Common queries:
1. What is the discounted price for the curriculum and how do I access the discount as a new member?
- All new members will find a discounted price offer in their app. Navigate to your Toolbox and click "see more" or next" the payment offer will open.
2. If I purchase the curriculum and for some reason need to put my account on hold, would I need to purchase the curriculum all over again?
- No
CounselMore College Readiness Curriculum
2026 Edition
A Professional-Grade Assignment System for Independent Educational Consultants
Preface
Why This Curriculum Exists
College admissions has become increasingly complex, opaque, and high-stakes—not only for students and families, but for the professionals guiding them.
Independent Educational Consultants are expected to deliver:
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Strategic expertise
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Emotional intelligence
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Operational excellence
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Ethical compliance
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And measurable outcomes
—all while navigating shifting admissions policies, evolving technology platforms, heightened competition, and growing scrutiny around transparency and data privacy.
Yet most counselors are forced to invent their own systems from scratch.
The CounselMore College Readiness Curriculum was created to solve that problem.
This curriculum is not a collection of one-off worksheets or generic “to-do” lists. It is a sequenced, assignment-driven operating system designed specifically for private practice counselors who need structure without rigidity—and professional protection without micromanagement.
Each assignment functions as a mini-project:
a living asset that is built early, refined over time, and ultimately deployed inside the college application itself.
Nothing here is “one and done.”
Everything is make-ready work.
The earlier this work begins, the stronger the outcomes—because informed decisions require context, and context takes time to build.
This curriculum also recognizes a fundamental truth:
The high school sets the rules.
CounselMore assignments are designed to align with—not override—school-based processes. Counselors advise; schools authorize. Families deserve clarity about that distinction from day one.
Finally, this curriculum reflects the reality of modern admissions:
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Essays are strategic narratives, not last-minute writing tasks
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Letters of recommendation are relationship-based, not transactional
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College lists are dynamic decision models, not static rankings
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Financial fit is a parallel process—not an afterthought
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AI, data analytics, and holistic review have permanently changed evaluation
The CounselMore College Readiness Curriculum gives counselors a repeatable, defensible, and professional framework—while preserving the counselor’s judgment, voice, and independence.
How the Curriculum Works (High-Level)
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Assignments are delivered through the CounselMore Student & Parent Portals
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Each assignment includes:
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Clear purpose and timing
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Counselor guidance (internal)
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Defined student actions
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Status tracking and revision cycles
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Assignments are reused, refined, and repurposed across years
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Counselors may edit, customize, or reorder assignments at any time
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The App Tracker, Data Manager, and Fin Fit tools integrate directly into the workflow
This is a professional system, not a script.
Core Design Principles (2026)
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Depth Over Volume
Sustained engagement matters more than surface participation. -
Early Make-Ready Work
Strong applications are assembled—not rushed. -
Strategic Choice Architecture
Students are guided to make informed, defensible decisions. -
Ethical & Legal Clarity
FERPA, consumer protection laws, and privacy boundaries are addressed explicitly. -
Two-Track Counseling Model
Admissions strategy and financial strategy are related—but distinct. -
Professional Protection
Clear expectations, documentation, and communication norms protect counselors and families alike.
Table of Contents
COUNSELMORE COLLEGE READINESS CURRICULUM (2026)
A Software-Aligned, Assignment-Based Framework for Modern College Planning
The CounselMore College Readiness Curriculum is a structured, sequenced assignment system designed to mirror how real college planning unfolds—inside the CounselMore platform and across the high school to college transition.
Assignments are delivered through the student and parent portals, reinforced by automated email notifications, and revisited throughout the advising relationship as living workspaces—not one-time tasks.
PHASE 1 — FOUNDATIONS
(Assigned at Start of Engagement | Several Assignments Remain Active Throughout)
1A — Foundations & Family Onboarding
Assigned immediately after student and parent portal invitations
1A.1 — Welcome to the CounselMore College Readiness Curriculum
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How the curriculum works (email → portal workflow)
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Roles, boundaries, and expectations
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The “make-ready” philosophy
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Timing vs. urgency framework
This assignment establishes the operating framework for the entire counseling relationship and remains active throughout the engagement.
