I have been thinking about this for the last few days. I was aware of it but had never thought of it as promoting the "easy route" before. My advice has always been to go to a school you like and is the best school you can get into. Typically the best schools one can get into are going to be more difficult. This seems like if you have 32 ACT scores and want to serve maybe you should play it safe and go to a school that has an average 24 ACT so you can more easily achieve high marks. I can't see how this serves the military or the person well. I know it is the system and there is nothing I am going to do that will change it. I can't in good conscience tell my own kids or any other kids to go to an "easy" school so you can get good grades. The grades are important but it is what you learn that will make you competent and successful in your field. I am obviously a bit conflicted on this.
I looked at it the opposite way, don't go to a 32 ACT average school when you have a 24 ACT, as in avoid the 'long shot' schools. DS initially was fascinated by ROTC at Vanderbilt, a 32 ACT school and he has a 27 ACT.
I suggested a school where he was eligible for the Honors program and it's more challenging course load, giving him the option to take it down a notch by dropping honors program if needed, or graduating 'with honors' if that worked out. I think applying to schools where he was a Honors student may have helped him get a scholarship as well-with no facts to back it up.
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