The US college system is not “wholly intellectual”. If it was, there would be no recruited athletes and no legacy preference, and thousands of people would not have entered “legitimately” as you phrase it. If the system allows for athletes, legacy, hooks etc, as it does, then those are “legitimate” entrants. Whether or not this is how the system “should“ work is a different matter, but you can’t say it’s not legitimate when it’s an accepted avenue of admission.