1B — Client Relationship Management & Communication Protocols
Assigned at start of engagement | Referenced throughout
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How meetings, messaging, assignments, and responses work
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What belongs where (email vs. portal vs. meetings)
Contracts & Commitments
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Services Agreement (Google Signature)
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Student Responsibilities Agreement (Google Signature)
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Linked copy stored in the student’s Google Drive folder
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FERPA & Third-Party Educational Service Providers
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FERPA overview
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Illinois law considerations
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Consent vs. disclosure
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Revocation obligations
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Data ethics
Ethical Alignment Tools Referenced
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Highlands Ability Battery
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AXS Companion
Linked Article:
https://www.counselmore.com/essential-legal-documents-for-college-bound-students-a-guide-for-educational-consultants
1C — Student Profile & Academic Context (Living Record)
Assigned early junior year | Updated continuously
1C.1 — Transcript & High School Profile Collection
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Transcript accuracy review
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School context interpretation
1C.2 — Academic Context & Course Rigor Assessment
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“Most rigorous” coursework in school context
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Course planning awareness
1D — Student Profile: College Application Draft Begins
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Student Information completion
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Application data drafted directly inside CounselMore
1E — Testing Strategy & Awareness (Student & Parent)
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SAT / ACT / AP strategy
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Score submission logic
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Reality of test-optional policies
Linked Article:
https://www.counselmore.com/test-optional-admissions-strategies-for-educational-consultants
PHASE 2 — JUNIOR STRATEGY
2A — Fit, Interests & Readiness
(Fall–Winter Junior Year)
2A.1 — Fit Assessment: Academic + Personal Context
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Academic readiness
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Personal environment fit
2A.2 — Interest Exploration & Direction Mapping
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Direction without premature commitment
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Course, activity, and summer alignment
2A.3 — Activities, Awards & Experiences Inventory (Living Document)
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Depth, leadership, and impact tracking
2A.4 — Academic Résumé (Living Document)
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Recommendation and interview readiness
2A.5 — AI Tools Practice: Turn Your Application Draft into a Résumé
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AI as formatting support—not authorship
2B — College List Strategy & Research
(Winter–Spring Junior Year)
2B.1 — College List Strategy: Reach / Target / Accessible (Student & Parent)
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Bottom-up list building
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Reality-based categorization
2B.2 — College Research & Fit Analysis
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Beyond rankings
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Academic, cultural, and outcome fit
2B.3 — Campus Visit System & Post-Visit Analysis
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Tours, dictation notes, and reflection
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Fit refinement
2B.4 — Demonstrated Interest Awareness & Tracking
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When interest matters
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How to track without gaming
2C — Application Readiness & Essay Runway
(Spring–Summer Junior Year)
2C.1 — Letters of Recommendation Awareness (Multi-Year Preparation)
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What counselors and teachers evaluate
2C.2 — Letters of Recommendation Request Packet
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Materials preparation
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Professional request process
2C.3 — Essay B-Roll Development (Raw Material Capture)
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Story inventory
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Pattern recognition
PHASE 3 — SENIOR EXECUTION
3A — Application Execution (August Launch)
(June–August)
3A.1 — Personal Statement Drafting System
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Draft → feedback → revision workflow
3A.2 — Supplemental Essays: Trigger & Stealth Awareness
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Late-appearing prompts
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Strategic preparedness
3A.3 — Common Application Setup & FERPA Waiver Overview (Student & Parent)
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Platform readiness
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Consent clarity
3B — Move to App Tracker: Deadline Strategy & Final College List
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Transition from Counselor List to App Tracker
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Arrange schools by preference (click-hold-drag)
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Review and categorize application deadlines by type
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Prioritize early submission strategy
App Tracker Mechanics
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Each school’s requirements appear as rows
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Each requirement includes:
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Status column
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Strategy column
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Counselor records strategy; student reviews and comments
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Status cells generate assignments per requirement
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Assignments are delivered via email and tracked just like make-ready work
Linked Article:
https://www.counselmore.com/why-you-need-a-college-application-tracker
3C — Admissions Outcomes & Final Decisions
3C.1 — Application Outcomes Reporting
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Report admissions results to counselor
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Enter results in profile banner or assignment comments
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Click Done to notify counselor
3C.2 — Waitlist Strategy, Final Decision Framework & Enrollment Protocols
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Waitlist strategy and response
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Final decision framework (fit, finances, belonging, ROI)
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Enrollment confirmation
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Withdrawal protocols
Professional Support Embedded Throughout
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Friday Study Hall (Professionals Only)
Live peer-to-peer problem solving
https://www.counselmore.com/events -
Peer Mentors & Onboarding Support
Real practitioners. Real workflows. No scripts. -
CounselMore Blog & Knowledge Base
A living library of admissions trends, legal updates, and counselor-authored insight.
