I don’t think you can fault Stanford and other schools for going “on the road” as part of their outreach program. What I do think crosses the line are the personally addressed letters and glossy brochures sent to students stating that their grades and test scores indicate that […] may be a good fit for you. My kids are high flyers and each received numerous such appeals to apply. 16 and 17 year olds are not the most sophisticated consumers and many will develop false hopes about institutions out of their league. To its credit Stanford was not one of the institutions that promoted itself in this way (and one of my children is there now); but many of the very best schools put on the full press. Also with its numerous required supplemental essays, Stanford seems to do its best to deter those who are not serious applicants. The sheer volume of applications to Stanford and numerous required supplemental essays, justify the hefty application fee. As I type, Stanford is building new dorms and plans to increase the size of its incoming class in the near future. All in all I do not doubt the sincerity of the Stanford Dean’s stated dilemma.