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Client evaluations of a precollege counseling interview were obtained for black and white students counseled by three experienced black counselors and eight experienced white counselors. Black students tend to react more favorably to black and to white counselors than do white students. In general, racial similarity of client and counselor is not an important factor in these counseling interviews. The hypothesis that counselors are differentially effective in counseling students of a different racial background than their own lacks support.

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Interviews under four conditions were conducted with men students planning to enter the University of Illinois. Under normal-1 condition, 96 students were interviewed by experienced counselors using their normal style; under normal-2 condition, 97 students were interviewed by the same counselors after these counselors had participated in writing a Self-Counseling Manual (presumably a learning experience for the counselors); under a programed counseling condition, 104 students read a branching Self-Counseling Manual; and under a simulated programed counseling condition, 95 students were interviewed by counselors who followed closely the text of the Self-counseling Manual. Before and after the interview the students answered questions about vocational plans; major; estimates of abilities, interests, and probable academic achievement; and expected problem areas. Following the interview they indicated which problem areas had been discussed and how helpful the interview had been. At the end of the first semester the students completed another questionnaire covering college major and estimated abilities and interests. Comparisons among the responses of the students in the four treatment groups showed that although the students preferred the normal counseling, they also reacted favorably to the programed counseling. More problems were covered under programed counseling, but the students believed more help was received under normal counseling. Flexibility was greater under normal counseling. Appropriate changes in estimates of ability, interests, and probable achievement were seen to have occurred under all forms of counseling between pre-and post-counseling testing and between pre-counseling testing and responses given at the end of the semester. Changes were as great, or greater, under programed counseling than under normal counseling. These findings suggest that programed counseling may be useful either in place of or in addition to normal counseling.-University of Illinois.