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Two parts to smart: Is your teen college-ready?

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Contributed by: Wendy Burt-Thomas on 5/13/2008

Here's some unsettling information: Just because your teen can remember math formulas or the timeline of World War II doesn't mean they're ready for college. In fact, brain experts will tell you that there are actually two parts to smart - knowledge and IQ - and you need both of them to get into the top colleges and universities.

So what's the difference? Knowledge is information gained from learning, studying and memorizing academic material, such as historical facts, grammar or mathematical equations. IQ is a measure of intelligence, including things like spatial reasoning, logical ability and relationships. Where once IQ was thought to be a stagnant number (e.g. you were both with your IQ), brain researchers now know that it can actually be increased by strengthening cognitive skills.

Cognitive skills are the tools that enable humans to do things like:
• focus
• think
• prioritize
• plan
• understand
• visualize
• remember
• create useful associations
• solve problems

"A teenager's cognitive skill set is made up of several mental skills, including auditory and visual processing, short- and long-term memory, comprehension, logic and reasoning, and attention skills," explains Dr. Ken Gibson, author of "Unlock the Einstein Inside; Applying New Brain Science to Wake Up the Smart in Your Child." "Unfortunately, many people believe that kids that have memorized a lot of academic information - such as facts, figures and formulas - will automatically do well in college because the did well on their final exams. The truth is, learning isn't about how much you know, but how effectively you process or handle the information you receive. Cognitive skills are the mental mechanisms that process incoming information. By strengthening cognitive skills, you'll create a stronger learner, which is what's needed to succeed in college and beyond."

In fact, IQ scores are sometimes used as predictors of educational achievement. The Princeton Review published a 2003 study about cognitive skills rankings calculated using an SAT to IQ Estimator. College freshmen who scored in the top 19 percent in terms of cognitive skills among their peers were accepted into state colleges. Those in the top 9 percent for cognitive skills were accepted into private colleges. But only those ranking in the top 0.2 percent were accepted into Ivy League universities.

Cognitive skills also play a leading role in financial success after college. College graduates who ranked in the bottom 24percent for cognitive skills were only earning $11,000 to $28,000 a year by age 30. Those in the bottom 25 to 74 percent were earning $44,600 average by age 30. By age 30, those with cognitive skills in the top 75 to 95 percent of their peers were earning $59,900 on average. And the top 5 percent were earning $82,900 a year by age 30.

"This study really demonstrates the importance of strong mental skills not only for getting into college, but in terms of financial success after college," says Tanya Mitchell, Director of Training for LearningRx, a national brain training franchise. "I think it's common for parents to believe that if their teen is getting A's and B's in high school, that's probably what they'll get in college. The truth is that college is much more difficult and memorizing material from books just isn't going to cut it anymore. Teens need strong cognitive skills like logic and reasoning, faster processing speed, problem solving skills and prioritizing in order to not only keep up in college, but to excel."

Although Mitchell says that some college prep courses can be helpful, she points out that they're not about strengthening cognitive skills. "Most of them are focused on academic materials and study habits, not strengthening learning skills. The only way to really strengthen cognitive skills to prepare a teen for college is through intense one-on-one training with a cognitive skills expert."

Mitchell, who also trains new LearningRx franchisees across the country, remembers one particular success story from a student who went through cognitive skills training therapy. "She was a straight A student but really struggled on her ACT - only scoring in the 41st percentile, which meant that she couldn't attend the college she wanted to. She went through the brain-training program for three months and retook her ACT. Her new score put her at the 86th percentile."

The results? Not only was she able to attend the college she wanted, but she also got a scholarship.

"Good brain trainers can work with teens to literally raise their IQ scores and develop stronger learning skills to better succeed in college," says Mitchell. "There's no focus on specific academics, it's about increasing the brain's connections to think, process and learn faster - not memorize more material."

Curious about your teen's cognitive skills? Have him/her take a free online mental skills test at www.learningrx.com.

Wendy Burt-Thomas is the author of two books for McGraw-Hill and more than 1,000 published pieces. www.WendyBurt-Thomas.com

Sources:
1. "Unlock the Einstein Inside; Applying New Brain Science to Wake Up the Smart in Your Child" by Dr. Ken Gibson
2. "Where Will Your SAT or ACT Scores Take You?" www.princetonreview.com
3. "The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life" The Free Press 1994 (Salary estimates adjusted to 2005 dollars)

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Wendy Burt-Thomas

Colorado Springs , CO

Wendy Burt-Thomas has posted 217 stories and 0 comments since joining on 12/26/2006. Wendy Burt-Thomas's average story rating is 4.33.

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