That is interesting @threebeans. My kid didn’t get that impression at all from his seminar. Did she feel that the professor set that tone? I could see why having even one or two overly chatty teens in a quick seminar like that could be jarring for some. My kid is not interested in cut throat competitive environments at all. He very much just stays in his lane with his own academics and enjoys collaborating with engaged peers.
My kid is also a likely candidate for grad school. I’m mostly interested in it for him for honors housing right now because I think that would be great for him socially (not likely to be the party type) though I hope he would follow through and take advantage of the opportunities available.