In an interview with Frontline, one former counselor said: "I didn't realize just how many students we were expected to recruit. They used to tell us, you know, 'Dig deep. Get to their pain. Get to what's bothering them. So, that way, you can convince them that a college degree is going to solve all their problems."
They literally operate like a car dealership, with your salesperson sometimes going back to their manager and coming up with a "new offer" if you're reluctant to sign the regular contract, as one military vet found out when signing up at ITT.
As for what's pushing the recruiters to be such assholes - their back office sounds less like a school office and more like Glengarry Glen Ross.
"Coffee is for closers, Batman."