I am not trying to defeat you. I am not suggesting that one should try to do this without mentioning a program, class or professor. I was merely responding to your suggestion that everything else is fake. My school I went to was uniquely right for me and I knew zero about specific programs, profs or classes at the time but 100% could tell you why that place in a way that people could guess where it was. My D26 has schools on her list that are the same.
I 100% agree that if talking about those things is an authentic piece of one’s why, like it clearly is for you as you can’t imagine otherwise, then absolutely write about those things.
The exercise you suggested for the student is 100% the right one. But, I don’t think OP should try not to mention those things. They should just write it and if those things are in it, great. If they are not and it comes off as 100% this is an MIT essay, also great. There is no defeating here.