With the Application Page, applicants can easily navigate application instructions, requirements, and other relevant information related to a program application.
The Application Page is part of today's applicant experience in Terra Dotta and is referred to as the Application Page throughout this article. Any references to legacy features are noted as classic applicant functionality.
This article covers the following topics related to the Application Page:
- Navigating the Application Page
- Requirements Tab
- Program Info Tab
- Itinerary Tab
- Documents Tab
- Course Approval Tab
- Submit Button
- The Post-Submission Experience
- Administrator Features
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Video Highlights
Important Note: The Applicant Experience must be enabled on your site in order for applicants to access the Applicant Home Page. It is highly recommended that admins review the following Knowledgebase (KB) articles for a comprehensive overview of the Applicant Experience:
Navigating the Application Page
The Application Page is comprised of a series of display panels and tabs that contain common elements across applications.
Left Application Panel
The left application panel displays:
- The application's important dates (application deadline, decision date, start date, and end date).
- A calendar icon from which an applicant can add dates to a desired electronic calendar.
- A link to the program brochure.
- Relevant announcements.
- The applicant's profile image (which can be edited from this screen).
- The application's status when in post-decision phase only. (If the application has a status or status alias of "Pending", then this will not be shown.)
Main Application Panel
The main application panel is inclusive of a header bar, image, and a series of application tabs.
Information is displayed from top to bottom of the application page as follows:
- A header bar containing:
- A navigation menu that expands to show a comprehensive list of options.
- The program name and app cycle for which the application has been created.
- The applicant's name and "Logout" link.
- The brochure banner image for the program, if set for use.
- A series of application tabs that consolidates information into dedicated spaces, making it easy for applicants to locate exactly what they need. The application tabs that appear to the applicant may include the following: Requirements, Program Info, Itinerary, Documents, and Course Approval.
Important Note: If a brochure banner image is in use for a program, then an admin has the option to disable it from displaying on application pages based on the program type. To take action:
1) From the main search field in the Admin Console's Navigation Menu, select the "Navigation" icon and enter "Program Types".
2) Click on the navigation arrow that appears to be directed to the program types configuration page.
3) Click the edit pencil of your desired program type. Then use the "Hide/Show Header Images on Applicant Experience Application Pages" to make your selection.
4) Click "Update" to preserve your changes.
The "Requirements" tab is the main page of the application, and applicants will land here by default each time they access their application.
Immediately after creating an application, the "Requirements" tab will display information as follows:
- A numeric indicator will appear next to "Requirements". This number is inclusive of any required process elements (questionnaires, learning content, assessments, materials, and signature documents) as well as an required actions, such as recommendations, document types, and study plans.
- An expanded view of the application instructions. These are phase-specific and are configured in the Application Lifecycle step for the program in Program Wizard. By clicking the "X", an applicant can close the instructions, tucking them away until needed again. By default, these instructions will display in their full view when an applicant leaves the application and returns afterwards.
- A "Get Started" button. When clicked, the first requirement listed under the "Online Application" section will open. After completing the first requirement, the next will open, and so forth. In this way, the applicant is moved through the online application process based on how items are listed on the application page. It is possible for the applicant to jump around and complete items outside of the order in which they are listed.
- Each application requirement will have a unique corresponding icon that appears to the left of its name on the application page.
- Due dates will populate to the right of any process elements for which a due date has been assigned.
- Applicants are able to print materials as they might contain information that is helpful to have nearby when seeking out these documents to submit to the office.
- A signature document must be signed electronically. If your office has the Required Verification and 18 Years of Age" setting enabled, then anyone under the age of 18 will be required to print the signature document to co-sign with a parent or guardian. For more details see the Identity Verification in Terra Dotta Study Abroad article.
Application Sections: Online & Offline
Within the "Requirements" tab, application requirements are organized into distinct sections.
The "Online Application" section contains all process elements deployed to the application as well as required actions, such as recommendations, document types, and study plans.
An "Offline Requirements" section contains material submissions. This section will always appear at the bottom of the application page.
For admins using the requirement ordering options (i.e. priority, standard, and non-priority) available in the Admin Console's Application Organization section, application requirements will appear in the online application and offline requirements sections respectively based on the layouts configured.
