I think what people have to understand is that letter grades are not a standardized system. You may think that because you’re top 5% in the country, you’re “an A student” and should be able to get an A in any class if you do the work. But for some classes in some schools, especially where you’re in with a lot of top 1% students, that may not be the case. And a B or a C in such a class is nothing to be ashamed of! And in some cases you really can get an A if you do the work, but doing the work is going to be much harder than what you’re used to.