...I went to a "diverse" school, and my grades plummeted (from straight A's to C's, D's, F's). There were many other variables (self-esteem, family ish, etc) but one of the de-motivators was my want to not stick out or be made fun of...cuz I didn't fit in w/ the white kids, but I didn't fit in w/ the blacks either.

I attended a predom-Black high school and my experience was completely different. I mean, I was a lame...but not because I got good marks or was into the arts (which I was)-actually those things saved what little status i had...more for "traditional" reasons (lack of fashion sense or the means to achieve it, strict parenting, no social skills, questionable attractiveness). I had a well-rounded academic experience, played sports, dated and had a variety of friends across socio-economic (if not cultural) lines. Also, most the "popular" kids were in the honors classes, and made more of a point of making fun of blatent stupidity over most other things...

Now Ivy League...that was a whole other plate of yams...that could warrant some interesting studies.