<p>@ vassar, I disagree since the invention of new mediums of communication (actually, scratch that I’m just talking about the internet here :P) has spread knowledge of many ‘selective’ schools to increasingly wider audiences which has encouraged more applications to slightly lesser known schools relative to the most well known ones (which most already know). I’m not saying this is the right way to look at prestige but selectivity does often correspond with the perceived prestige of a college.</p>