Is it worth paying for a college consultant?

A discussion on the latest trend in college admissions: Independent education consultants.

Parents are hiring these personal admissions counselors to help demystify the application process, and you can engage one to do everything from suggesting colleges to tailoring your essays for admissions. It's not cheap.

Has getting into college become so difficult that families can no longer do this process on their own? Is this industry growing out of need? Or fear?