Wooing Counsellors

Are guidance counsellors really this influential? Apparently colleges are flying high school counsellors out to their campuses, then wining and dining them in an effort to make a good impression. The premise is that the counsellors will realize how great the school is and send more graduating students their way. Aside from the obvious ethical problems, I'd be really surprised to find out that the counsellors in most schools have much impact on the future plans of students. We keep hearing about student-to-teacher ratios of 600:1 or higher -- how could any counsellor get to know students well enough to offer meaningful advice to each one, never mind get more kids to choose the college that bribed them?