While I agree that the coveted letters to some of these programs come down to being a numbers game. Fueled by politics and a large margin of luck. I think that it would be foolish to say they aren’t indicative of a applicants talent, marketability, tenacity and aptitude. YES, there are certainly students who exhibit all of these attributes that do not get into programs. However, to discredit the accomplishments of another who was fortunate enough to, because your experience has been different. Seems really harsh.