You don't mention which country or university they received their degree in, but I just want to say that, in certain developing countries, it's quite common to

You don't mention which country or university they received their degree in, but I just want to say that, in certain developing countries, it's quite common to simply buy a bachelor's degree, rather than get the degree legitimately. And so the western university's skepticism may be well-placed. Or it's just simple misfortune. Universities don't have 100% acceptance rates.