Yes, I really doubt it's possible to increase a school's prestige without also increasing its quality. More prestigious schools inevitably attract a better qual

Yes, I really doubt it's possible to increase a school's prestige without also increasing its quality. More prestigious schools inevitably attract a better quality of student and a better quality of professor. All schools are constantly jockeying for prestige and the quality comes with it. Calling it a "racket" hardly seems fair.