How Do You Distinguish Between A Polymath And The Perpetually Overbooked Achiever?
Many colleges actively seek polymaths to enroll in their schools. These interdisciplinary geniuses have high potential in multiple areas and thus are more likely to achieve the major breakthroughs that will bring success to the individual and prestige to the school that educated them. These polymaths are geniuses in more than one area. This is a distinguishing characteristic, since most geniuses are limited to one area. Think of Van Cliburn in music or Newton in math. While greatly talented, their abilities are limited to one narrow subset. Compare this to Leonardo da Vinci, who excelled in art and engineering, or Benjamin Franklin who was both a scientist and politician, as well as a printer and engineer. Because the concept of a polymath is somewhat vague (two or more fields of genius) that can often seem disparate, colleges state that they seek “well rounded” individuals with accomplishments in those areas. Parents seeking to meet the colleges’ criteria of the ultimately desirable s
