They're doing that because it's the only leverage they have, because of our screwed-up system. In a more just world, the kind of "pay me $1 billion" stuff that Trump is doing to UCLA would instead be done tenfold to the most elite institutions to force them to entirely remake their operations on a more equitable footing.

Is it leverage if it doesn't harm Stanford, and didn't impact their choice?

I might as well have said they're going to crush 10 puppies a day until Stanford relents