Within these sections, an application can click the name of a requirement to open it in order to take action.
Important Note: Instead of displaying a "Save" button to applicants, an auto-save feature is used with questionnaires in the Application Experience. After a questionnaire is loaded and data is entered, the auto-save will take action every minute and notify applicants that their unsaved responses have been saved. When ready to submit the questionnaire, the applicant would click on "Done".
Application Sections: Completed Requirements
Once a requirement has been completed, it will be marked off and moved to the "Completed Requirements" section at the bottom of the page for reference later. This ensures that an applicant is looking only at what is most important when visiting this page.
Information in this section is organized by columns, from left to right:
- Type
- This displays the icon which represents the requirement type.
- Name
- Date Submitted
- Action
- An applicant can view their responses by clicking the "view" icon.
- Questionnaires configured to allow applicants the ability to edit their responses after submission will display an "edit pencil" icon from which they can amend their responses as many times as necessary. Admins will not be notified when an applicant amends their response.
Important Note:
- Recommendations that have been requested do not appear in this section. Instead, they move to their own respective "Recommendations Panel".
- When viewing completed questionnaires which contain question items configured as the type of "field" and subtype "text", you must hold down your cursor in the response field and scroll in order to see the full response.
- When editing a grouped questionnaire, only the question items in the editable questionnaire will be allowed. The other question items will remain as "view only".
- If one recommendation is required for the program (and configured as "Must be Completed" in Program Wizard) - and then the admin generates additional recommendation requests for the applicant's application, then those additional recommendation requests will be treated as requirements (and counted in the progress meter) that must be completed in order for the submit button to appear.
- If an applicant attempts to submit a questionnaire with no required questions without submitting at least one response, then the "submit" action will mark the questionnaire as not applicable (N/A).
Application Sections: Additional Services
When a material is created for some TD Connect partners, it is automatically set as an optional item for applicants. This material option will appear on the application page under the "Additional Services" section.
Application Sections: Recommendations Panel
Recommendations will be displayed in the requirements list in the "Online Application" section. After a recommendation is requested or completed, it will appear in a unique "Recommendations" panel which rests above the "Completed Requirements" section.
Information in this section is organized by columns, from left to right:
- Recommender Name
- Type of Recommendation
- Date on which the recommendation was requested by the applicant
- Date the recommendation was completed by the recommender
- Actions column from which the applicant can email the recommender ("mail" icon) or request another recommendation ("+" icon).
Important Note:
- When a recommendation has been requested and is pending, an open "circle" icon will appear to the left of the recommender's name. Hover text indicates that the recommendation is pending.
- When a recommendation has been completed, then a check mark will appear in the "circle" icon. Hover text indicates that the recommendation is complete.
Recommendations, once requested, appear in a stand-alone "Recommendations" panel.
Recommendations will always be counted as an application requirement in the progress wheel if the submit button has been enabled for the specific application phase of the program and recommendations are required. If the submit button is not enabled - or if the submit button is enabled and the "No Recommendations Requirement" setting is used, then the recommendation will not be counted as a requirement in the progress wheel of the application.
Example: An application consists of five requirements, one of which is a recommendation. The admin has selected the configuration of "recommendation must be completed". After the applicant has submitted the recommendation, the progress wheel continues to read "4 of 5" until the recommender completes the recommendation.
After the recommendation has been completed, a date is populated under the "Date Completed" column, the progress wheel changes to display "5 of 5", and the submit button appears.
Again, the submit button (when enabled) will only appear at the top of the application page when all other application requirements have been submitted and:
- A recommendation has been requested by the applicant when the recommendation only requires that it be requested. (This configuration is considered the best practice.); or,
- A recommendation has been completed by the recommender when the recommendation requires that it be completed.
Important Note: If one recommendation is required for the program (and configured as "Must be Completed" in Program Wizard) - and then the admin generates additional recommendation requests for the applicant's application, then those additional recommendation requests will be treated as requirements (and counted in the progress meter) that must be completed in order for the submit button to appear.
