1 Teachers College Record Volume 118, 110302, November 2016, 36 pages Copyright © by Teachers College, Columbia University 0161-4681 Differential Access to High School Counseling, Postsecondary Destinations, and STEM Careers ANDREA B. NIKISCHER University at Buffalo, State University of New York LOIS WEIS University at Buffalo, State University of New York RACHEL DOMINGUEZ University at Buffalo, State University of New York Background/Context: Policy makers, school district officials, teachers and parents have em- braced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects as a way to pro- mote a stronger pipeline to college and career STEM. In so doing, these varied groups seek to raise job prospects for next-generation workers, increase opportunities for low-income and minority students, and enhance U.S. competitiveness in a global economy. Purpose/Objective: In this article we explore the ways in which the work of counseling de- partments in two different school environments shape students’ STEM participation in high school, with important potential consequences for college and career STEM. High school counselors operate at a critical access point to high-level science and math coursework in high school and STEM postsecondary majors and programs after high school. A fuller under- standing of the role that school counselors play in improving math and science outcomes and strengthening pathways to STEM is increasingly important, particularly given the push for STEM careers in new global economic context. Research Design: In this article we delve deeply into the day-to-day workings of the high school counseling office in two schools that serve markedly different populations of students. Utilizing data gathered through full ethnographic investigation over a 1-year period, we fo- cus on the ways in which the work of counselors collectively constrain and /or enhance short and long-term STEM-linked outcomes for varying populations. We address two interrelated research questions: (1) In what ways and to what extent does the work of counseling depart- ments in two different school environments shape students’ STEM participation in high school? (2) In what ways and to what extent does the work of the counseling departments dif- fer in schools that serve markedly different populations of students in terms of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status?