Very few people at 18 know what they want to do with their lives. Educational opportunities would open their eyes to more options. In the future, someting like 7 out of 10 good jobs will require higher math and science skills. And as a country we're not meeting those demands.
People like to rail against an "elite" they imagine in Ivy League college campuses and New York City. In ten years they might be angry at the elite in Bangalore or Hong Kong.
Then the government should spend more on education.
If we need a draft to fight wars, then spend it on that.