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Yeah, Princeton is usually regarded in academia as having a better undergraduate program than Harvard, yet Harvard has a lower acceptance rate because of all those kinds of people applying. Kids at my school apply to Harvard because their parents want to see if they “have a shot”.</p>
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You have a very good point, most people are like this, yourself included. But some, this desire for title only comes in the college search. Kids with high stats of course are going to look at top schools. But when finalizing their college list and applying to schools they definetely see themselves being at, the alterior reasons can become the sole motive for applying. I was attracted to Harvard and Yale a couple of months ago, but now I know those schools are not for me. The title of an institution also has a lot to do with its strength and the other reasons for attending that you listed, so prestige and the true reasons for applying can usually become mixed together.</p>