A survey was recently conducted of 29 undergraduates from a cross section of engineering disciplines. The goal of the survey was to assess the influence of high school guidance counselors on their students’ selection of engineering as a college major. One would expect that counselors are in a position to have a major influence on career decisions. Unfortunately, that was not the finding. Not a single student responded that a counselor had influenced his or her decision to enter engineering Table 1 . At best, a few students were assisted in identifying colleges that offered engineering programs. In one case, the counselor tried to discourage the student from pursuing engineering. Given the projected demand for engineers, the salary benefits of an engineering degree, and the benefits of the engineering profession to society, it seems that counselors would, at the least, be able to provide some career guidance to those with aptitude for and interest in pursuing entrance to an engineering program. Certainly, the responsibilities of guidance counselors are multifaceted, and career guidance may be a small part of their job. Solving disciplinary and personal problems and coordinating schedules, along with a host of other logistical matters, often have higher priority than career guidance. Additionally, in most public school districts, the student-to-counselor ratio is very high. The counselor may not meet with a student until the student is faced with the task of selecting a college for a major that the student has already selected. Students with the aptitude for and interest in pursuing engineering often decide in tenth or early in eleventh grade, although some have developed an interest in engineering as early as sixth grade Table 2 . Also, the selection of an academic track is often a decision made in eighth or ninth grade, get career guidance from a counselor may not be scheduled until the twelfth grade. Multiple responsibilities and large student bodies, therefore, may prevent counselors from fulfilling an important function of their position. The educational background of a counselor may influence his or her ability to help preengineering high school students. It is unlikely that counselors have an educational background in a technical discipline, either engineering or science. This limits the ability of counselors to meet their responsibilities of career guidance for those wishing to pursue a technical discipline. Counselors are more likely to emphasize and be capable of providing help in disciplines with which they are familiar. Furthermore, they