US HS has an impossibly high skillcap atm to the point of absurdity.
One does not simply graduate US HS and come out as an equal to every other HS graduate. The meta these days is to become the most accomplished HS graduate achievable.
>>jimbob+(OP)
Only if you are going for the big guns in college admits. Everyone making ok grades gets into some state school. Might not be the main state school campus but its easy to transfer in from satellite campuses usually.