Typical public secondary school students seem unable to compete with distinguished public and elite private secondary school students when seeking admission to highly selective colleges. This study has identified the characteristics that distinguish college guidance and school-wide programs at public secondary schools perceived to be the strongest (distinguished) from other public secondary schools. School boards, public secondary school counselors, school administrators, and the communities they serve now have college guidance programs they can emulate to better prepare students for admission to highly selective colleges. / Ph. D.