This study examined characteristics of independent educational consultants, who provide a new and rapidly growing service, as well as characteristics of their clients who use these consultants in their college search process. The study used data from the Consultant Survey, which was mailed to 317 independent educational consultants of whom 157 returned surveys. The study also used data from the Student Survey, a large national survey of first-time freshmen with a total 1993 sample of 296,828 freshmen from over 600 institutions. Of these, nearly 3 percent (n=8,029) had used a private consultant. Analysis of the consultant data found that consultants: are mostly white and female; most have masters degrees; have high school or college work experience (though only 15 percent have worked in college admissions); are located in the Northeast, California, or the Midwest; visit a college campus about every 6 days; and charge by units of service. A college counseling package cost an average of $950, and the consultants' average hourly charge was $86. Data on consultants' clients indicate that they: tend to be advice seekers; usually come from privileged families; are usually white and female; more often attend private high schools; and tend to file more than five college applications. Predictors of consultant service use were father's career, having had remedial work in math, and parents' marital status (students with widowed or divorced parents were more likely to seek consultant services). Includes 10 tables. (Contains 14 references.) (JB)