If this were the case, I see no earthly reason the AO’s would want to publicize that fact.
“On road to college, Questbridge a dead end for many” is not a headline the colleges in question want connected with their name in the New York Times. Even for a semi-competent investigative journalist, the story would write itself. So the very fact that AO’s would discuss this openly (according to random strangers in a FB group) makes these accounts highly suspect IMO.
Imagine a congressman saying to a group of his/her constituents “You know, these bills are sometimes 1000+ pages long, and I don’t usually read them all.” Off the record, they might admit to having their staff summarize most legislation they vote on, but no politician who prizes his/her office would risk saying such things in a setting where a kid with a smartphone might record their remarks.