<p>Well said, Byerly.</p>
<p>There is a ridiculous sense of entitlement that just because one is a ____ (put your "hook" here), one should be accepted by Harvard.</p>
<p>That Siemens winner is entitled to Harvard, plain and simple. Solving Dirichlet's problem is a significant accomplishment, even for a mature mathematician; at the age of 16, it is amazing. For the rest of us mortals, too many people want a too few spots, and most will be rejected as a matter of absolute logic. Harvard's obligation is to meet its institutional needs as it invests in each new class it builds.</p>