Shared Lookup Table Updates

Overview

Many fields in the Applicant Portal contain predefined answer values that applicants can select; for example, the Country and County fields both have predefined answer values. These values are housed in shared "lookup tables," which are viewable in your CAS's/UniCAS's data dictionary file.

Periodically, we receive requests to update these lookup tables to include additional response options for some of the standard questions in the Applicant Portal. We strive to respond to these requests while acknowledging that some updates can potentially impact schools leveraging that data. For example, changes to the lookup tables are reflected in data dictionaries. You can use these updates to make changes to your settings for any data extractions, where needed. Portals impacted by lookup table changes include:

• Analytics by Liaison: a data reporting tool.
• API: a data integration tool.
• Liaison Outcomes: an admissions review system and CRM.
• WebAdMIT: an admissions review system.

As we update shared lookup tables, applicants will see these changes in the application. You can download updated data dictionary files that will help you if you export data from our portals to your school's Student Information System (SIS) or another database. See below for the timeline and guidance for optimal implementation.

Timeline

Updates to the shared lookup tables are released biannually in the spring and fall. You can submit lookup table change requests throughout the year to a member of your account team.

For the Spring 2024 lookup updates, review these important dates:

• November 1, 2023: final date to submit lookup table value requests.
• November 17, 2023: new lookup table values finalized.
• March 3, 2024: new lookup table values appear in the Applicant Portal, and updated data dictionaries are available.

Changes to Applicant Portal Lookup Tables

Where New Lookup Table Values Appear

On March 3, 2024, applicants can select the new options in the application. Once the new lookup table values become available to applicants, they're reflected in the applicant's profile, within the application PDF, and in our products (e.g., Analytics by Liaison, API, Liaison Outcomes, and WebAdMIT).

Changes to the Data Dictionaries and Master Code Lists

When new lookup table values are released, you should download a new data dictionary, which will contain the new lookup table values that correspond to the Changes to Applicant Portal Lookup Tables.

Data dictionaries are Excel files that list all the application fields you can search by or export from our products. They include each field name, field type (e.g., numeric, Boolean, etc.), and associated lookup tables. These files can help Information Technology (IT) teams anticipate what will be exported, which is useful information when importing applicant data into a separate Student Information System (SIS).

For WebAdMIT, you can also access the Master Code Lists for college, degree, and high school data. These master code lists include all the possible values for the select data, but due to the number of possible values, they are stored separately from the standard data dictionary. Additionally, these Master Code Lists are updated once a year in the spring.

If your school imports these fields directly from our system to yours, these new options will begin appearing in your exports as applicants select them. If you currently export data from our portals to your school's SIS or another database, share these new lookup table values and data dictionaries with your IT team. Additionally, if you created a "crosswalk" from our portals to your local data in your SIS/CRM, you may need to update this crosswalk for the newly added options.

To access a product's data dictionary:

• Analytics by Liaison: not applicable.
• CAS API: use the data dictionary API endpoint.
• Liaison Outcomes: under the Import/Export section in the Settings menu, click Field Dictionary to view the fields available in Outcomes.
• WebAdMIT: under the Help panel in the Menu Bar, click Data Dictionary Page to generate a new data dictionary. You can also download Master Code Lists from the Data Dictionaries and Master Code Lists page.