Where I'm from, practically only students that aspire to be doctors get "straight A's" in high school. If you get "straight A's" in elementary school, well you'

Where I'm from, practically only students that aspire to be doctors get "straight A's" in high school. If you get "straight A's" in elementary school, well you'd better not be too shy because you might end up on regional or national television. Grade inflation has gone too far when kids that get straight C's are hardly trying, and getting "straight A's" is only a minor achievement in moderately ambitious circles. You could have the most brilliant person - given she also had no problem utilizing that brilliance in a typical school setting - go through the entire system and on paper she would be indistinguishable from an average kid with solid work ethic. Personally I went to university and studied computer science courses as well as more soft courses, and I have better grades than I did in high school. Of course a part of that is because I enjoy at least parts of all the courses I've had to take.