First time trying Gold

So just a bit of a background. I'm new to MP. This is the first game I'm playing Multiplayer on. I started with Bronze, got my Female Vanguard all the way to rank X level 20. I extract almost always on Bronze (even on new characters, a female engineer, asari sentinel, and salarian infiltrator)...and around 90% of the time in Silver (only with my Vanguard. She's the only one tough enough at this point). I have issues with Remnant as my Vanguard has nothing to destroy those stupid flying things with shields but I rely on good squadmates.

In fact having good people playing with me -- or even people who are average to above average -- is great! I can feel the combos coming (especially with an Asari who has Annihilation as I can charge all the time for combos around her). And the teamwork when people are doing objectives. Such as someone throwing up Backlash or Barricade when I'm disarming a device -- it's great, it's very nice. Sometimes on Bronze or Silver we tend to carry a newbie and it's not that bad as long as they have half a brain.

So I figured, let's try Gold. Why not right? With my trusty female Vanguard, we clicked Quick Match and I saw three people already hit ready so I hit ready as well. And as the game was loading I noticed something -- all three of them were LEVEL FREAKING ONE with APEX RATINGS OF LESS THAN A HUNDRED. WHAT THE FRIGGING EFF?? It was gold, with outlaws, and it was an APEX mission! I couldn't back out and -- as expected, all of them were falling like flies in the first wave. I tried to be a good teammate and do revives but I'm a Vanguard. I need to constantly be charging. I carried them solo through wave unfortunately we all fell on wave 2. I didn't even bother using a revive as it felt like a waste.

So here's my question -- why do n00bs start with gold? I was a noob a week ago and I grinded in Bronze til I was like level 16 before I even tried Silver. What is going on??