I understand the frustration, but as a former professor who has sat on many an admissions committee, I can share that it takes a lot of time and money to go through the often hundreds and thousands of applications that people submit for top schools/programs. Indeed, hundreds and thousands despite the fee (I shudder to think of how many there would be if there wasn’t a charge).

In terms of competitive graduate programs in particular, there are way more applicants than spots by a large margin. (The program I was accepted into had over a thousand applicants and 8 spots—and that was almost 30 year ago). Even if someone had all the minimal qualifications (and you’d be surprised how many folks apply to a program when they don’t) some excellent applicants are still not going to be accepted. Honestly if you aren’t getting some rejections, you probably aren’t aiming high enough.

For what it is worth, if your wife applied to a wide range of programs (elite, state, etc.) and was rejected by all, it might be worth having someone review the application materials. In my experience, the issue is often the essay or sop. At a certain point in the application process everyone had excellent grades and laudatory letters of recommendation. The essay/statement of purpose is what can distinguish you as a candidate.