<p>As one of those classic high school “brainiacs,” I won’t apologize for wanting / preferring an environment with a high density of smart students and an atmosphere in which it’s fine, not uncool, to be jazzed about your studies. And duh, that’s found plenty of places beyond HYP - so this strawman about wow-is-me-Grinnell doesn’t fly. But it’s not found everywhere and it’s disingenuous to pretend it is. The existence of a few really bright kids on campus is not the same thing as an environment rich in them. And it’s particularly disingenuous from people who put their kids in honors / AP classes. The environment is different, otherwise you’d keep your kids in regular level classes. </p>