Andreas Stefik gave a talk titled The Programming Wars[1] at my school -- I thought it was a fascinating overview and the video is available at the link. If you already are pretty familiar with the history of programming languages (I'm not), it might be less interesting for you.
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.
What is the difference, if you don't mind me asking? How does the use of an image instead of text make it seem like it's not actually from Grooveshark?
As far as I understand it, they ignore FAFSA information but could probably still get an idea of the kid's background based on school, personal statements, etc. I'll admit, it sounds like this wouldn't be as effective for helping disadvantaged students. On the other hand, I think it gives schools plausible deniability for admitting a high number of students who wouldn't need financial aid, giving the school more money.
I thought I was missing something because I only hear great things about it but I couldn't stand it. I tried twice to read it but could never understand the appeal. It's nice to know I'm not alone.
[1]: http://www.cs.washington.edu/events/colloquia/search/details...