The AXS toolbox for counselors was created by counselors for counselors as they guide students applying to college using Common App. The AXS toolbox is free and contains adaptable sets of lesson plans, slides, videos, and worksheets designed to streamline the counseling process that utilizes the AXS companion, a trusted Source approved by nacka. Additionally the AXS companion contains financial aid videos in English and Spanish, valuable resources to share with families. The goal of the AXS companion is to increase accessibility and clarity for students as they apply to college using Common App. 

So the landing page of the AXS toolbox opens with the AXS companion and Common App links. Starting on the homepage, going to www.acxtoolbox.org, we created 10 adaptable lesson plans that include slides with guidance from public high school counselors. Going to the lesson plans each lesson plan includes lesson objectives, lesson plans with slides, and homework. 

Clicking slides in the title will open the slides provided for each lesson. Please note that there are directions at the top of the lesson plan page and the slide page, offering directions on how to edit the lesson plans or slides to fit a counselor's classroom needs. A blue background on the slide indicates that there's a worksheet available and a green background indicates that this could be homework. Again, this is adaptable and depending on a counselor's classroom or Workshop time. The lesson plans offer counselors adaptable step-by-step instructions. The goal is for students to understand what is needed to successfully complete Common App. 

By clicking this title, counselors can see at a glance all the information covered in each lesson and determine what they would like to assemble into their lesson plans for students. An additional way to see these same offerings is by scrolling through the lesson plans. There is also a single lesson plan for limited classroom or Workshop time or as a preview of Common App process. On the homepage we provide common app video hyperlinks to the AXS companion videos which can be useful if a counselor wants to focus on a section of common app or they would like to send a link in an email to students. 

There is a printable AXS toolbox PDF to share with counselors that includes QR codes and there is an AXS companion printable PDF with QR code to the AXS companion. Since the AXS companion offers free step-by-step guidance to students as they apply to common app, this could be a good resource to have on a High School counseling office bulletin board or in the office window. 

On the menu go to the student worksheets and forms, which include the student application checklist, which can be used for any college list even if the college is not on Common App. There's an activities brainstorming worksheet for students, where they can write details about their activities prior to filling in the activity section. And lastly, the Common App essay topics. 

So in review on the homepage, there are resources links and vocabulary terms. These are direct links to the AXS companion which reviews the resources and vocabulary words that a student will encounter when using Common App. Lesson plans- all of the lesson plans and worksheets can be adapted and edited. The student worksheets are accessible here and please reach out to us if you have any questions or need any resources. The AXS toolbox for counselors was created by counselors for counselors with the goal of increasing College access together. Thank you so much.