It seems like the PhD admission process is mismatched with the goal of admission. Phd students are recruited based on application rather than research interest

It seems like the PhD admission process is mismatched with the goal of admission. Phd students are recruited based on application rather than research interest. A candidate can easily go to an are which they have zero interest in. Why not match students with professors pre admission? Phd from mit doesn’t mean much if you can’t work in your chosen field.