There is also a strong selection for students who will fight to be the best, especially in ways that are easily quantified. Students like this aren't always sh

There is also a strong selection for students who will fight to be the best, especially in ways that are easily quantified. Students like this aren't always shy about demanding a formulaic way to get an A. You can try to fight it, grade on a curve, etc, but there's only so much time in a day and in the end it's much easier to come up with a formula that they can follow, and to let them follow it.