Closing Note
The CounselMore College Readiness Curriculum is not designed to replace your expertise.
It is designed to protect it, scale it, and make it visible—to families, to students, and to the institutions evaluating them.
This is what professional college counseling looks like in 2026.
CounselMore College Readiness Curriculum
- College Readiness Presentation Slides - Ready to use!
- Resume examples by theme
- Successful Candidate profiles
- Templates Meeting Agendas
- Letters to HS Counselors
COURSE PROGRESSION PLANNING
WORKING WITH DIFFICULT CLIENTS - SETTING EXPECTATIONS
ROUTINE ASSIGNMENTS — USED IN ASSIGNMENTS TAB
Navigation:
Menu → Add Routine Assignments → (Select Curriculum → Assignments)
Use the list of assignments as your service delivery roadmap.
WORKFLOW OF ROUTINE ASSIGNMENTS
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Check “Done” for any assignments that do not apply to the student.
(These can be retrieved later if needed.) -
Edit each assignment according to your notes and preferences.
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Select the Audience — determines who the assignment is for.
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Set the Start Date — assignments become visible to the student on this date.
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Set Email Delivery Pattern — choose how often the student receives their active assignments via email.
PURPOSE AND PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT OF COUNSELMORE COLLEGE READINESS CURRICULUM
Most new Educational Consultants start their practice without knowing what other consultants include in their comprehensive service packages. Without that visibility, it’s difficult to determine:
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Whether they are offering too much or too little.
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How many hours are typically built into a comprehensive plan.
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What deliverables are expected within those hours.
Even when a consultant knows the total number of hours to include, without understanding what those hours consist of, it’s nearly impossible to price or plan effectively.
The CounselMore Curriculum provides that missing structure.
It is both a jump start for new Educational Consultants launching their first company and a growth framework for experienced consultants who want to expand without reinventing the wheel.
While many consultants could create their own curriculum, doing so in isolation means working in a vacuum—without the benefit of knowing what’s standard across the industry.
By purchasing the CounselMore Curriculum, consultants gain:
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A clear understanding of the most common products and packages offered in the profession.
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Awareness of the average cost and scope of comprehensive services.
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A ready-to-use framework that can be personalized with the counselor’s own flavor, nuance, and signature style.
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Built-in software instructions inside the assignments, removing one step in client onboarding and delivery.
Counselors can even use the assignments as scripts for their own videos, turning each step of the process into a visual, branded experience for their students.
It’s a fast and effective way to professionalize your company while preserving your personal touch.
THE VALUE OF A REPEATABLE FRAMEWORK
Educational services are inherently intangible, and CounselMore’s approach makes them tangible and measurable.
By using structured assignments:
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Counselors create a repeatable framework for service delivery.
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Every student follows a consistent, measurable path through college readiness.
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Counselors gain a global view of progress across their entire caseload.
During the College Readiness Phase, students complete emailed assignments that prepare them for the college application process.
When a student marks an assignment Done, the counselor is automatically notified and may either accept or return the work, creating a steady rhythm of communication and progress.
This structured process transforms an Educational Consultant’s expertise into a tangible, data-informed service — one that builds trust, demonstrates value, and scales efficiently.
