On the surface, high GPA scores would seem indicate a students motivation or aptitude for success. Certainly through the eyes of academia, classification of a student’s future ability would be reflected through these test scores. At first glance, this would seem so.
Delving a little deeper; Test achievement scores reflect only one aptitude, of any given student. High test scores would equate to a student that does well in a classroom environment, and would most likely be quite duteous. Furthermore they would have an excellent grasp of classroom criteria. Well performing students are well groomed to fit into the conventional system, as it has been created.
As well-performing students enter the job market, they are finding that they have entered into a market place with other outstanding students who have achieved academic success. Academic success becomes an even playing field as bright engineering graduates find themselves surrounded by equally qualified candidates. With an even playing field, there must be other dynamics that allow one to rise above the pack.
America has enjoyed the successes of thousands of self made millionaires who were academically challenged, yet excelled in other avenues; such as creativity, cleverness, inventiveness, or a brilliant set of social skills that allow acceleration above all others.
An argument could be made that while these things are true, that academic achievement still provides the fundamental foundation that creativity and inventiveness can be built upon. I would agree with this, but would suggest that those who are bent toward the side of creativity and thinking outside the conventional system, are simply not as fundamentally wired to flourish in left-brain logical and analytical systems that are required to achieve high academic test scores. This group of people can excel in industry even having graduated college with medium to low test scores.
Those with the inclination of right-brain thinking; of creativity and inventiveness, are the ones who achieve great new things. Being pegged as underachievers, they learn to fight hard and think creatively. This group of students should receive student loans regardless of their grades. While their grades may be on the low side, the experience of college does teach these millionaires how to use the system to get where they are going.
I am a good example. I was a terrible student and I dropped out of high school; yet eventually I found my way to college and I became an industrial electrical maintenance supervisor for Panasonic. I then went on to invent a global product, and bring it to the market.