It seems kids are not getting good counseling, often as not. I've noted in the past that about 65% of HS grads in the US go to college. In Europe, it's closer to 35%. College here is kind of an expectancy, for anyone who is even a half decent HS student, not even average for graduates. When I started, it seemed like half the freshman class was "premed", a thing which didn't last very long.
I admit to expecting my own to attend college. They weren't elite students but they were certainly in the top level of class work in HS. And they did well at THE Ohio State.
Expectations.