Vocational Assessment for High School Students

at the Psychological Services Center

What is vocational testing?

Making decisions about what to do after high school can be tough.  Information gathered from psychological tests is useful because it provides objective information that can help inform those decisions.  Our assessment and counseling services include the measurement of important aspects of our clients’ developing “vocational personalities.”  In their meetings with counselors, clients discuss the compatibility of their work personalities with various occupational fields and college majors. 
For high school clients, our testing and assessment program measures the following characteristics:

• Interests such as technical, scientific, artistic, and enterprising
• Abilities, such as verbal, numerical, clerical, and spatial

Predictions of likely success and likely satisfaction in representative college majors and occupations are discussed based on test results and in-session discussion.
In addition to test scores, our counselors explore with clients how various career options may fit with their overall lifestyle and life goals.

What services are provided?

The Psychological Services Center (PSC) provides vocational testing and short-term career counseling for individuals who want to learn more about their educational and career potential. Through discussion and a review of test results, clients are helped to:

• Articulate and clarify developmentally appropriate vocational goals
• Increase knowledge and understanding of their developing work personalities
• Gain knowledge of the kinds of occupational fields and work environments that are likely to be most satisfying
• Evaluate specific career and educational options
• Identify interests and skills to further develop in the future
• Learn a process that can help them make satisfying career choices both in the short-term and future

Who benefits from career assessment and counseling?

The vocational assessment and counseling services offered for high school students at PSC are designed for individuals who are looking for some direction as they think about their options for the future.  You may find our services useful if you are:

• Experiencing difficulty identifying an educational or career path that would fit best for you.
• In need of more information about yourself and about different college majors, occupations and potential career paths.
• Planning your initial entry into the work force.

Many high school students find that it may be premature to make highly specific decisions about their career.  Often, vocational interests are still developing and may not have fully stabilized.  Our counselors understand that career decision-making is a developmental process.  Developmentally appropriate goals for assessment and counseling are discussed in the initial session based on each client’s specific needs. 

High school vocational assessment services:

OPTION 1: INTERESTS

• a one-hour individual orientation session
• vocational interest assessment
• a one-hour individual interpretation session to review your test results
• a written integrative summary of your assessment results

OPTION 2: INTERESTS AND ABILITY

This option includes everything in Option 1, plus:

• abilities assessment
• an additional one-hour test interpretation session

Options 1 and 2 typically are completed within 2-4 weeks.  The fees are $200 and $350, respectively, with $100 due at the initial session and the balance payable prior to testing.  Additional follow-up sessions are available at $50 per hour. Sessions with your counselor focus on integrating your assessment information and discussing your educational and career options.  This process is a cooperative effort between you and your counselor that is guided by your specific goals. Appointments may be arranged at your convenience, and typically occur between 8:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday - Friday.

Staff: The Psychological Services Center (PSC) is associated with the Department of Psychology at Colorado State University.  PSC is directed by Dr. Lee A. Rosén.  Vocational assessment and counseling is supervised by Dr. Bryan J. Dik.  Counselors are advanced graduate students with doctoral-level training in general psychotherapy, career counseling and vocational assessment.

Fees: For general psychotherapy and assessment services, PSC has a sliding fee scale and clients pay in accordance with their gross annual family income and the number of dependents in their family.  The fees for the high school vocational assessment and counseling options are $200 and $350, with additional sessions available at $50 per hour.

Eligibility and Other Services: PSC provides counseling services to the full spectrum of clients, including (but not limited to) self-referred individuals, referrals from other mental health professionals, students, clients of public and private community agencies, and employees of business and industrial organizations.  For more information, give us a call at (970) 491-5212.