So I guess you are equating better test or grade scores for admission as merit. (As someone who worked hard & made good grades!) I can respect that.
But today’s competitive system is quite different. We are talking about razor-thin differences of GPA with no tolerance. Test scores that have had cultural & class biases forever are now meta-gamed by families who can afford coaches, prep classes, & multiple retakes. College essays also with coaching. Kids who can afford it are urged to apply to 15-20 schools [nice income for the admission services & inevitably leads to a school’s ultimate badge: low admission rates]
I am not convinced that a high school kid who has been forced into math drill classes all his life, forced to take advanced math WAY too early, never allowed out of the house to visit friends, never learned any skills beyond tests & grades is more deserving to attend college than others.
That’s why I suggested reasonable application standards (allows for merit, but also allows for screw-ups & redemptions) in conjunction with a lottery.
BTW, honestly, I did force kiddo to take an SAT prep class. Because she has to live in the world as it is!