Guidance Counselors, teachers, administrators…they just don’t know. They apply their own experience (I went to State U and turned out OK) and look to manage expectation in a hurricane. It’s impossible.
We have one GC for each 35-40 kids. They work really hard to help the kids, but ultimately they can’t possibly provide real guidance. They can’t know the order in which the student / family place different schools, the financial situation, or other specifics (like how you feel on campus). They can’t help on the strategy around ED, which has become it’s own animal. Aim too high and it’s their fault your kids has no good choices. Aim too low and families complain they weren’t rejected anywhere (see…I could have gone Ivy).