Everyone is entitled to their opinions and I appreciate yours.
Why can't we do what you incredulously suggest?
I'm recommending an eBook created by the community of Y Combinator for those that apply to the startup school. This eBook will contain blog posts, videos, essays and presentations that the community finds to be informative or even inspirational. It will be updated for each session. Each post will also include a blurb from someone in the community and why they think the post important.
It will be 40 - 50 pages in landscape format. It will be diverse and touch on technology, marketing, finance, management and design relating to startups. We send this eBook to every founder right after the deadline. Not as a "gift" from YC, but from YC's community. We can call it "Y Combinator Home-Schooled".
How it enhances the message of learning and helping that YC already conveys is obvious. But there's also the opportunity to make the community that much stronger by working on such a project and to invite these new applicants to join the community.
It's easy to say, "no". Probably worth it to say, "yes".