<p>Ive heard of that study but I wonder about it. The smartest, most powerful people in the US are doing everything in their power to get their children admitted to these schools. If this group thought their kids would do just as well going to State U., they would be the ones who would be savvy enough to save themselves the extra $100,000 or so in tuition, not to mention all the other pre-college expenses of trying to get their kids to have the best chance at admission. The fact that people who could have gone to a highly selective school do as well as those who go there is not the same as saying that those who go to a highly selective school would do as well if they hadnt gone there. There is no way to directly test the latter statement, but the actions of Americas elite suggest they dont believe it be the case for their children.</p>