<p>^That kind of analysis ignores fit. MIT and Princeton are two very different schools so it is unlikely that the same kid would be equally at home at MIT and Princeton. </p>
<p>And, do you actually have any evidence MIT is more grade deflated than Princeton? MIT has a higher proportion of engineers so it is likely that the average GPA at MIT is lower than the average GPA at Princeton. But, if we were to compare apples to apples (a bio major at MIT to a bio major at Princeton, for example), do you have any proof that MIT grades harder?</p>