<p>im not going to get into the public/private or grade inflation debate again, but i will provide an anecdote about one of my best friends experiences at harvard.</p>
<p>it IS hard. this isnt to say its unbearably difficult by any means, but the level of work my friend was asked to do for his calc 2 and 3 classes there was more than what was expected at my lac (with a very strong math department) and far and away more than what was expected of my friends at flagship state u. i know because i routinely helped my friends when they got stuck on their homework… in some cases the differences in expectations were borderline shocking.</p>
<p>anyway, after deciding that math really wasnt for him, my friend switched to a humanities concentration. and guess what… he found that difficult, so much so that he has since switched again… to computer science. graduating was never an issue. however, earning the 3.0 necessary for teaching certification in many states was.</p>
<p>my point is this: like many have said, if you can get into a school it probably means you can graduate. however, unlike most american high schools it doesnt mean that you will (or even can) get a 4.0 by having a brain in your head and the will to do so. and thats just the way it should be.</p>