[mirithekiwi]

I would say you are probably correct, although the college admissions process isn't exactly cheap as it is.

It normally costs ~$50 to take the SAT once, plus ~$12 per college you want to apply to. Then there are the SAT subject tests, which cost less ($30?) but it's not uncommon for a student looking to get into a selective school to take >3 subject tests. Then, maybe the student needs to retake the SAT, which is pretty standard, so add another ~$50 dollars and now we're looking at several hundred dollars in exams. This isn't counting the $50-100 application fee per school. Having a professor interview applicants would still be impossibly expensive of course. Do you happen to know how well the alumni interviews work? I never had one, but if I understand correctly, they are a part of Ivy League tier applications where a graduate of the school deems if the applicant would be a good fit. I've heard there's not much weight placed on them, however.

I personally think the SATs are better indicators of socio-economic standing than scholastic aptitude, but agree that there's probably nothing better. I kind of wish that the application process was similar to that for graduate school, where there's more weight placed on the relevant subject test and letters of recommendation.