Test prep was built into my daughter’s english and math curriculum sophomore and junior year in HS. Integrated into the curriculum though, not instead of. Kids were also expected to buy a prep book and do practice tests over the summer between sophomore and junior year. Free prep sessions were held once a week before school started. That seemed fairly common in our area.
To the point of what elite schools are targeting…I think it is an important skill for students to be able to clearly articulate their strengths and accomplishments. That didn’t come very easy to our daughter who downplayed everything but she learned quickly that not only was it necessary to talk about what she had done for college apps and interviewers, but also for job hunting. The career center at her school had kids practicing their elevator spiels straight off the bat. IMO, it’s a necessary life skill to be able to strike the balance of selling yourself without coming across arrogantly.
I disagree that the admission process doesn’t promote values of altruism , honesty, and especially team work. Team work especially seemed to be something that really is being searched for, especially for engineering majors.