Extended Profile
Overview
Some CASs include an Extended Profile page in the application. This typically appears in or directly after the Create an Account page. Applicants must select answers that then affect parts of the application from appearing or hiding. For example, if an applicant identifies as an international applicant in the Extended Profile page, then a Visa section appears in the application, asking the applicant to provide their Visa details. If the applicant identifies as a domestic applicant, then they do not see this Visa section. Extended Profile can also affect which programs applicants can view and apply to, as well as their application fees to those programs.
What parts of the application can the Extended Profile section affect?
The Extended Profile section can affect the following items:
- Additional questions appearing in the Extended Profile page (e.g., Degree Credential question appears if an applicant indicates that they do not plan to take college coursework)
- Sections appearing in Personal Information, Academic History, and Supporting Information (e.g., Visa section for international applicants, Colleges Attended section for applicants with college coursework, Documents section for required document uploads, etc.)
- Questions appearing in Personal Information, Academic History, Supporting Information, and Program Materials (e.g., Visa type and number for international applicants, etc.)
- Documents appearing in Supporting Information and Program Materials (e.g., Visa document upload for international applicants, etc.)
- Programs appearing in the Add Program page (e.g., graduate programs only for applicants who earned an undergraduate degree, etc.)
- Program fees (e.g., alternate fees for military applicants, etc.)
- Program deadlines (e.g., extended deadline dates for military applicants, etc.)
Should my CAS use Extended Profile?
Review the considerations below of the Extended Profile feature. Then, contact a member of your account team to discuss what options may be best for your CAS.
Opportunities with Extended Profile
The Extended Profile is a useful feature if you want to create a customized application experience for select groups of applicants. By having the ability to display only specific sections, questions, documents, and programs to select groups of applicants, you can be sure that they submit the required items. It also simplifies the application for applicants who are not included in that select group, as they will not see content that does not apply to them.
When deciding to use Extended Profile, it is important to ask several questions:
- What types or groups of applicants are using this application?
- If there are several groups, how do the applicant groups break down? For example, how many international applicants apply through the application versus domestic applicants?
- Are there specific questions, sections, documents, or programs that should only be visible to or required for a specific group of applicants, or do those items apply to all applicants?
Obstacles with Extended Profile
In some instances, Extended Profile may not enhance the applicant workflow. It's important to remember that Extended Profile appears at the very beginning of the application process. If too many questions are asked when the applicant is setting up their account, they may be frustrated or deterred from completing their account information, before they begin the application itself.
If your CAS doesn't have many specific questions, sections, documents, or programs that should only be visible to or required for a specific group of applicants, then leaving them as part of the main application and eliminating the need for additional questions in Extended Profile may be a best practice.
Extended Profile in the Configuration Portal
If your CAS uses the Extended Profile feature, you can incorporate the Extended Profile questions with your program configurations through the following Question Rule features:
For example, using the Change Deadline question rule, you can configure that if an applicant identifies as a military applicant, then your program deadline will extend for an additional two weeks.
Extended Profile in WebAdMIT
If your CAS uses the Extended Profile feature, you can view the Extended Profile questions and answers under the CAS Custom Questions panel on the Applicant Details page.