by Wendy Burt-Thomas

Created on: May 19, 2008   Last Updated: May 23, 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

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