Selectivity

It's a crazy world when top-tier colleges seemingly brag about how few students they accept. And it's even crazier when the statistics really don't back up the braggadocio. The Answer Sheet, the Washington Post blog by Valerie Strauss about colleges, looks at this issue and offers studies that indicate there are more slots at some of these colleges than before. The post also reminds us that a number of those students applying to the so-called best colleges have no chance in hell of getting in -- their grades and scores make it unrealistic to even contemplate admissions success.

Then again, just as we are seeing documented changes in how people spend and how they think about value and what is important (something good coming out of the ugly, sad and unnecessary recession?), maybe we will start being more pragmatic -- more selective ourselves -- when it comes to thinking about which colleges make the most sense.