The Highlands Ability Battery
The gold-standard assessment designed to reveal the natural abilities that influence how your student learns, solves problems, communicates, makes decisions, and does their best work.
For parents of high school and college students
Help Your Student Get Clear Direction for Their Future
I'm offering a limited number of students a complimentary Highlands Ability Battery, their complete report, and a personal feedback session with me.
A $450+ value. Offered at no cost to a limited number of students.
Start the ApplicationShort application • No payment required • Limited availability
Dear Parent,
If you have a student who is capable but still feels unsure about their future, you are not alone.
Perhaps you're watching your teen or college student wrestle with questions like:
What should I do with my life?
What should I choose to study?
What if I choose the wrong path?
With AI reshaping the job market and the cost of college rising rapidly, those questions can feel more consequential than ever.
But when students better understand their natural abilities, they have a much stronger foundation for exploring majors, careers, and future possibilities.
They can begin moving forward with more clarity and confidence.
That is exactly what this experience is designed to help uncover.
The complete experience
What Your Student Will Receive
Three valuable parts, all included at no cost.
Their Complete Highlands Report
Your family receives the full report, giving you a much clearer picture of the abilities that come naturally to your student and the environments where they are most likely to thrive.
A Personal Feedback Session
I will meet with your student to explain the results in plain English, answer their questions, and help them begin connecting their abilities to possible future directions.
This same assessment and feedback experience typically costs $450 or more.
I am offering it to a limited number of qualified students at no cost.
Why Am I Offering This for Free?
I spent years working with students as a high school counselor and later saw the other side of this as a recruiting leader. One thing I've become convinced of is that students are often asked to make incredibly important decisions before they really understand themselves.
I want to change that.
So I'm opening a limited number of spots for students who genuinely need direction. For the families I select, I'll cover the cost of the Highlands Ability Battery and personally provide the feedback session.
Some families find that the assessment and feedback session provide exactly the clarity they need. Others find the results so valuable that they choose to continue working with me to narrow the strongest education and career options, evaluate the tradeoffs, and build a practical plan that gives their student confidence about what comes next.
There is no obligation to continue beyond the complimentary experience.
Because I pay for each assessment and personally conduct every feedback session, I can't offer this to everyone. That's why I ask families to complete a short application first.
Before you apply
This Is Likely a Good Fit If...
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Your student is approximately junior year of high school through college age.
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Your student genuinely wants more direction for their future.
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They're uncertain about career direction, major, education path, or how to narrow several possibilities.
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Your student is willing to participate rather than doing this solely because a parent wants them to.
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Your family values thoughtful guidance when making important education and career decisions.
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Your student can complete Highlands promptly if selected.
Why the limit? I personally review each student’s results and lead every feedback session, so I can only accept a limited number of students.
Start the Application
Who am I?
Hi, I’m Richard Harris
I began my career as a high school counselor, helping hundreds of students think through their futures and next steps.
I later became a recruiting leader at two different multibillion-dollar companies, where I led teams responsible for hiring college students into internships and their first full-time jobs.
I've seen the school-to-work transition from both sides. I understand the decisions students face, the qualities employers value, and the steps that help young people turn their strengths into meaningful opportunities.
That means your student will receive more than an explanation of their natural abilities. I can help them begin connecting those abilities to promising education and career paths, understand which options deserve a closer look, and move toward a practical plan that sets them up for future success.
I would love the opportunity to help your student gain that same clarity.
Start the ApplicationFrequently Asked Questions
Is the Highlands Ability Battery and feedback session really free?
Yes. If your student is accepted for this opportunity, there is no charge for the Highlands Ability Battery, their complete report, or the personal feedback session with me.
Why are you offering something that normally costs $450 or more for free?
Students are often asked to make incredibly important decisions before they really understand themselves. I want to help change that. I am opening a limited number of spots for students who genuinely need direction, and I will cover the cost of the assessment and personally provide the feedback session for the families I select. Some families find that this experience gives them exactly what they need. Others choose to continue working with me to turn the results into a focused set of options and a practical plan for moving forward. There is no obligation to continue beyond the complimentary experience.
Will we have the option to continue working with you afterward?
Yes, if you believe additional guidance would benefit your student. Some families find the assessment and feedback session gives them the clarity they need. Others want help using the results to narrow possible majors or careers, evaluate the strongest options, and create a practical plan for what comes next. Continuing is completely optional, and there is no obligation to purchase anything.
How is the Highlands Ability Battery different from other career tests?
Most career tests rely on interests, personality, or how students describe themselves. The Highlands Ability Battery uses targeted work samples to measure natural abilities more objectively. It helps reveal how a student is naturally wired to learn, solve problems, communicate, make decisions, and work.
Does this tell my student exactly which career to choose?
No, and I would be cautious of any assessment that claims it can. Highlands helps students understand their natural abilities and provides valuable information they can use when considering majors, careers, and other paths. For some students, that creates immediate clarity. Others finish with several promising possibilities and still need to research, compare, and narrow their options. The goal of the feedback session is to make sure your student understands their results and knows what those results may mean for the decisions ahead.
Is this only for students planning to attend a four-year college?
Not at all. This can be valuable for students considering college, trade school, two-year programs, a gap year, the military, or going directly into the workforce.
What if my student already has a major or career in mind?
That can be an excellent time to complete the assessment. The results may reinforce that direction or reveal important factors your student should consider before investing more time and money.
Which students are the best fit?
Students from junior year of high school through senior year of college who genuinely want more direction, are willing to engage thoughtfully in the process, and can complete the online assessment within the next week.
Real experiences