<p>^ gadad,</p>
<p>Agree with your peer group conclusion, which is supported by a lot of other social science research in contexts outside higher ed. </p>
<p>Interestingly, peer group issues are also a problem in elite universities. The discussion is way beyond this thread, but one worth considering: among elite universities, many, even most of the admittees are admitted based on, shall we say, broader criteria than academic merit, leadership promise and all the other things adcoms talk about. Consider how fast the numbers for URM, athletes, legacies and other hooked applicants add up.</p>