Why is it no matter what recipie I try my chocolate chip cookies always come out flat??

See this post: http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2005/12/fixing_flat_cookies.html

I’ve had the best luck with freezing them first, especially for larger cookies.  I usually freeze them for longer than the 10 minutes listed in the post however.

Kimmyt - check out the cookbook CookWise by Shirley O. Corriher - she has 4 chocolate chip cookie recipes in that book.  One basic, one thin, one puffed, and one “In Between”.  I think you’ll find the differences interesting.  If you want to play around with your own recipe, Shirley has several suggestions for controlling the spread, puff, tenderness, and color of your cookies. 

Our family’s favorite would be the thin ones - they’re thin, but soft and chewy, and very intensely flavored! (plus there are no eggs in the thin recipe, so you can eat it raw without fear)

without seeing the formulas, my first guess would be that the oven is too hot and permitting the dough to spread too much .  or perhaps the pan is conducting too much heat?

Look for recipes that specify the result (e.g., “thick and chewy” versus “crispy”).  Corriher’s recipes are great.  Also check out the book Baking 911 by Sarah Phillips.

Freezing definitely helps…  also a higher temp and shorter baking time.  Often, to get a thick cookie, recipes will tell you to take out the cookies just soon after the edges have set so the centres will still be wet.  The cookies will be thick and chewy when they cool.

Hope these help.