I think many HS students (and their families) do need some level of advice with the college admission process. It doesn’t necessarily need to come from an expensive private counsellor. However, it seems that at many high schools, the GC isn’t quite up to the task. This forum can be a good resource.
For perspective, it may help to understand that most students attend public colleges or universities within about 100 miles from home. Selecting from those schools isn’t necessarily a long, difficult process. It gets harder once you start shopping among more selective, more expensive, more distant alternatives.