<p>Guidance counselors are not minor dieties although they can be helpful. ANY good college counselor would advise a student to choose a safety he/she would actually attend. If you hate the school OP, it is not a good choice of safety. I would be wary of your GC’s advice on that basis alone. </p>
<p>And plenty of schools have a story or more of the student who was admitted where the GC said there was no chance.</p>