A guidance counselor works in a school setting to help students better prepare for continuing education, or to help facilitate decisions made about future careers. The requirements for becoming a guidance counselor varies among schools. Guidance counselors tend to have at least a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in psychology, but may also have a B.A. in career counseling. Some states require high school counselors to have a masters degree as well, and many public require a license. In the college setting, counselors may not have a B.A., but may be experts in their teaching area. Sometimes the guidance counselor at the college level is called an academic advisor.

In the elementary setting, guidance counselors are frequently catchall counselors who help to facilitate testing for learning disabilities and may also manage Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for students in need of them. They tend not to offer psychological assistance to students, but may participate in observation of students in classroom settings, or in psychological or intelligence testing. Children in need of significant counseling for psychological issues usually meet with a school psychologist instead of a guidance counselor. With minimal funding in schools, access to a psychologist may be significantly limited.

Usually a counselor in elementary schools is simply called a counselor and not called a guidance counselor. Regardless of title, these dedicated employees can be an excellent resource for children and parents. If a parent is concerned about a child’s learning abilities, contacting the elementary counselor is usually the first step and may be particularly helpful if the administration of the school does not take one’s concerns seriously.

In the middle school setting, the guidance counselor may still participate in some educational testing for students deemed "at academic risk." As well, the guidance counselor helps students make decisions regarding choices in electives and whether they are challenged enough or too much by their present classes. When courses are too hard or too easy, the guidance counselor can help the student change his or her schedule.

While the guidance counselor at one time was an everyday presence on the junior high or middle school campus, funding has forced many counselors to work at more than one school on a part-time basis. Though the guidance counselor may not have certification in counseling, these difficult years of beginning adolescence can be significantly aided by having a friendly guidance counselor. Counselors may meet with students with emotional problems regularly, simply to check in with them and see if assistance can be offered. Usually schools may still employ a psychologist, but access is very limited. Eliminating or cutting down on the hours a guidance counselor is available in the middle school setting is in many people’s opinion, detrimental to the student body.

In high school, emphasis for the guidance counselor is on helping students make decisions about their future careers or college plans. A guidance counselor helps a student make out a plan of study that will best fit their plans after high school. So, for example, the student who wants to attend a university will be directed to take courses that will help achieve this end and make the student eligible for attendance. As well, the high school guidance counselor may help give information about financial aid options for those who wish to attend trade schools or college after graduation. They will also help those students who are floundering and are at risk for failing to graduate.

The guidance counselor on a high school campus is as prone to error as the next person. If students are interested in applying to particular colleges or getting financial aid, it is worthwhile to double-check information and ask for guidance from a perspective college. Sometimes information changes so quickly that the guidance counselor simply cannot keep up. Usually guidance counselors are best informed about state colleges, but may be less conversant with requirements necessary in other states, or in private colleges.