it would seem that at schools with very selective admissions like ND that they need to have the freedom to take special cases, not exactly sure what you would define as a special talent but say there was a high schooler who was incredible with a musical instrument but not quite academically where they need to be to gain admission, I could see making a decision to admit. Sure it might bump someone who would have been admitted, but life isn't always fair and you can't make it fair with hard line admissions criteria.

At a place, like Texas State, where 70+% of the applicants are admitted their needs are much different than Notre Dame's or any other elite school private or public.