Let's draw a few distinctions here that are important to note:
1.) This scheme is weird and specifically was for wealthy individual's kids; the idea was, get them accepted, and then the wealthy parents can actually pay for the tuition no problem. And the schools mentioned are not the easiest to get into; some of them are easier than others, but in general, they're highly competitive and have only gotten more so since I even went to school from 2001 - 2015 (grad school included). Acceptance rates have really tightened up to an absurd degree.
2.) This scandal was truly breaking rules by cheating on standardized tests and/or getting an "in" on some sport that doesn't get very much attention and then dropping the sport ASAP. It isn't the same as how athletes generally get admitted into college, which in and of itself is a complex, corrupt, weird process that we should reform anyway.
Lastly, about "life experience" and how that gets people in places: Where a student is from, their socioeconomic background, their experiences thus far, their life story, etc., are all things that can have some, but not usually a huge, effect on the admissions process. So, for example, being from Nebraska no matter who you are is kind of a big bonus because we are a low-population, rural state with few individuals who ever leave it to go to Harvard or Georgetown.
There are intangibles that factor into admissions decisions, and very few of them have anything to do with survivors of the Parkland High School shooting. Jerks.