Just adding to the Hunter anecdotes. A mother I know, whose daughter just entered K, told me that she went through Hunter elementary and high school. So this would be 30+ years ago, before the prep testing mania.

She went to Tufts. I asked her if she applied to the Ivys and she said no because she didn't she was smart enough. She said the kids who entered Hunter HS and didn't go through the elementary seemed really smart and she didn't feel as smart and therefore didn't even apply. Just an add-on, this woman was also the grand-daughter of very well known New York politician, who struggled as an African american, became a lawyer and then involved in politics. So the family culture was one of ambition.

Ren