The students that get the short stick when it comes to top private U’s are the upper middle class. The bright children of a RN and police officer, or a social worker and a pharmacist, or a paramedic and a high school teacher, a paralegal and a manager. The bright students in this group can’t afford top privates U’s and don’t get enough aid to make it work. These students end up at their state flagship honors program. Most of the top privates are full of full pay and no pay students. T
As much as people don’t like the full pay students they are needed to make the numbers work. It’s not an accident most top privates have 40-50% full pay students. No margin…no mission. No full pay students=no need aid for first gen students. It’s cost shifting as occurs in health care. As costs go up, up, and away the loss of upper middle class bright students at top privates will continue. State flagships know this are target these excellent students for their honors programs.