Application Sections: The Commitment Panel
A "commitment" panel appears below the application instructions after the application is in the post-decision phase and has been assigned the "Accepted" status. This panel allows the applicant to commit to the program (and move into the "Committed" status), or decline and withdraw their application.
The "Program Info" tab appears during the pre-decision phase and onward, serving as a convenient place for an applicant to find many of the important details regarding their program. This information includes the program itinerary (with the ability to edit it for applicable program types), program cost sheet, and any learning content items deployed. Note that any classic budget sheets will appear in the "Program Info" tab if they have not yet been deleted from the respective active program.
Clicking the "Other Actions" drop-down menu in the top right of the "Program Info" tab allows the applicant to update their profile information, address, itinerary (if applicable), and documents. They can also access the program brochure.
Itinerary Tab
If an itinerary exists for the application, it will be displayed on the "Itinerary" tab. If the program type allows it, the applicant will be able to edit or add to their itinerary from here.
Detailed Itineraries for Study Abroad
For offices using Terra Dotta Study Abroad, the Terra Dotta Travel Registry solution, and AlertTraveler® (installed on your site), the option for an applicant to add detailed itinerary information directly from their program application is available. This feature allows Study Abroad applicants to submit detailed itinerary information the same way that a Travel Registry user would, offering a familiar interface from which to log travel details and trips taken outside of the program.
After the Detailed Itineraries system setting is enabled, applicants will see the "Add Detailed Itinerary Info" option appear in the "Itinerary" tab of an application.
A "Create New Trip" modal appears after an applicant clicks on "Add Detailed Itinerary Info". From here, an applicant can enter important trip details. Additional details can be added, such as flight and hotel information.
After a detailed itinerary is added, the system creates the trip along with a subscription within AlertTraveler® and pushes the information to the Travel Registry account. The Study Abroad account serves as the child account to the parent Travel Registry account. This "parent/child" relationship affords risk offices the ability to manage all information from one location within Travel Registry.
Additional trips can be created with a click of the "+" icon next to "Itinerary Details".
An admin is able to view these trips and travel details from within Application Admin Manager by using the "View as User" button. The details are also available in Analytics.
Before offices begin using the Detailed Itineraries feature, keep the following information in mind:
- Enabling the system setting for Detailed Itineraries enables the display of the "Add Detailed Itinerary Info" option on applications for all program types that use application itineraries. It is not possible to disable the display of Detailed Itineraries for some programs while only displaying it for others. (The only setting that can be used to include or exclude programs is the AlertTraveler® program eligibility setting, which is not tied to Detailed Itineraries.)
- Detailed itineraries do feed into the trip search. This means if the "Detailed Itineraries" system setting is enabled and an applicant enters travel details/side trips within the "Itineraries" tab of their application, then this data will flow into Travel Registry. An admin would only need to manage information from one location in Travel Registry in this way.
Documents Tab
The "Documents" tab will only appear on an application if a program has been configured to allow attached documents and document options have been assigned. This configuration must be made from the "Settings" tab of the program in the classic Program Builder. Document types are created in Settings > System Features > Process Options.
Within the "Documents" tab, an applicant can see what documents they need to provide and upload them via drag and drop functionality. They can also reference documents that have already been submitted.
When a document type has been configured as a requirement for a program's submit button, then the document type will also appear under the "Requirements" tab. An upload can be made by the applicant in either respective tab.
A "Course Approval" tab will appear on a program's applications regardless of the phase when the Course Approvals feature has been enabled for the program. This action can be performed from the "Details" tab in Program Wizard, or in batch by selecting the desired programs in Program Finder. See the "Creating & Submitting a Course Approval Request" section of the Course Approvals Knowledgebase article.
From this tab, an applicant can access the Course Approvals interface from which to read instructions, view and search from a list of available foreign courses and their home course equivalents for the program, create desired custom course approval requests, and finally submitting a course approval request.
After a course approval request has been submitted and approved, an applicant has the option to submit a study plan if that option has been configured as a requirement of the program from the Application Lifecycle section of Program Wizard.
For a comprehensive explanation of Course Approvals, including how to get started using this feature, see the Course Approvals KB article.
