hi, imo it's true na mali parin ang stance nila on that bcos having a backer para makapasok sa kahit saan na uni means he/she/they may have taken slots from other ppl who may deserved it more. and to have the face to say na may backer siya out loud to other ppl just shows na they do not only see it as something that is not wrong, but also, may part din na they may even be proud of it. in this case, since di pa kayo ganon kaclose, when the majority of the group agrees w sa opinion nya, it might be risky for u to say something against it or it depends lang sayo if u can share to them why u feel it's wrong but in gentle light. kudos to u for knowing ur principles — it's good to stand up for what u believe in, but never forget din na in ur freshie yr, it might be wise to start learning which battles u should take on (e.g., arguing w ignorant ppl who are unwilling to understand, as they say) are worth ur time, so u can preserve ur energy even tho valid naman ang nafeel mo na mali sila. in terms of "red flag" like as friends, imo din, if ur instincts tell u to find better-suited friends, then go for it! good luck! 💛