<p>^OK. But if you truly want to “match academic strength to academic strength,” wouldn’t you seek out the best students in each subject to match them to the best faculty? In other words, you would look for students showing genius-level aptitude in physics to admit as physics majors. Brilliant writing students to team up with English-department faculty. Promising social scientists to work with esteemed social-science professors (although how you would determine that in a 17-year-old, I have no idea). You wouldn’t need, or necessarily even want, the well-rounded students who excel in every subject. You would want the off-the-charts talented students in each particular area, and you would hand-pick them. Or better yet, let the faculty do it.</p>