I went to Harvard for examination with two men not as well prepared as I. Both passed easily, and I flunked, having sat through two or three examinations without being able to write a word.' The same happened at Yale, Both schools turned him down. He never forgot it.
The quote reflects the experience of an individual who faced significant academic challenges despite feeling more prepared than his peers. He attended examinations at renowned institutions like Harvard and Yale, where he observed that the two men he accompanied easily passed their tests while he struggled to even write a response, ultimately failing both examinations. This experience left a lasting impact on him, highlighting the sometimes arbitrary nature of academic success.