<p>I have not read the book, but I would not take Gladwell’s tenets very seriously. He latches onto a few ideas, runs with them, and finds dramatic examples to back them up. </p>
<p>Should really bright kids go to “easy” schools to protect their fragile egos? How ridiculous is that? Most really bright kids are “smart” enough to know if they are in an easy class and are breezing through, just as they may have done in high school. They might appreciate the easy “A” but also realize that it was not earned with much effort, and that their peers at more challenging schools have a much more difficult time.</p>
<p>Let me give an example (I know it’s n of 1, but still a personal example). My son took linear algebra at a local college during 12th grade. The college is probably ranked as average in terms of difficulty. The class was SOOO easy for him. He apparently never did his homework, was able to do all of the work in class, got an “A” and his only interesting challenge was doing extra credit assignments. He was the ONLY student who took on the extra credit assignments. There were graduate students in this class, along with upper level undergraduates. He felt that he was so understimulated in this class, that when he went away to college at Brown, he took linear algebra again. It was so much harder there, that he got a “B” in it. Although he was not pleased with his grade, he was very aware that he was with his peers and deserved the grade he got. His poor study skills from high school probably held him back, along with the fact that he was never challenged before and never had to ask for help. A new learning experience. </p>
<p>Suggesting that students go to less challenging schools just to boost their egos and get better grades, IMO, is misguided.</p>