[amadeuspagel]

bad school in the US => colleges particularly enthusiastic about accepting you as an underprivileged child

lower tier school in germany => no higher education

[em-bee]

good students can switch tiers. and there are tierless schools too (gesamtschule) which allow any student with an average of grade 3 (C in the US system) or better to continue to high-school and qualify for university.