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<p>For the record, I never said, nor did I ever mean to imply, that going to Stanford or Harvard will “set you for life” or “guarantee” you a spot anywhere.</p>
<p>What I have said is that on a probablistic standpoint, certain paths are easier than others, and the fact is, when it comes to grad school admissions, grade inflation works. It shouldn’t work, but it does work. Grad school adcoms should adjust for the differing grading practices of different schools. But the empirical evidence strongly indicates that this is not so. Hence, ceteris paribus, it is to your strategic advantage to attend the school that has the most inflated grading. Sad but true.</p>