I agree completely, aeh.

Others: remember that the last page or two of this thread has focused on low-income students, who certainly don't have the kind of money required for a flashy and pricey college admissions counselor. They best most of these kids can hope for as a matter of course is probably a stressed-out high school counselor overseeing 400 kids whose last names begin with I-P. And again, most of these kids don't even know what questions to ask, which makes it hard for them to figure out what they need to know about getting and keeping financial aid, and etc. etc.