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<p>I am firmly in this camp. If it is simply a case of good teaching and effort, my first degree would have been mathematics. Nothing I did could have prevented my math grades from declining through high school and college, from an A+ to a C. It is what it is. We dont live in Lake Wobegon.</p>
<p>I suspect one of the reasons for America obsession with elite schools is an attempt to bypass this direct evaluation, much like many folks prefer backgammon to chess; when luck plays a bigger role, we think our chances are enhanced.</p>