@LoveTheBard - I also enjoy interacting with people of other cultures, races and ethnicity and economic status, but at the same I am being realistic. I am trying to dispel the notion that there is a huge difference in this matter at most colleges.
As per CC, There is lot of good advice but there is also lot of self promotion. You need to figure out who to rely on advice. We didn’t use any college counselor but couple of folks I met on CC helped. As per Ivies, no one knows how they select and lot of people who got in don’t tell the complete story.