Prelaunch Environment Reference Guide

Overview of Environments

There are two Outcomes environments that are used for specific purposes:

Environment	What is it?	When do I use this environment?	Who can use this environment?	Where does the data come from?
Production	The "live environment" in Outcomes where you perform your applicant review processes.	Daily or as required – this is the environment you use to perform your admissions review processes.	All users	Because this is the live environment, the data comes directly from your applicants via the information they enter into their application.
Prelaunch	Prelaunch is a "staging" environment in Outcomes that allows you to configure programs for the new cycle without impacting the current cycle.	Prior to "going live" with your cycle – this is the environment you use to "stage" your program in the Configuration Portal for the new cycle before it goes live. Once you’re ready to launch the cycle, these programs are "promoted" to production.	Schools that are configuring their programs during the CAS's standard configuration period.	Any data that appears in prelaunch is data that is generated in prelaunch.

Environment

What is it?

When do I use this environment?

Who can use this environment?

Where does the data come from?

Production

The "live environment" in Outcomes where you perform your applicant review processes.

Daily or as required – this is the environment you use to perform your admissions review processes.

All users

Because this is the live environment, the data comes directly from your applicants via the information they enter into their application.

Prelaunch

Prelaunch is a "staging" environment in Outcomes that allows you to configure programs for the new cycle without impacting the current cycle.

Prior to "going live" with your cycle – this is the environment you use to "stage" your program in the Configuration Portal for the new cycle before it goes live. Once you’re ready to launch the cycle, these programs are "promoted" to production.

Schools that are configuring their programs during the CAS's standard configuration period.

Any data that appears in prelaunch is data that is generated in prelaunch.

Accessing Prelaunch

When preparing for a cycle rollover, you configure your programs in the prelaunch environment ("prelaunch"). Prelaunch is accessed through WebAdMIT.

To obtain a WebAdMIT account, contact the primary user at your institution. This user can create an account for you and give you access to the appropriate program(s). You then receive an email with directions on how to log in to WebAdMIT and create a password.

If you are creating accounts for other users, review the Creating and Managing Users section.

You can access prelaunch after you create your WebAdMIT account and CAS opens the Configuration Portal. This timeframe is generally determined and communicated by your CAS's Association and/or a member of your Liaison account team.

When your CAS's Configuration Portal opens, you can access prelaunch by:

Visiting https://prelaunch.webadmit.org and using your existing WebAdMIT credentials to log in.
From the Dashboard, click CAS Configuration Portal under the Management (or Administration) panel.

Deployment Window

Prelaunch is deployed between 8 and 11 AM ET every Monday; if Monday is a US or Canadian holiday, deployment is the next business day. During this time, you can access prelaunch but may experience slow performance or brief service interruptions. This deployment includes all system changes from the preceding release.

Configuring Programs in Prelaunch

Review the CAS Configuration Portal Help Center for more information on configuring your programs.

Note that all program pages from the current cycle will be automatically rolled over to the new cycle. The academic year for these rolled-over programs will be set to the new cycle and the program will be set to draft status for you to edit. When reviewing the CAS Configuration Portal Help Center, you can jump to the Edit Program Data section for information on editing the rolled-over pages; however, we recommend reviewing the entire guide to help you determine what edits to make.

If your program launches mid cycle, it must be configured in prelaunch and promoted to production. Use the Open Date to control visibility of the program to applicants in the Applicant Portal.

Previewing Program Configurations

After configuring your program, use the Preview buttons under Program Settings to view how each page will appear to applicants. You can continue to make changes to your program pages/options and then use the Preview buttons until you are satisfied.

Configuring a Test Program

To test program configurations in the Applicant Portal and Outcomes, you'll need to create a test program as follows:

Log in to prelaunch (https://prelaunch.webadmit.org).
Enter the Configuration Portal and navigate to the program you wish to test.
Copy the program and update the Program Name and WebAdMIT Label to include "TEST –" as the prefix (e.g., “TEST – Fall Program”). The WebAdMIT Label carries over to Outcomes.
Submit the test program for review, then contact the CAS Association or a member of your Liaison account team for approval.
When approved, the program start date will be set to the current date to allow the program to display on the prelaunch applicant portal.

If you use a UniCAS, you can begin submitting test applications to your test program only after the first three quadrants of the application (i.e., Personal Information, Academic History, and Supporting Information) have been created and approved by your CAS's Association (specific dates are determined by the Association). Once these quadrants are approved, you can submit test applications in your CAS’s prelaunch Applicant Portal environment.

Submitting Test Applications

Important note: in order to submit test applications, you must configure a test program. If you use a UniCAS, do not submit any applications until you receive notice that the first three quadrants have been approved. If in doubt, contact your CAS association contact or a member of your Liaison account team.

You can submit test applications in your CAS’s prelaunch applicant portal environment. As noted above, if you use a UniCAS, you can begin submitting test applications only after the first three quadrants of the application (i.e., Personal Information, Academic History, and Supporting Information) have been created and approved by your CAS's association or account team.

Once an application is ready for submission, use the following test credit card information to mock a payment and submit the application:

Name on Card: test test
Card Type: Visa
Card Number: 4111 1111 1111 1111
Expiration Date: 06/2024 (any future date should work)
CVV: 111

Following submission, the application will appear in Outcomes.

Moving Programs from Prelaunch to Production

When configuring your programs in prelaunch, it's important to note the following:

If your program launches mid cycle, it must be configured in prelaunch and promoted to production. Use the Open Date to control visibility of the program to applicants in the Applicant Portal.
Outside of the Configuration Portal, anything you create will not carry over when the program is pushed into the Outcomes production environment.
Any programs that include "TEST –" (e.g., “TEST – Fall Program”) will be deleted in the Outcomes production environment after have been tested and approved.
The Outcomes production environment is not available until at least one program is approved.