again there’s so many reasons, high achievers generally don’t go to lower ranked schools bcz it’s part of some elaborate plan to get dux or whatever, I’ve never met someone who didn’t choose a top school for a sloppy reason like that
not trying to sound like a loser I just want to give an anecdote here, I was my school dux in year 10, 11, 12 at a top 40 school so idk kinda mid but decent school, and in junior years I did well too
my relatives and parents friends would ask us all the time why I didn’t try for a selective school or do selective school tests and frankly it was due to 1) money the kind my family doesn’t have, 2) location and convenience, 3) didn’t wanna leave my friends and community. it was never about it being easier to come 1st in my subjects lmao and also competition for me was very neck and neck anyway
trust me no good student is at a lower rank school to steal something that isn’t accessible to everybody else