Everything begins with the CounselMore Curriculum —
your foundation for defining services, standardizing delivery, and accelerating the growth of your educational consulting practice.
and several more
SEPARATE PARENT ASSIGNMENTS FROM STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS
EVERY ASSIGNMENT CAN BE EDITED
How do I buy the Routine Assignments?
Who wrote the Routine Assignments?
CounselMore studied the service delivery process of hundreds of practicing college counselors. The best practices and common threads of the comprehensive college finding, planning, placement and enrollment service packages were identified, codified and systematized into the CounselMore College Counseling Software. This is why counselors easily find their process reflected back in CounselMore software because it was grown from the grassroots of college counseling.
Can I see the Assignments before I buy?
Of course! Sample can be found on our website here.
Or Follow the instructions below to see the sample assignments in your account. These are preloaded in your routine assignment settings:
Log into your CounselMore account
Click on your name at the top far right of your window
Click on "settings"
On the left hand side you'll see "routine assignments," click that, the center of your screen will now show sample assignments under banners that can be opened by clicking on the " > " to the left of the title.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
After purchasing either Assignments package - what happens?
Goto your Routine Assignments in your Settings menu and the assignments will auto-populate there.
You can begin editing there and the original copy will change.
You can apply to any student's record, Assignments tab and make edits once the assignment is in the student's record. That will preserve the original assignment.
You have also received an email with Google Drive access to a pdf document. That is the Counselor's Reader Version of assignments.
There are over 40 Assignments. Not all will pertain to every student. You will pick and choose which pertains to each student's needs.
The Assignments can be used for any grade. Consider using Assignments throughout the college readiness process.
You will receive Student And Parent And Counselor Assignments. The Parent Assignments are process education for your current and prospective clients. Use your Assignments in scheduled Broadcast messaging.
If you are new to educational consulting - Welcome! You are the first generation of independent educational counselors who have had the luxury of any codified college readiness process. Still today, no other application, certificate program, or training service offers you anything comparable. Why? Because we truly want you to counsel more!
Wouldn't a counselor have their own To Do list, A.k.A assignments?
Sure they do. Many counselors prefer to author their own Routine Assignments while others are interested in an off-the-shelf process they can trust but edit to their own style. CounselMore's Routine Assignments can also be edited by the counselor, making it the best collaboration tool.
How does CounselMore update Routine Assignments:
CounselMore is made aware of necessary updates by you!
In the header of your account, click Help > Submit an Idea
Some assignments are shepherd by one individual professional education consultant who is also a member of CounselMore. They've contacted support and have requested the opportunity to take responsibility for the annual revision of a single assignment. You are welcome to do that too!
There are supplement assignment packages (Financial, Arts, Athletes, and more.) Consider contributing to a supplement package.
How do CounselMore members participate in collaboration?
Submit your update suggestions: CounselMore Collaboration Lab
Sign into your forum account, using the same email address as your CounselMore account.
A new tab will open. You will enter the Collaboration Lab. First search to see if a colleague has already made the suggestion and contribute to their idea or up-vote their suggestion.
And/Or click Help > Contact Us and send a quick communication directly to our Support Team.
Can I edit the Assignments?
Yes! Each one is edit-able.
Do I have to pay an additional fee per student?
No. The cost of your CounselMore service plan remains the same. Please see pricing page. You must be an active member of CounselMore counseling tools (College data members are not eligible) to purchase the CounselMore Comprehensive Assignments packages.
How do I purchase Routine Assignments?
Purchase via your Settings > Toolbox > Assignments Packages
There is more than one set of Blueprints to College Readiness. There is the core set "Comprehensive" and there are supplemental assignment packages dedicated to topic areas. Choose appropriately.
Assignments will auto-download to your Routine Assignments bank.
You will be able to immediately access the assignments there:
Settings > Routine Assignments.
The total one-time cost is $___ (please follow the purchase instructions above, you will be taken to the pricing page).
TRAINING VIDEO
A complete copy of the Terms and Conditions can be reviewed in your account Settings menu under "My Account".
Advanced:
Check out how one counselor enhanced her Assignment delivery by creating a video to accompany each assignments.
Click to view an example of what you can do to enhance your high touch services.
support@counselmore.com
