I hired a private advisor for my first, but she wasn’t a full-on “do it all” advisor. My first was also very independent and got on with it. For my second, I know what I’m doing now, and I ask for help on CC when I need it. If I wasn’t guiding my son in it, it wouldn’t get done until Christmas break, and it would be done poorly. Yes, I’m very involved because I want him to have the best chance of going to a school that’s right for him.