I agree with your entire post @SEA_tide, but I do want to clarify one thing. Ivies do not offer scholarships, not even for athletes. All grants are need based.
Our family fits that definition to a T. When we ran the net price calculator for my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, the EFC was about $27,000 a year. That’s still a bargain for a lot of families, but that $48,000 difference between the two schools after four years is a big chunk of change for our family. For others it might just mean keeping the old Chevy Suburban for another four year and be no big deal.