Ability Insights
$295
Understand your student's natural abilities and the kinds of work that make good use of them.
Your student walks away withA clearer picture of their strengths and promising career areas to explore.
Explore this option →Personal guidance for high school and college students
Want Help Guiding Your Student Toward Real Direction?
Here’s how we can work together.
Whether or not you’ve read my book, Direction, the idea is simple. Students make better decisions about college, majors, and careers when they understand how they’re wired and have a clear process for narrowing their options.
This is the work I do with families, and there are three ways we can do it together. Every option starts with a conversation, so I can learn about your student and recommend what fits best.
Three ways I can help
Start with what your student needs most.
Some families want a clearer picture of their student’s strengths. Others want a field of study to focus on, or a field plus a strong start on the college search.
You don’t need to choose an option right now.
These are simply three ways I can help your student. We’ll start with a brief conversation about your student’s situation, and I’ll help you determine which option, if any, makes the most sense.
Focused Direction
$595
Move from understanding abilities to choosing a field of study with a clear reason behind it.
Your student walks away withOne key field of study and a few supporting fields.
Explore this option →Focused Direction + College Fit
$995
Get the full direction process and identify colleges that fit your student’s priorities.
Your student walks away withA focused field of study and a list of colleges worth considering.
Explore this option →Not sure which option fits? That’s perfectly fine.
We’ll talk about your student first. There’s no need to make a decision before our call.
Complete a short questionnaire, then choose a time to talk.
Option 1
$295
Ability Insights
Best for families who want to understand how their student is wired before making bigger decisions.
Your student takes the Highlands Ability Battery, an assessment used since 1992. Instead of asking students what they think they’d enjoy, it has them complete 19 worksamples that measure how they actually perform different kinds of tasks. That matters for the student who says, “I don’t know what I’m good at,” because the results don’t depend on how well they can describe themselves.
Then we meet one-on-one on Zoom, and I walk you and your student through what the results mean.
What's included
- The complete Highlands Ability Battery
- The full 35+ page written report
- A one-on-one Zoom feedback session with me
By the end, your student will understand
- The abilities that stand out, including ones they may have overlooked
- The kinds of work and environments that make good use of those strengths
- Which career areas and fields of study deserve further exploration
Many families find this is exactly the clarity they needed to move forward with confidence. Others use it as the first step toward a more focused plan.
Option 2
$595
Focused Direction
Best for families who want their student to finish with a field of study they can confidently aim at.
An assessment tells your student what they’re good at. It doesn’t tell them which direction to take. This option walks your student through the full E.A.R. Method™ from the book, step by step, with me guiding the process.
Envision: Your student answers questions about who they are and the kind of life they want to build, so the direction we land on fits their goals as well as their abilities.
Assess: Your student takes the Highlands Ability Battery, and we review the results together.
Refine: We turn those insights into real options. Your student chooses job families that fit, identifies specific jobs worth exploring, and connects those jobs to fields of study. Then we narrow those fields using criteria that matter, including how likely each one is to keep your student marketable as AI changes the workplace.
What's included
- Everything in Ability Insights
- Guided support through every step of Envision, Assess, and Refine
- Help narrowing a long list of possibilities down to the strongest options
By the end, your student will have
- One key field of study to focus on
- A few supporting fields that keep their options open and help them gain complementary skills designed to set them apart
- A clear reason for choosing their field of study, based on strengths and where the job market is heading
Option 3
$995
Focused Direction + College Fit
Best for families who want a focused direction and a strong start on the college search.
Once your student knows what they’re aiming for, the college search changes. Instead of starting with rankings or name recognition, you can start with a simpler question: which schools are most likely to help my student succeed?
This option includes everything in Focused Direction, then adds the college piece. We’ll talk through what your student is looking for in a school, from strength in their chosen field and connections to employers, to cost, size, location, and the kind of environment where they’ll do their best work. Then I’ll help you identify the colleges that best match those priorities.
What's included
- Everything in Focused Direction
- A guided conversation about what your student wants and needs in a college
- Help identifying colleges that best match those criteria
By the end, your student will have
- One key field of study and a few supporting fields
- A clear set of priorities for choosing a college
- A list of schools worth applying to, matched to their direction
Ready to talk about which approach fits your student?
Schedule a Call →
Why work with me
I've seen this decision from both sides of the table.
I spent 10 years in education, including as Director of College Advising, helping students choose what came after high school. Later, I became a college recruiting leader at two multibillion-dollar companies, where my teams hired thousands of students into internships and first jobs.
I built this process with both of those experiences in mind. I want your student to choose their next step with real direction, and I want the choices they make along the way to help them stand out as they pursue careers that fit their abilities and interests.
Choosing the right support
Not sure which option fits?
You don't need to decide before we talk. Here's a quick way to think about it.
Ability Insights
If you mainly want a clear read on your student's strengths, whether they're early in high school or in college and facing a decision about their major.
Focused Direction
If your student is in high school or college and wants to choose a field of study with a clear reason behind it.
Focused Direction + College Fit
If your student is a junior or senior in high school and the college search is coming up fast.
If you're still unsure, that's exactly what our first conversation is for. I'll ask about your student and recommend the option that fits, even if it's the smallest one.
Simple next steps
Here's how to get started.
Every family begins with a brief conversation, not a commitment.
Tell me about your student
Complete a short questionnaire. It takes about 2 to 3 minutes.
Let's talk
Choose a time for a brief call. We'll discuss which option, if any, makes sense right now.
Choose your next step
If you decide to move forward, purchase the option that fits and receive your student's assessment access code.
Get to work
Your student starts moving from “I don't know” toward a plan.
There's no payment required to complete the questionnaire or schedule a call.
I personally work with every family, so I only take on a limited number at a time. Thank you for your interest in working with me. I look forward to learning about your student.
Take the First Step: Schedule a Call →Complete a short questionnaire, then choose a time to talk with Richard.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
Is the assessment included in every option?
Yes. All three options include the Highlands Ability Battery and the full report.
My student already took a different assessment. Can you still help?
Possibly. Email me at richard@preparedstudents.com with what your student has taken, and we'll figure out the best next step.
Is this only for students planning to attend a four-year college?
Not at all. The process works for students considering college, trade school, two-year programs, a gap year, the military, or going straight into the workforce.
What if my student isn't interested?
This works best when your student is willing to participate. They don't need to arrive excited, but they do need to be open. If you're not sure where they stand, we can talk about it on our call.
What if I have more than one student?
Mention it in the questionnaire, and we'll talk through what makes sense for each of them.
Your student's next step matters
Help Your Student Go From “I Don't Know” to “I Have a Plan.”
Your student doesn't need to have their whole future mapped out. But they deserve a clear reason for the next step they take, before applications are due, a major needs to be chosen, or tuition needs to be paid.
Whether you want a better understanding of their strengths, a focused field of study, or a strong start on the college search, it all begins with a conversation. Thank you for taking the time to consider it. I'd be glad to speak with you.
Take the First Step: Schedule a Call →Complete a short questionnaire, then choose a time that works best.