I had a conversation with the psychologist who had done a logitudinal study on Hunter students. She had gone to Hunter grade school. She found that the kids who came in at 7th grade, who had not been accepted into the grade school, had much higher success, than the kids who came into the grade school then continued to the high school.

She thought that having obstacles, being rejected, needing to try harder to get in, not feeling entitled like the grade school kids that usually got admitted to the high school, contributed to success. Obstacles, needed to try harder, to get what you want early, was a large contributor to long term success.