The concept of "fair" doesn't really apply here. YC can use any [legal] criteria they wish. We're just interested in learning what we could do to improve the application, so we're asking for a little more information, if possible. It's not a "tell us why not". It's an "if possible, give us some info to help improve efficiency of the process".
Except the article states many "pretty good" groups were pushed out by "stellar" ones. That certainly indicates something can be improved, in the opinion of YC.
Important distinction between "nothing wrong" (below threshold) and "nothing to improve" (at max score).
When I see some of the groups that have made the cut from past cycles, I'm boggled as to what YC was sold on.
