I don't think getting guidance is wrong by any means, but the price tag is astronomical considering how many free resources are out there and how unnecessary the service is (although she obviously gets clients regardless). Also considering that this $5k price tag guarantees absolutely nothing, is the cost of 2-3 application cycles alone, and as you said is absolutely a barrier for those who don't have $5k to spend. There are already resources out there that have everything compiled for you, although I will always recommend double checking VMSAR as it is historically lags in updates.
There are no free resources for a laundry service or private chef (if anyone knows of any, please let me know though lol). I don't think paying for a convenience service is entirely comparable to someone charging a desperate prevet $5k to walk them through the application/admissions process, proofread their essay, and promise to be a 'buddy for life' (apparently).
also I did not realize her fee jumped
two thousand dollars in this past year alone...that's crazy.
I have seen a few people in the APVMA group, and this reddit thread, suggest that the cost could be worth it just to have someone keep you accountable throughout the admissions process though. Which is almost...worse? If you need to pay $5k to have someone keep you on track, g'luck in vet school. You aren't ready (or at the very least, are extremely disorganized and did not approach the admissions cycle with a plan) if you are missing deadlines left and right.