<p>To illustrate Jonri’s point (4), I’ll throw in a cautionary tale about a very bright friend (a national merit finalist) who went to a non-selective college and flunked out. His professors didn’t design their tests to reward students who had a deep understanding of the material presented in class, and the ability to apply that understanding to novel situations - few of their students were capable of that kind of performance. Instead, they designed their tests to reward students who studied long hours. The students with the best grades were those with the best rote memorization skills.</p>