Where you're from and income level of your parents doesn't just affect your college experience once you're in college, but also earlier in the process.
I'll provide my anecdote: I grew up in a decent suburb with a decent public school system. However, my high school never produced any Ivy League college students and the counselors and teachers there never presented it as an option. Most kids were only vaguely aware of what the Ivy League even was. It was even a running joke in my year about one student who did apply ("Oh, so and so thinks he's going to go to "Harvard").
Meanwhile, the neighboring school districts, which were slightly more upper-middle class, routinely produced dozens of Ivy League-bound seniors yearly.
The main differences between my district and the neighboring ones was a 10 minute drive and a half century long history of old money in the other neighborhoods.
The point is: Where you are from and your surroundings can greatly impact your knowledge and access to higher levels of education.