High school counselors' influence

Abstract

Many college freshmen feel they are inadequately prepared to enter college due to a lack of guidance from their high school counselors. This study investigated comparative attitudes about the influence of school counselors on students by surveying 60 male and female freshmen at a Midwestern university. It was hypothesized that more males than females would feel that they were not adequately prepared for college by their high school counselor. Results supported the hypothesis that more male than females students felt they were not adequately prepared for college by their high school counselor. Implications for practitioners and future researchers are that there is a strong need to inform schools, counselors, and parents that school counselors need to take part in professional development that will better prepare students to enter college.