Program Configuration

Configuring in CAS

You can set up the integration against the CAS's prelaunch (test) environment before deploying it for live applications from the production environment. Program configuration is likely already complete at schools where CAS participation is well established. Applicants can only apply to active CAS programs (in either the prelaunch or production environment), so it is necessary to have at least one program activated to collect records for the development and testing of the integration.

Another relevant consideration is timing relative to a new CAS admissions cycle. A common approach is to develop a new integration against the CAS prelaunch environment in the months before a new CAS admissions cycle opens to live applicants, then migrate that integration to the CAS production environment. This is the recommended approach. Alternatively, a school may develop a new integration approach against the CAS production environment for a CAS admissions cycle that is already live and accepting applications. This alternative approach adds complexity with the cutover from the previous integration to the CAS API integration. This alternative approach may be appropriate for schools that do not have another CAS-Slate integration established (i.e., they're manually entering each record by hand).