I don't get all this existential talk about college acceptance. Yes, elite schools should expect elite applicants.

Meanwhile, the state school down the road is a fraction the cost, teaches a lot of the same content, and will accept anyone with a pulse. In my state, at least. State universities are somewhat competitive to get into, but state colleges... wide open.

All of which is very real-world. Certain top firms recruit only top candidates. Everyone else works somewhere further along the spectrum.