With YouScience, students of all ages can get help finding a great-fit career
Finding the right career is not a perfect science. Ask almost anyone how they ended up in their current job, and you’ll probably hear a lot of plot twists.
The good news is, we’ve got a tool that can make the process a lot more scientific, if not a perfect science. We partner with a company called YouScience to provide free career assessments to students of all ages. Through a series of fun brain games and an “interest profile,” students can identify their interests and aptitudes, match them with promising careers, and even map the routes to those careers.
Here’s how it works.
Step #1: Sign up for a Career and Aptitude Exploration appointment on our website.
Step #2: Take a series of “brain games” – nine for high schoolers/adults and five for middle schoolers – measuring things like spatial visualization, inductive reasoning, sequential reasoning, and idea generation. Then they complete an interest profile.
Step #3: Meet with a member of our education and career planning team to go over your results: a personalized database of career options with corresponding salary range, aptitude fit, and interest fit, as well as a peek at a day-in-the-life on the job and other details.
Many times, the results will help confirm what you’re already feeling, but that’s not always the case. “Sometimes [a student] learns that they have a natural aptitude for something they might not have been exposed to before,” said Education and Career Specialist Chris Cox.
On the other hand, you might discover that your dream career doesn’t match up exactly with your skills. That doesn’t mean they have to choose a completely different path. You can use filters and supplemental games to continue exploring options or identify other skills.
As you explore careers, you can also utilize a resume builder, a college planner, and a career connections section. And you’ll have access to your results for 10 years: Because even with science at your fingertips, dreams and plans can change.
YouScience isn’t just for high school students. It’s a great tool for adults who are thinking about a career change.
“I recently met with a job seeker who was amazed by YouScience,” said Shelby Miuzzo, Director of Nonprofit and Agency Partnerships. “She’s very excited to learn what she may be good at in this later stage of her career.”
We Tried It
Sarah Earle, Director of Communications
My daughter Katie took the YouScience assessment as a college sophomore while I watched obnoxiously over her shoulder. I won’t lie, Katie was probably less than fully invested in the process, powering through most of the tests like she was going for the speed trophy rather than trying to unlock clues to her future.
When she got to the section titled “idea generation,” however, the light bulb came on. It was fascinating to watch her ideas pour out in real time. She also liked the interest profiler.
“The end was interesting because based off all the answers you gave, you had to rank a bunch of different career options,” she said.
Ultimately, the test provided some helpful insights into good-fit careers for Katie, who is now completing her senior year at Mount Holyoke College, preparing for a career in environmental policy.
Shelby Muizzo, Director of Nonprofit and Agency Partnerships
It was so fun and interesting to gain this deeper understanding of my strengths and workstyle. Although I was already aware of some of my strengths, it was really helpful to learn more, like that I’m a “Brainstormer” and “Future Focuser,” and how that impacts my daily work. Who doesn’t love learning more about themselves?
As far as the career options, my top match is “Secondary School Education Administrator,” which is pretty darn close to my career! My second match is “Informatics Nurse Specialist,” but that’s only because the assessment didn’t capture how squeamish I am regarding anything medical.
Read about Shelby’s career pathway.
Jennifer Schaffner, Communications Specialist
I love the summary at the end, letting you know what careers might be a good fit and what type of education is required for those careers. I also love that it uses both your aptitude and your interests in giving recommendations – it’s important to find a career that fits both!
Read about Jenn’s career pathway.
Danielle Barrick, Chief Communications Officer
The test was intense and thorough, and I was as nervous as I was curious while I waited for the verdict: If the YouScience test was really as powerful as I’d heard it is, what if it revealed to me that I was in the wrong line of work? How would I handle that? I was so fortunate to have a member of the Education and Career Pathways team guide me through my results: She was warm, kind, positive and so knowledgeable when we met. Even before I learned that I could, in fact, keep my job, I began to feel that it was all going to be okay. And the real shocker? Turns out I also have an aptitude for math! If only I’d known this in high school!
Note: This blog was originally published in May 2024 and updated in March 2026.
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