I understand that you're disappointed about the college admissions of your kids. But, as you admit, they're doing just fine. Think about how many students coming out of American high schools in any given year have equivalent academic records to your kids. There are thousands. It is numerically just impossible to admit them all to the elite schools. You can't just arbitrarily add more students. There has to be the infrastructure -- buildings, staff, housing, faculty -- to support additional students. So even if it was 'fair' there would be absolutely stupendous students who were not admitted.
As I mentioned in my response to another thread about the scandal, it turns out that your kids are a perfect example of how career success is FAR more related to how well students do in whatever college they attend rather than which college it was.

If I were a wealthy parent of dimwits who saw a college degree as the path to success - I quite likely would have done the same thing. However, I don't see a college degree as the path to success and because I never promoted that BS to my kids - they're doing great and they don't mind getting their hands dirty. I can't blame a rich parent for bypassing the rules because they, like many others, have been led to believe that a degree matters more than skill. That's not their fault - that's the fault of school districts that ended their vocational programs because sports programs brought in more money. Vocational programs introduce students to a variety of industries and related jobs that they may develop a passion for and degree or not - if you wake in the morning with a passion and a purpose - you're going to be successful. If you don't have that passion - you're mom is feeding you while you play video games.

It's not "all rigged". Sure, there were a few coaches who played dirty, but that doesn't shake my faith in the institutions themselves. I went to UCLA, was from a poor background, worked my ass off to get there. I'm not angry that UCLA had one corrupt soccer coach, he got caught so problem solved. I'm mad at the parents, unbelievably rich, who tried to buy what should have been hard work.

There's a lot of fraud in higher education. I once, accidentally came across an article in an obscure historical journal, that I recognized as the source of a Master's thesis, "written" by one of my professors, in his early days.Plagiarism, cheating,fraud ( textbook prices), favoritism, are all rampant. So is just plain
nuttiness. They like to call it "Academia". I began calling it "Macadamia"--like the nut. Because you meet a lot of nuts in Macadamia!

My kids didn't even try for the Ivys, even one a valedictorian and an other with a couple years of high level college math. The system is draining and rigged as you say. Both boys got very good scholarships from an excellent and small liberal arts school which cost more than my salary. My math son then got paid to PHD at Temple and is a math prof (He is also an athlete - could have gotten a division 2 free ride for soccer, but didn't).
I remember when I applied for schools in HS, I got offered a 50% tuition cut at a well known Catholic college - but they rescinded the offer once they found out I wasn't Catholic. All for the best, I wasn't ready, did the Navy then college.