[thingsgoby]

Oh dear US citiziens...as a European reading things like this is hilarious. Here it doesn't matter what High School you attend, you go to any university you want because basically everyone is free and with no need to apply. Nobody ever asked me about my HS Diploma or my university grades. In the end the only thing that matters is what you can do/know (global truth).

[nostrebored]

There's also a reason why you see countless European international students in the American higher education system. While Europe has some great universities, many of them are lackluster. What you can do/know can be greatly impacted by the people you're around and the people teaching you. When people are competing for slots at places where you can network with the best and brightest, competition will be fierce.