<p>Consumers should really focus on the bottom line cost and realize that there are colleges at every imaginable price point -- any of which can be a good or bad value depending on what they offer for that price.>></p>
<p>Absolutely. I think I have posted the College Board's materials explaining the laws of supply and demand to financial aid officers here in the past - it really is all about supply and demand, both for admissions and for financial aid. </p>
<p>That is why I stress the importance of a well-targeted list that includes schools that want and need what you have to offer, especially if you have financial considerations. By the same token, of course, students and parents have to decide what their price elasticity is going to be for various college choices, and weigh their own supply and demand issues. Some families may be perfectly willing to pay full price for an Ivy league school, some would rather opt for a different school with a discounted price. But, thinking of it in terms of students having something of value to sell to colleges (and all students have something to sell to some college) instead of all of the value lying in the lap of colleges, puts some of the power back into the hands of applicants, where, ultimately, it should be.</p>