<p>Lizmane–I think your cynicism is appropriate and your thoughts are right on target regarding the motivations of AU admissions (and I believe AU is not the biggest offender–just look at Tulane, Tufts, Wash. U.)–it is an unfortunate reality of our ranking-obsessed culture, and it certainly isn’t teaching prospective undergraduates anything useful other than “perception is more important than reality.”</p>