This article discusses topics related to the Applicant SMS Address feature in Terra Dotta's Study Abroad solution. For SMS functionality in AlertTraveler® and Travel Registry, please refer to the appropriate KB sections.
The Applicant SMS Address feature in Terra Dotta Study Abroad provides a method for administrators to send text messages to an applicant via the application search results page.
Important Note: The ability for an admin to send an SMS message is not currently supported in the Admin Console. However, admins can still access the feature by using the classic search option noted below.
To enable and access the Applicant SMS Address:
- Navigate to Settings > System Features > Applicants and mark the "Enable" check box next to "Applicant SMS (text message) address".
- Navigate to Applicants > Search > Options and select "Send SMS (text) message". In cases where an applicant hasn't provided an SMS address, the message will be sent to their primary email address.
Applicants will see a pane on their applicant home page which instructs them to provide the number and carrier of their mobile phone. The applicant's panel provides a testing mechanism for the phone number and carrier entered and indicates to the applicant that this method of contact will be used in cases of emergencies.
This functionality also allows Applicants to select "Other" as the carrier of their mobile phone. If this is selected, students should enter their full phone number in the first text box and the e-mail domain of their mobile phone carrier in the second text box.
The SMS functionality of the software generates the messages via the email portal provided by mobile phone carriers. While there is no cost to the office sending the message, care should be taken with the use of this functionality as there may be charges for receiving these messages on the side of the applicant.
The Applicant SMS Address feature will work with international numbers if the international carrier provides a domain name to which SMS messages can be sent via email. For these carriers, the applicants are provided with an "Other" option in the carrier drop-down menu which permits them to manually enter this domain.
An admin with the Maintenance > Sent Email permission can view a log of sent SMS messages from their site as these will display under the "Sent Email" section.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) How can I add another mobile phone carrier to the SMS drop-down menu?
Terra Dotta includes a default list of mobile carriers which is pre-loaded into a drop-down menu to make data entry easier. The list includes major US carriers that have known email domains for sending SMS messages. Hosted clients can customize this list if they provide additional email domains to use. This should be done by opening a Support request.