Dan's Story

I came to Centerpoint after working for several years as a journalist. I was unsatisfied with my career trajectory, had left the field and was contemplating applying to journalism or law school. However, I wasn’t sure where to begin in making such a large decision. I’d spent time thinking about my options but felt frustrated by a lack of concrete answers. At the urging of friends and family I decided to seek career counseling but was very wary of what I was getting into. Having read several of the leading books on the subject, I expected the process to largely involve compiling a list of my skills, which the counselor would then match with a list of career options—that or else a "new-age" voyage of self-discovery. So I approached Centerpoint very much a skeptic; what I found there shattered my preconceptions.

I worked directly with a career counselor in one-on-one sessions. Instead of focusing on my skills she helped me unearth and define the activities and personal strengths that I’m passionate about using in my daily life. In other words, the things I need from a career in order to be happy. This didn’t magically solve my problem of what to do next with my life but it was invaluable in helping me create a strong foundation from which to envision my future.

I decided that I’d like to create several solid options for myself and spent the winter applying to both law and journalism schools. The career counselor’s experiences in higher education proved helpful as she was able to offer her perspectives on the admissions process and put me in touch with a contact or two in the legal profession. After speaking with those and others, I felt much more certain about attending law school. All I had to do was be accepted.

Here too the counselor proved very useful. She provided insights throughout the application process and guided me through crafting essays highlighting my applicable experiences and my reasons for wanting to attend (those strengths and passions I mentioned earlier). The results were impressive. In the spring I was accepted by the top journalism programs in the country and by nearly all of the law schools on my list and in both cases I was regularly admitted to elite specialties within the respective programs.

But even more amazing to me were the scholarship offers. I received hundreds of thousands of dollars in incentive offers as well as several significant merit scholarships. Moreover, two law schools offered me full tuition scholarships. Why were all these schools so interested in me? It wasn’t straight As or aced entrance exams—I had neither. Instead the admissions officers said they liked my clarity and focus, things I directly attribute to my work with Centerpoint.

So I’m off to law school on the East Coast, enrolled in a specialty program that caters directly to my interests and passions—not merely my skills—and the school is footing the bill. More importantly I feel secure in my decision to make a change and take on a new challenge. As for those who aren’t sure where their life is going, are thinking about making a leap or just aren’t sure this whole career counseling thing is for them, I urge you to invest an hour, meet with a Centerpoint career counselor and learn more about the process. It was one of the best decisions I made and proved to be more valuable than I ever could have imagined.