The study, which was sponsored by the National Commission for Cooperative Education, was based on a sample of 1,700 responses from a survey sent to 20,000 high-school counselors throughout the nation.

"It's good for the profession to be aware of it [the study] ... there might be a possible unconscious bias," says Brad McGowen, who has been a high school counselor for more than 20 years in Newton, Mass. He says the predominantly White Boston suburb has become more diverse, with recent immigrants from Asia and South America.

"Some students might be looking at a program only offered at a community college, and getting the same education at one-tenth the cost," he says.

Dr. Carolyn Stone, a counselor educator at the University of North Florida and a member of the American School Counselor Association, says the organization is working hard to improve equity and access issues.

"The old image of counselor as gatekeeper is not viable," she says. "It's about supporting every student, not sifting and sorting ... we can't have their choices stratified back in 8^th grade or even the 3^rd grade."

Stone says counseling should not be influenced by a child's race or income. "Our role is to close the achievement gap with information and opportunity," she says.

Her own experience in urban settings led her to believe in models of equity and access. When she first started working at the Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Fla., only 15 percent of the students were applying to college. Last year, 65 percent applied.

"It's about raising aspirations and showing them the opportunities. It's not just about work, military, community colleges, but also four-year colleges for their economic future," she says.