<p>I think it depends on the high school and the parents. Self esteem is something that has to be developed before the awkward high school years. One of the kids in the article mentions his mom keeps pushing him to be more normal, that was my experience too. I had classmates that were as nerdy as I was, but were never told they should try to be different. I think that helps. Also, a high school in a college town or with a lot of professors’ kids will have a critical mass of geeks or nerds that are proud to be who they are, and have nerd adult role models to show them there is nothing wrong with it.</p>
<p>I also couldn’t agree more with the previous comment about magnet schools, and I think to a certain degree, the same is true for honors’ programs at large schools.</p>