My kids go there. Most of the kids a just plain bright, with only a few brilliant. They really come across as quite normal. There is a lot of homework, but not too much. They take it in stride. After all, it has been their only reality.

Hunter has a few rich kids; it is mostly middle class. Entrance is citywide through a very competitive exam. About half the kids are from ultra-striving first-generation Asian families, many with modest incomes.