<p>We used a private college counselor for S1 and will be doing so for S2. We received a glowing recommendation from my brother-in-law, who is on one of the local boards of education and has also used her for my two nieces. The counselor provided a timeline of activities, suggested schools, gave feedback on essays, and was there for last minute questions/issues. Since S1 didn't need any counselor recommendations, he didn't really engage at all with the school counselor.</p>