This is an apples to oranges comparison. The article centers on (the author's idea of) the messaging that greater American society would like to impart on the archetypal Stanford student, who is upper-class, American, young, inexperienced, entitled, sheltered, and likely the recipient of perks that helped their admission. A message from greater German society to any specific German student archetype would obviously differ.
Even the comparison with MIT is arguably invalid, as elite tech university admissions are more objective and less discretionary, making the archetypal student less likely both to have an entitled mentality and to have received perks that helped their admission. Perhaps the author wouldn't have objected to the word "deserve" at an MIT convocation, nor at one in Germany.
Even the comparison with MIT is arguably invalid, as elite tech university admissions are more objective and less discretionary, making the archetypal student less likely both to have an entitled mentality and to have received perks that helped their admission. Perhaps the author wouldn't have objected to the word "deserve" at an MIT convocation, nor at one in Germany.