and keep up with the homework. He then takes the tests when he is in school.” Even though he is in public school he learning the material on his own at a much quicker pace which frees him up to do his own things.

  4. Crimson Wife
    Crimson Wife says:

    Having good test scores opens doors for a student. Yes, it is sometimes possible to find a way around those requirements, but for my kids, it is easier just to spend a bit of time working through some test prep materials. Nothing like the “all test prep all the time” of our local government-run schools, however.

  5. Heather Sanders
    Heather Sanders says:

    I made an 880 on my SAT in 1989. I think that might be the first time I’ve put that anywhere online, not because I’m embarrassed, but because it didn’t hold me back. Admittedly, I had to take a slightly different route to the University of my choice, but in the process of taking that route I discovered my “academic” love of History. All that to say I found a path, even though my test scores indicated I was ignorant. I stayed home a year and went to a local University, transferring the next year with a 3.825 GPA. I felt amazing transferring into the University of my choice at the same time all my friends who scored 1200+ came home to Junior College on Scholastic Probation.

    What I lack in testing ability (severe test anxiety here), I make up for in hard work and perseverance. In working at a homeschool cooperative, I think my story is more the rule than the exception. Kids are amazing. They find a way to do what they want to do.

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