Not a surprising take. But a bit misleading.
It takes more than grades and scores to get into schools like Vandy, Northwestern, Chicago and the others mentioned. Those schools also require the most rigorous courses a HS offers, perfect and moving essays, top of the line ECs (which, btw, include working a paying job), great and personalized LORs and outside of school awards and recognition.
All those added elements are not apparent from the info garnered (and sold) by the testing companies. The only info those companies have are address, HS, grades (self-reported) and the resulting score. Schools that are trying to reach heretofore unrreached populations (1st gen, rural, minority) use those preliminary numbers to market - the schools have no idea (other than scores and grades) whether a kid has the rest of the puzzle AND can craft a decent application.
A college's grade and score averages are published (think CDS) so any prospective candidate KNOWS where their score falls on the matrix. The fact that the referenced student was a valedictorian with a 4.0 represents only a few dots on the canvas. (Note there was no assertion that any or all the other required dots (referenced above) were present.) Moreover, those super select schools make no secret of the added subjective requirements. (I don't put much stock in pointing to a surge of applications being the result of a bait and switch; population growth, the advent of the Common App, and the accepted belief that a college degree is needed all contribute. Until these variables are teased out, there is a correlation/causation issue.)
Every one of those schools is looking for a 1st gen, rural student, who worked to make money for college, while making perfect grades in the most rigorous curriculum, scores in the middle of the CDS matrix, with great LORs, etc.
It's not surprising that someone rejected would feel that there was some type of bait and switch happening.
(And, of course, none of this applies to an athletic recruit - which has it's own standard [starting with a big bat or 90 mph].)