help with the college application process? Did anyone use companies for this?

[DavidS]

Nope and Nope for our two college-bound kids.  One ended up at UVM and the other is starting UMass-Amherst in the Fall.  Both are happy with their choices.

[chopper]

Union crane operator. $86 an hour plus, full union benefits, pension, retire after 20 years.

[tenders]

How old is the student? 95% of the work of a successful application to a competitive college has been done by the end of junior year - high school course selection, grades, extracurriculars, and standardized test scores. The student might squeeze a handful of additional points out of a test by retaking it senior year, but no magical essay can overcome weakness in those other areas.

[creektech]

Union crane operator. $86 an hour plus, full union benefits, pension, retire after 20 years.

I hadn't thought of that but a real possibility but only if it matches the kids' interests. My son and his first cousin graduated HS in the same year. My son has his PhD, and his cousin is a Master Electrician with an associates. They make nearly the same annual salary and the electrician's benefits may be a hair better.

[ltlurkr]

I have one junior engineering major and one starting in the fall. Both at UC Berkeley.

Read a "Who Gets in and Why" by Jeff Selingo. I wouldn't hire a college counselor unless 1) he/she comes recommended by someone you trust or 2) you and your kid can't work effectively as a team. Even then, you can DIY a lot of stuff like building a college list, test prep, etc. and mainly just pay essay/application guidance.

If your kid is a rising senior, there isn't much that can be done other than the essays. That's not a bad thing, it's just some of the counselors try to get clients when they are entering 7th grade so they can "shape" their application.