College counselors regard themselves as teachers and educators, but they are something else as well. They are links between the location of childhood and the larger, more risky terrain of first adulthood. College counselors prepare students for an actual, not merely figurative, journey, the prospect of which fill students and their parents with…

Discusses issues in counseling college-bound gay and lesbian students in their college-choice process. Reports on surveys showing that college choice is often influenced by gay students' sexual orientation. Suggests that counselors steer such students away from campuses that condone exclusivity in social life and student activities. Identifies…

Discusses the role of the counselor in advising artistically gifted students about going to colleges of art. Concludes there are great advantages to art colleges for highly committed students, but for those less committed or less well prepared artistically, universities allow students to explore a wider range of options. (TE)

Although there are similarities between college counselors' roles in stateside and American-sponsored overseas schools (A/OS) affiliated with the Department of State, several factors peculiar to the overseas environment influence the counselor's role: professional isolation; greater student cultural diversity; dissimilar host-country values and…

Two veteran high school counselors answer college bound students' common questions about selecting and applying to colleges. Topics discussed include where to begin research, criteria for selecting schools, number of applications to submit, parent role, getting counselors' help, relative importance of admission criteria, applying to parents' alma…