> I think he found a way to get into a college that he'd otherwise be unable to attend.
So, theft is technically "hacking" if you are unable to make a given amount of money?
So, theft is technically "hacking" if you are unable to make a given amount of money?
Incidentally, both crimes also hurt the perpetrator - had he graduated from Harvard, he'd always have the fear of being discovered as a fraud. Someone who steals a car has the same fear of being caught, and the same web of lies to friends and acquaintances to explain how they got the (stolen) goods.
Obviously they are not the exact same crime; there are many particulars that differ. So it is appropriate to punish each case with different sentences. But the essentials outlined above are the same, and from that we may conclude that neither is less criminal in nature than the other - they only differ (perhaps) in severity.