The insanity of the college application process

Ferguson’s whimsy is, however, finite. He becomes serious — and seriously informative — concerning the spiraling costs of college:

It is, he says, nice to know there is $143 billion for student aid — but worrisome that $143 billion is needed. His history of the SAT confirms the assessment that it is “impossible to find a measure of academic achievement that is unrelated to family income.” It has been well-observed that America’s least diverse classes are SAT prep classes.

Still, the college admission process occasions too much angst. America is thickly planted with 1,400 four-year institutions. Motivated, selective students can get a fine education at any of them — unmotivated, undiscerning students at none.