> I phoned a Harvard official, with whom I was on friendly terms. First I asked whether the gift played any role in Jared’s admission. “You know we don’t comment on individual applicants,” he said. When I pressed further, he hung up. We haven’t spoken since.

Were they actually on "friendly-terms"? How did he "press further"?

I have to doubt the premise of this article:

> I also quoted administrators at Jared’s high school, who described him as a less than stellar student and expressed dismay at Harvard’s decision.

Why would an an administrator comment on an individual student? What reason do we have to trust such an individual?