[theben]

Greg,

Most HS in the USA are horrible. I'd wager to say that 90% or more HS in this country are lousy.

When I started at my university I was as indolent as can be, (50% attendance rate, may be highballing) yet I made 7 A's and 1 B+ my first year. Most people at my university came from low quality public schools, took less demanding schedules, and struggled.

Some of the many academic issues w/ schools these days:

-lack of quality teachers with a passion for teaching
-poor emphasis on math/science
-poor instruction on writing
-lack of challenging tests

Just take a look at most school's AP results. You'll have kids making A's in HS classes who struggle to get a 2 or 3 on an AP exam. Most high schools will take pride in having students merely pass AP exams, rather than actually doing well.