Using a pilot version of an instrument designed to probe perceptions of undergraduates in areas related to teaching as a profession and the desirability of teacher education programs, this study begins to develop a base upon which to formulate strategies for understanding and dealing with declining enrollment in teacher education programs. A branching questionnaire, which asked subjects to respond only in those areas relevant to their own experience, was sent to a sample of students enrolled at the State University of New York College at Potsdam. The data indicate that: (1) perceptions of the actual conditions within the teaching profession do not seem to act as strong determiners in career decisions; (2) subjects do not seem concerned with salary, career status, safety, and the nature of the client; (3) teacher education programs are perceived as highly vocationally oriented and useful only in obtaining positions in the teaching profession; and (4) students may be forming their perceptions from informal and not completely accurate sources. The results tentatively suggest two strategies for dealing with declining enrollment: (1) altering students' perceptions in relation to the employment outlook of college graduates so that it is more in tune with reality; and (2) making undergraduates more aware of the possibilities of education as a profession. (A sample questionnaire is included). (MM)