I can try: universities differ in rigor and students differ in capability. A student gets the most out of education (and becomes more capable) when presented wi

I can try: universities differ in rigor and students differ in capability. A student gets the most out of education (and becomes more capable) when presented with a challenge just below his threshold. Put him in a program that's too hard, and he'll have a shitty time while learning nothing and wasting a lot of money before washing out. Put him in a program that's not hard enough, and he'll succeed within it but his growth will be suboptimal. Match students to the colleges that will be hard enough to get them to grow, but not so hard that they fail.