Guidance Counselors, Role of

Most high schools employ guidance counselors to assist students in transitioning after graduation to postsecondary education or work. They also help students select and schedule the appropriate coursework for their chosen career path, and support the college search and selection process. Guidance counselors help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and choose the appropriate post-graduation path. Students from low-income and minority backgrounds, as well as those who would be the first in their family to attend college (first-generation college students), benefit greatly from the support of guidance counselors. But there has long been some controversy surrounding the differential access to counselors that students are granted according to their socioeconomic status (SES), as well as the extent to which counselors should focus on college preparation, given ...