A submit button is available for use with a program's applications as a way to ensure applicants have completed all required action items. This feature is configured from the "Application Lifecycle" section in Program Wizard.
Once enabled, the submit button will only appear at the top of the application page after all requirements and required actions have been completed, which may include:
- All online requirements. These are the process elements that have been deployed to the application.
- All offline requirements. This refers to materials deployed to the application.
- Recommendations
- If the recommendation has been configured as "Must be Requested", then the submit button will appear after the applicant has submitted their recommendation request.
- If the recommendation has been configured as "Must be Completed", the the submit button will only appear after the recommender has responded to the applicant's request by completing a submitting the recommendation.
- Study Plans
- If a Study Plan has been configured as "Needs to Be Submitted", then the submit button will appear after the applicant has submitted their study plan request in the "Course Approval" tab.
- If a Study Plan has been configured as "Needs to Be Approved", then the submit button will only appear after the applicant's study plan has been fully approved by the Study Plan Approver.
- Document Types
- If a Document Type has been configured as a requirement (from the "Settings" tab of the classic Program Builder), then this document will appear in the "Requirements" tab.
If all requirements of an application have not been completed, then the submit button will not appear on the application page - even if it is enabled.
Submit Button Alert
When the applicant is logged in, on their application page and takes action to complete the last requirement on that application page, then a submit button modal will appear as an alert across the application page with the following message: You have completed all the current requirements for this application. It is ready to be submitted to the office.
From this modal, the applicant can click on the "Submit Your Application" button to complete the action.
If the last requirement is completed (such as a recommendation submission) and the applicant is not logged in, then they will need to remember to log into their account and click on the submit button at the top of the application page.
For offices looking for additional ways to ensure that applicants click on the submit button, consider leveraging the following:
- Application Instructions: These can be updated by phase in the Application Lifecycle tab of the program in Program Wizard. Make reference to the submit button, when and where it will appear on the application page, and reiterate that this button must be used to formally submit the application.
- Learning Content: Create this requirement as a way to inform applicants how the submit button functions.
For more information on how to enable the submit button for a program (and/or phase), see the Submit Button Knowledgebase (KB) article.
The Post-Submission Experience
After an applicant has submitted an application, the application is ready to be reviewed and assigned an updated status, such as "Accepted", "Waitlisted", or "Rejected".
It is only after the decision date for the program has been reached that an applicant is informed of the status change by email. This notification prompts the applicant to log into their site to view the updated application status.
If the decision date has already passed when an admin updates an application's status, then the applicant will receive the notification email immediately.
Important Note: The status change email is not sent by default in the Admin Console. An admin must check the "send notification email" option in order for this email to be sent. The "Status Change" notification email does not reveal the updated status by default; therefore, the applicant must log in to view this information.
After the applicant logs into their site, they will land on their home page and see a "decision made" notification.
In addition, their program card will be updated to reflect the new application status and post-decision phase progress wheel:
Decision Letter
Clicking the "decision made" link after the decision date will route the applicant to their application page where the decision letter modal will appear. Decision letters can be customized under Process > Notifications > Decision Letters.
Commitment Panel
If the application was accepted, then clicking the "Continue" button in the decision letter takes the applicant to the Commitment Panel which appears at the top of their application page in the post-decision phase.
The applicant must then make one of the following selections:
-
Commit: Clicking "Commit" confirms their intent to participate and automatically changes the application status to "Committed".
- After an applicant commits to a program, they can no longer withdraw their application on their own. They would need to contact the appropriate staff member in the study abroad office to take action on their behalf.
-
Decline: Clicking "Decline" confirms their intent to turn down the opportunity and automatically changes the application status to "Withdrawn" with a sub-status of "Decline".
- Applicants are provided with a text field to provide an explanation for their reason to decline. This response is recorded in the application's activity log.
- After an applicant has declined their acceptance, the application will automatically move to the "Past Applications" section of their applicant home page. The applicant will be able to see the program listed with the status of "Declined" but will no longer be able to click into the application to view it in full.
Administrator Features
The application page includes functionality to assist administrators in providing the most optimal application experience possible for students. These tools include the ability to customize the order in which requirements appear on the application page, due dates for requirements, and the ability to group questionnaires.
