The education market in Brazil has been on a strong consolidation trend in the past decade, having a few institutions owning the vast majority of students being approved in top exams (IME, ITA, federal universities, medicine).

I realized early on the sad reality that the ones getting approved weren't really paying the bill (80%+ discounts for promising candidates), while struggling students trying for the third consecutive year were closer to full price. It felt just and meritocratic when I got in the special few, but the selection bias for privilege was tragic: almost all of them were rich. Yet another wealth transfer from the poor to the rich.

I hope this marketplace will undo the consolidation trend and lower the prices a bit, but I won't bet on it.