Any admissions requirement can be waived. Nothing is in stone.
Every school on the planet as stated admission policies and every one of those schools have methods to appeal those rules.
If those celebrities we hear about these days followed the normal clandestine methods instead of paying people off then there wouldn’t be any criminal charges,
You don’t pay off an assistant coach!
You donate a wing of the library
Or
You promise a couple of touchdowns.
Not sure I ever heard that. Not saying you are wrong but it certainly does not line up with my experience.
I took the GRE to get into grad school at UH 4 years after getting my BA. Lots of adults return to get graduate degrees after getting their bachelor’s degree.