**Our Take**
This user's problem is a perfect example of why traditional lookup functions are starting to feel like a constraint, not a solution. When your data lives in multiple columns and your result depends on finding the most specific match, not just any match, you've hit the limit of what VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH can handle gracefully. The request is straightforward: given a set of criteria (Ohio, Cincinnati, Hamilton, Delhi, Oak Hills), return the value from the column that provides the most precise match, not the first one that happens to fit. That's a logic problem, not a syntax problem.
What makes this scenario so common is the "All" wildcard. In the user's data, some rows use "All" as a placeholder for a general category, while others drill down to a specific school district. The lookup needs to prefer specificity over generality. That's a decision tree, not a simple key-value lookup. The creative solution here isn't about finding a single formula that does everything, it's about structuring the lookup so that the most detailed row wins. One approach is to rank each row by how many of its criteria match exactly, then pick the row with the highest rank. Another is to build a helper column that concatenates criteria and then sorts by the length of the match.
What we appreciate about this user's approach is that they've already done the hard work: they've identified the pattern, isolated the edge cases, and asked for a method rather than a magic bullet. That's the mindset that makes AI-native tools so effective. Instead of fighting with nested IF statements or hidden helper columns, you can express the logic as a simple instruction: "Find the row that matches the most specific set of criteria, treating 'All' as a wildcard." That's a query, not a formula.
The practical takeaway is this: when your data has layers of specificity, stop trying to flatten it into a single lookup key. Embrace the hierarchy. Whether you use a FILTER with a SORT on match count, or a custom function that iterates through criteria, the goal is the same, let the data tell you which row is most relevant. The user's example file is a great test case. We'd suggest trying a combination of FILTER and SORT with a helper column that counts exact matches per row. That gives you the most precise result without guessing. That's the kind of clarity that turns a spreadsheet frustration into a repeatable workflow.