It seems everyone is looking for the silver bullet here. There isn't one so long as humans aren't perfect in their judgment. If parents don't guide, there can be a problem, if they guide too much, it's a problem, if they guide slightly off base due to lack of experience or not understanding "The system" or their child, it's a problem. If the colleges don't cater to somebody's idea of what is "fair" for college entrance then it's a problem. See why this subject matter is a problem? As I told my kids when they were young, "Everybody poops"

The system isn't perfect, we don't make the system though nor are we likely to change it. So the best way to deal with it is to find out where in the system we fit in best or simply not to play the game and land where we might. It's each person's choice.