Application Organization
Clients who have enabled the Applicant Experience have the ability to customize the order in which application requirements, both online and offline, will display to students on the application page. Access this layout tool by navigating to the Admin Console > Application Organization.
Important Note: For sites using deployment rules and rules-based app cycles, refer to the Application Organization section of the Deployment Rules article for details on this feature. Filtering will function differently in Application Organization for a deployment method of "rules" versus that of "process maps".
For sites still using classic process map-based app cycles: after creating a process element in the classic builder and applying the process map(s), two buttons will appear: "Apply" and "Apply and go to Application Layout". The latter will take you to Application Organization where you can customize the order in which application requirements will appear to applicants.
First, a series of five drop-down menu filters allows you to select the relevant application requirements to display: select the Program Type, Lifecycle Phase, Program Group, and Program Term.
To get started, you will need to select options for the first three filters moving from left to right with "deployment method" followed by "program type" and then "lifecycle phase":
- Deployment Method: By default, this will be set to "Rules" and should be the method used when ordering requirements for rules-based app cycles. Select "process maps" when setting a layout for use with process map-based app cycles.
- Program Type: When a program type of "X" is selected from this menu, the system is looking at the program type to which a requirement has been configured to apply.
- Lifecycle Phase: When a lifecycle phase of "X" is selected from this menu, the system is looking at the application phase in which a requirement has been configured to display.
After options have been selected for these three filters, the system will search for and return results. From the list of requirements displayed, you can continue to add filters as desired using the following options:
- Program Group
- Term
The layout interface is organized first by "Online Requirements" with "Offline Requirements" appearing afterwards. Within each section, three options appear for requirement ordering:
- Priority Requirements: Application requirements that you drag and drop here can be placed in any custom order and will appear to students first.
- Standard Ordering: Application requirements that you drag and drop here will auto organize, first by due date (earliest appearing at the top), then alphanumerically. Note: By default, application requirements, both online and offline, are sorted by "Standard Ordering".
- Non-Priority Requirements: Application requirements that you drag and drop here can be placed in any custom order and will always appear at the bottom of the page.
These three naming options enable you to customize application requirement ordering without the need for naming schemes. They do not star or label one application requirement as better/more important than another.
A single column of three dots (noted in the image above) appears next to the left of each application requirement. Click on this icon to open a navigation window for the ability to move this one item to a different ordering option.
A checkbox feature allows for the selection of multiple application requirements at a time to quickly move them en masse from one ordering option to another.
Grouped Questionnaires
The grouped questionnaires setting (enabled/disabled by program type and phase) provides the ability to bundle all question items contained in all of the questionnaires assigned to the same phase of an application into one single questionnaire on the application page. Instead of multiple, distinct questionnaires, applicants are presented with a fluid list of questions (displaying ten at a time per page), to complete altogether in lieu of clicking into separate questionnaires.
Example: For all Outgoing programs, you can choose to configure all pre-decision questionnaires to appear as individual, separate requirements to applicants. Yet, for the post-decision phase questionnaires for all Outgoing programs, you can choose to group all questionnaires to deploy as one single requirement to applicants.
To modify your questionnaire deployment settings by phase in the Applicant Experience, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Programs > Program Types. Click the edit pencil next to the program type whose settings you'd like to manage.
- From the "Program Admin: Edit Program Type" page, a "Change Program Type Configuration" panel will appear. Within this panel is a section to edit the Applicant Experience questionnaire deployment settings by phase. Next to each phase, a drop-down menu will allow you to choose to configure questionnaires by phase to appear as either individual or grouped. Make your selection.
- Click update to preserve your changes.
1. I do not want the Commitment Panel to appear on application pages. How can I prevent this option from displaying?
The Commitment Panel only appears if the application is moved into the the "Accepted" status. Moving an application directly from a status of "Pending" to a status of "Committed" would prevent the panel from appearing on the application page.
Exploring the Terra Dotta Study Abroad 20.3 Webinar
The first half of this webinar focuses on highlighting today's Terra Dotta for applicants. Watch and find a recent example of what an applicant might experience from the moment they search for a program to the moment they submit a program application.