It disappoints me that so many commentators on the NPR site infer from the title--"Why Many Smart, Low-Income Students Don't Apply To Elite Schools"--that the article is essentially bashing "big fancy private college[s]" for being overpriced and not-worth-it.
In contrary, it author/article is trying to find and explain why the above misconception exists.
And it seems as though the people this article would most help don't even read it.