The question then becomes: Is this guidance necessary? As John Mahoney, director of undergraduate admission, said, "There probably is a place for independent counselors, but if you go to any school where there's a good guidance department, in those situations, it's simply not necessary."

Such is the case at Mount Alvernia Preparatory School for Girls in Newton, Mass. Here, students do not feel compelled to search for advice outside of the guidance office. Mount Alvernia has a relatively low student-to-counselor ratio, at approximately 45-to-1.

"Because we have such small numbers, we get to work with them continually throughout the year," said Maureen O'Rourke, director of guidance at Mount Alvernia. With these low numbers, Mount Alvernia is able to mandate at least one two-hour meeting for every student prior to the application process.

Girls receive private guidance beginning in the seventh grade, and, O'Rourke said, "I'm available at all times."

Many students lack both access to extended time with high school counselors and the funds to pay for professional help. In their case, another option exists: pro bono college consulting. Paul Hemphill, owner of College Funding Prep, offers free lectures on financial aid and essay editing. Yet for the students who desire his personal time, even Hemphill charges a price.

Among those who do have the funds to pay, hired professional counseling is prevalent, in spite of no numbers existing as to how many students use the services. Some applications may state that the candidate is a client of a given service, but those occurrences are rare. On the application itself, "There is no clear indication that the family of the child has hired outside counseling," Mahoney said.

While no hard numbers exist, Mahoney admitted that private counseling goes on and is oftentimes evident to admissions officers. "We can certainly tell when we're hearing the voice of a 55-year-old as opposed to an 18-year-old," he said.

The use of private counseling only becomes a problem when advisers overstep their boundaries, such that a student's application no longer reflects the student. "There's no problem seeking guidance. The problem occurs when inappropriate guidance is granted," Mahoney said.

Though concrete evidence is lacking, such private counseling continues to grow in popularity, pointing toward the success of the industry for those who can afford it.

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