Popular Kids Make More Money

First the cool lunch table, now this. It turns out the popular kids in high school may have an extra leg up on life. In a study released Monday, the National Bureau of Economic Research contends that those in the top 20 percent of popularity translated their social skills into a 10 percent wage boost 40 years after graduation. Researchers based their definition of popularity on a 50-year examination of student connections called the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and argue that those who learn to navigate interpersonal relationships have the tools to succeed in the workplace.