<p>ctyankee - private universitites are businesses. This is not about “fairness.” And the topic totally hijacks the OPs question. Honors students are the best and the brightest. Schools come up with incentives to lure them to their school. Be it different dorms, special programs and opportunites, scholarships, etc. Honors students raise the bar for the university. The ski resort analogy is absurd. </p>
<p>Mike, when your D, has to make her decision. It probably won’t be the dorms that sways her. If she’s honors level, she will probably get offered some scholarships. It’s very subjective. I suspect her pride will kick in too. Sometimes HS students don’t want to be perceived as “geeks”, but college is a whole new ball game. All of a sudden, it’s very cut-throat as to admissions. University prestiege factors start getting weighed vs. cost benefits etc. She will feel a “pull” toward some schools and be bored by others. Have you taken her on many tours yet?</p>