GOOD QUESTION.

Joanne Jacobs: "Instead of fighting over who gets in to a handful of elite schools, why not create more high-quality high schools?"  She's referring to the college preparatory high schools of New York City, but that's a task worthy of school superintendents everywhere.  Yes, a few manufacturers of granite counter-tops might have to rethink their business model.

The generalization to higher education is straightforward.