[rvba]

> state schools and community colleges do exactly that, how is that working for them?

It depends? For some good, for some not so good? For a multitude of reasons? One of them being "world is unfair"? Other being money?

Public universities work in Europe. At least to some degree.

Also, this is a philosophical question: should the top universities "manufacture" best students, or are they places where rich peoples" kids can meet each other?

If you hire a programmer do you want: one who can code great, or one who played basketball with the president's kids?