Pequannock counselors introduce SCORE platform to help students manage college and career applications

A school counselor (unnamed) for the Pequannock Township School District presented the SCORE college-and-career planning platform to students and families, demonstrating how it links to the Common Application, hosts supporting documents and teacher recommendations, and offers tools such as scattergrams and AI-generated reach/target/safety labels.

The counselor said SCORE notifies the school when a student submits an application through the Common Application and allows counselors to upload supplemental items and submit letters of recommendation on students’ behalf once accounts are linked. "It's very user friendly," the counselor said, describing features that let counselors view when teachers have submitted recommendations.

Counselors advised students to begin campus visits, take leadership roles, and build relationships with teachers for recommendation letters. A student speaker described visiting the College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and deciding the campus was a good fit only after touring it; presenters used the example to urge families to visit campuses during the academic year to assess campus life.

Presenters reviewed testing guidance: although many colleges are test-optional, counselors cautioned that some programs within a school may still require SAT or ACT scores. They recommended that students whose scores meet or exceed a school’s average should consider submitting them, because a strong score can bolster an application even where tests are optional.

The presentation included a concrete example of a trade-school visit to Fortis Institute in Wayne for students who are considering non–four‑year paths. Counselors also demonstrated SCORE features such as the student and teacher "brag" forms, scattergrams that compare student GPA to historical admit data, and the in‑platform process for requesting letters: students submit a request in SCORE, teachers receive an immediate email, and counselors can track completion in the system.

Counselors explained that students sign a FERPA release in SCORE to permit the school to send recommendations and supporting documents. They said this is the first year the district has rolled SCORE out for juniors and seniors and that onboarding for eighth graders is planned next. Counselors closed by reminding families they are available after the session for follow‑up questions and individual meetings.