They mention BU as the model for GWU in that story. As a Boston area resident, I think that a talented student can learn just as much at BU as they could at MIT for example, but that MIT's main value is a richer intellectual environment and better career opportunities. There are several kids from our high school each year that turn down full scholarships from BU each year and instead go to an Ivy, MIT, or a Carnegie-Mellon. So truly talented students won't pay anything near the sticker price, and may end up paying nothing for a fine education if they so choose.
If you were comparing BU to Harvard I might agree with you. But BU does not compare to MIT. MIT is a technical school and it's teaching style is different from most universities out there. You can not get out of BU what you can at MIT. The money to attend MIT goes to excellent and open ended research labs. Not so much to fancy rec centers. Have you ever taken a tour of MIT? My kids & I got an inside view of MIT when we were tour colleges with my daughter a few years back. It was a fun tour, my DD wasn't even remotely considering MIT, but I personally know people who work there and I wanted my DS to see it. The labs and facilities at MIT are just so inspiring and would make any of our STEM kids.
P.S. My DD goes to a private university that is about 1/2 the cost of the top schools. It's only a bit more expensive than many of my state schools. And what my DD gets for it is small class sizes and personal attention. She doesn't get some of the extra's this article talks about like fancy rec centers or a cohesive campus or the reputation. But its a good fit for her.
