<p>I asked this in the other thread but fear it is getting buried.</p>
<p>Is it appropriate for an interviewer to ask whether the applicant had professional help with his/her application?</p>
<p>There's no rule against asking such a question. I just think it's a waste of time since those who have gotten professional help aren't likely to admit it.</p>
<p>A better way of discerning the information that you are hoping to obtain would be, "How did you determine what colleges to apply to and how did you go about completing your applications ?" (As always with open ended questions, pause a long time after the questions. Applicants --particularly those who are trying to hide something or those who provide answers based on trying to give the answer they think the interviewer wants -- will try to get you to tell them exactly how to answer the question. Tell them the answer is up to them.)</p>
<p>It seems to me that with a question like the OP's, the applicant who lies stands to benefit from it, and the applicant who honestly answers with "yes" could be hurt in the process.</p>