Btw, I didn't down-vote you I think it's a valid question.
To your point:
>> The reality is that there are tons of other people who are as qualified as this person
I think this is where industry veteran may have an edge compared to "other qualified people" as you put it. Yes 20 years old founders are great for many reasons, but experienced veteran that know the system inside-out may have competitive advantages and know-how that younger ones don't have. And if that's right, I think it would be silly for YC to not invest in them because they can't move for 3 months. Actually, some people just travel a lot during those three months (I.e. going to dinner and stuff), but still run their company in their city. Keep in mind that not all companies in YC are two guys in a garage.. some of them have 50+ employees, you can't just leave for 3 months.
To your point: >> The reality is that there are tons of other people who are as qualified as this person
I think this is where industry veteran may have an edge compared to "other qualified people" as you put it. Yes 20 years old founders are great for many reasons, but experienced veteran that know the system inside-out may have competitive advantages and know-how that younger ones don't have. And if that's right, I think it would be silly for YC to not invest in them because they can't move for 3 months. Actually, some people just travel a lot during those three months (I.e. going to dinner and stuff), but still run their company in their city. Keep in mind that not all companies in YC are two guys in a garage.. some of them have 50+ employees, you can't just leave for 3 months.