by John Lantz, ACT program director for government and public relations
When I was a high school senior, I thought I had it all figured out. I knew exactly what I was going to study, where my career was headed, and how everything was going to unfold. My reality was that I knew nothing. After changing my major six times in college and then going to grad school for something completely unrelated to my undergraduate degree, I look back and wish I had some of the tools that exist today to help learners find their footing.
That experience eventually led me to work in higher education, where I spent time at a large public research university helping students navigate some of the most stressful moments of their college journey. The advisors and administrators I worked with were incredible and deeply student focused. But even with that strong support, a common thread kept showing up: a lot of students simply didn’t have a clear sense of direction.
The ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ conundrum
Many students I encountered were in an exploratory program designed to give students space to consider different majors during their first two years. In theory, that’s a great idea. Exploration is healthy. But in practice, I saw students three or four semesters in with no clearer sense of purpose than when they arrived.
This was not because they weren’t smart or motivated, not because their advisors weren’t capable, but because they didn’t have something concrete to anchor their exploration to. No data about their own strengths. No signal about where their skills aligned with the world of work. And while their peers were moving in a targeted direction, these students were sitting with real stress about what their purpose or focus should be.
Some stayed in programs that weren’t the right fit because they didn’t know what the right fit looked like. Some switched majors multiple times and fell behind on credits. A few eventually left altogether. These weren’t students who lacked ability. They lacked information and direction.
What if we gave them resources before they set foot on campus?
Now imagine a different starting point. Imagine those students had been exposed to tools like the ACT test and ACT WorkKeys assessments before they ever set foot on a college campus. Not just a score, but actual data that communicates where they stand in terms of readiness — for college, for careers, or both. Imagine a student earning a WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate and, for maybe the first time, holding something tangible that validates their foundational skills and connects them to real career pathways. That’s not just a credential. That’s a starting point for a conversation that too many students never get to have.
Recent research supports this. The 2026 Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education Study found that roughly nine in 10 college students are confident their degree will equip them with the skills they need.1 That’s encouraging. But confidence without direction can lead students down paths that don’t serve them well. The question isn’t whether students believe in the value of education; it’s whether they have the information they need to make that education work for them.
The good news is that momentum is building. More states are recognizing the value of giving students both college and career readiness data before graduation.
- Illinois now has a statewide partnership with ACT, putting these resources in front of more students across the state.
- Alabama is moving toward requiring both the ACT and WorkKeys for high school students, giving every graduate a fuller picture of their readiness.
These aren’t small shifts. They represent a growing understanding that students need more than a diploma to navigate what comes next.
Data that can drive decisions
Throughout my career in education and policy, including work on postsecondary access and equity initiatives, I’ve seen what happens when systems meet students where they are with better data. Counselors move from “what sounds interesting to you?” to “here’s what your data tells us about where you’re strong and where you can grow.” Higher education advisors on college campuses can use data to help students select programs that align with their actual skill profiles, not just their assumptions.
So, what does this look like in action?
For K–12 leaders, it means building the ACT and WorkKeys into your readiness strategy, so every student graduates with real data about their strengths. For higher education institutions, it means using that data during advising, orientation, and those critical first semesters to help students explore with purpose rather than wander without it. And for workforce and community partners, it means recognizing the NCRC as the signal it is; proof that a person has the foundational skills to succeed.
I think back to my high school self, so sure I had everything mapped out, and I smiled. But I also think about the students I’ve worked with who had plenty of confidence but nothing to validate it or guide them in the right direction. They deserved better tools. Those tools now exist, and the work of helping every learner make informed choices about what comes next is foundational. My younger self would be glad that I’m part of an organization committed to making sure students have the data to take their next step with clarity and purpose, not just hopes and dreams.
