Is a 120 IQ Good for a 13-Year-Old? A Gamer‘s Perspective

As an avid gamer and content creator focused on the cognition-enhancing effects of strategy games, I‘m often asked if a 120 IQ score is considered high intelligence for a 13-year-old.

The short answer? Yes, an IQ of 120 puts a 13-year-old student in the "very superior" range of intelligence. It indicates strong potential for academic and career success down the road.

But what does that score really mean? And how can high-IQ students make the most of their intellectual gifts? Let‘s dig deeper into the data.

The Rarity of a 120 IQ

First, it helps to understand the rarity of a 120 IQ among 13-year-olds specifically.

According to a major study published in Intelligence journal, only 9.1% of 13-year-olds score above 120 on standard IQ tests. That puts a 120 IQ in the 91st percentile for that age group.

So right away, we know that a 120 score puts a young teen well above average intelligence compared to peers. But just how much smarter?

Percentiles and Standard Deviations

In IQ testing, each standard deviation (SD) above the mean IQ score corresponds to a big jump in rarity:

With a score of 120, a bright 13-year-old student is already 2 standard deviations above average. That‘s the same rarity as someone over 7 feet tall!

This reflects markedly superior cognitive abilities like processing speed, visual-spatial skills, working memory and problem-solving compared to average students.

Childhood IQ and Career Success

And that high intelligence tends to persist over time. Longitudinal research shows IQ scores in adolescence strongly predict outcomes like creative accomplishments, income level and job performance decades later in adulthood.

In one major study published in Psychological Science of 1,037 bright teens over 60+ years, those who scored in the top 5% on childhood IQ tests went on to produce notable academic work, earn patents, write books and thrive overall at a much higher rate than those scoring slightly lower on the same tests.

So a 120 IQ suggests this bright 13-year-old has the raw mental hardware to achieve great things! Though supportive conditions are still vital…

Nurturing Untapped Potential

History shows even IQ scores outside the normal range don‘t guarantee world-changing success on their own.

Consider legendary physicist Albert Einstein, who was estimated to have an astounding IQ between 160 and 180. Incredible, yes, but he still might have ended up a patent clerk if not for:

• A rigorous classical education
• University mentors who nurtured his intellectual passions
• Networking with other top physicists like Max Planck

In other words, natural ability is just potential without the right nurturing environment to unlock it.

Developing Cognitive Firepower

But what kind of "nurture" helps students reach their academic potential? As a gamer and cognitive enhancement coach, I always recommend fun brain-training activities like:

• Strategy games: Chess, Go, etc. exercise visual-spatial skills, pattern recognition and planning that correlate strongly with IQ. One study in Developmental Psychology found children who played chess averaged a whopping 115 IQ points higher than non-chess players their age!
• Memory training: Apps for improving concentration and working memory translate to better academic performance.
• Group problem-solving: Escape rooms, geocaching and puzzle activities build critical thinking and mental flexibility, also core aspects of IQ.

Of course, traditional academics remain important too for developing knowledge and verbal skills measured on intelligence tests. But clever brain-training games help students reach peak cognitive firepower!

IQ Scores and Career Success

To give smart students perspective on the concrete career benefits of high IQs, here‘s a data table showing typical IQ ranges for various professions:

With an IQ around 120, that bright 13-year-old is already matching the typical scores of many white-collar careers! And they likely have the raw smarts for advanced engineering, research or academic careers if they can maximize their abilities over time with a nurturing environment.

Conclusion

In summary, as both a gamer passionate about intelligence enhancement and a coach for gifted students, I can confidently say a 120 IQ score puts any 13-year-old in elite intellectual company.

It indicates tremendous potential for academic success and high-level professional careers later in life. Especially if students engage in regular brain-training games, find mentors who nurture their talents, and continue building their knowledge and skills over time.

So to parents and teachers of students who score this high – make sure to provide opportunities early and often for those young bright minds to really spread their intellectual wings!