> In Europe children are not required to write essay or complete extracurricular activities to enroll in highschools or middleschools, and they are not generally dumber than the Americans.

I had to do an admissions test, plus average grade from primary school (50-50 scoring ratio, if I remember correctly).

They score everyone, and put them on a list. The top gets in. The rest, good luck, try somewhere else.

So it's not random.