AHCAS Program User Guide
This guide provides you with documentation, reference guides, and direct links that answer common admissions questions about the AHCAS Applicant Portal, Configuration Portal, and WebAdMIT. It also contains resources that may help you work more efficiently throughout your admissions process. If you have additional questions or need further assistance, please contact a member of your account team.
Cycle Timeframes
Applicant Portal
The Applicant Portal opens in early September and closes in early September. You can view the specific cycle dates, including final processing dates (e.g., last date to submit transcripts, last date to request letters of recommendation, etc.), on the AHCAS Application Cycle Dates page.
Configuration Portal
Between early July and late August, configurations are entered into the prelaunch environment. The account team and ASAHP review submitted configurations in August.
WebAdMIT
You can view new applicants and initiate a transfer settings shortly after the new cycle opens in early September.
Program Participation Requirements
ASAHP requires all programs to designate two contacts at your institution who will receive all communication from ASAHP and AHCAS, including the configuration, application, and WebAdMIT launch notifications.
Applicant Portal
The first three sections of the AHCAS application (i.e., Personal Information, Academic History, and Supporting Information) compose the core application. They contain questions that are commonly asked of applicants across all participating programs, such as an applicant's biographic information, standardized test scores, and experiences. The fourth section of the application is Program Materials, which is customized by you through the Configuration Portal (discussed in the next section).
You can access the AHCAS application and AHCAS Applicant Help Center to review the applicant experience. You can also create a test application in the Applicant Portal; we recommend creating a new account and adding "test" to your name (e.g., TestJohn TestDoe).
For a general overview of the applicant experience, review the following documents:
- Applicant Processing Reference Guide: learn how applicants move through the application and Liaison processes applicant materials, such as transcripts and official test scores.
- Application Statuses Reference Guide: review what each application status means and how you can interact with applicants at different stages.
- Review the requirements for the AHCAS Complete application status.
- AHCAS Quick Start Guide and FAQs: a suggested timeline for completing and submitting the application, links to important pages including cycle dates and fees, and a FAQs section.
You can direct any applicant inquiries related to the application to AHCAS Customer Service.
Configuration Portal
Use the Configuration Portal Quick Start Guide to make sure you configure your program(s) efficiently and completely in the prelaunch environment. Be sure to check out your CAS's configuration options and review the best practices found throughout. If any optional sections of the application are required for your program (e.g., experiences, test scores, etc.), you'll want to note this on your program home page.
Once you've configured your program, you'll need to have it approved by the account team and ASAHP before it is available to applicants. If your program is reviewed after the cycle launches, ASAHP will approve it.
Review the Program Transcript and Coursework Requirements and Application Statuses table below to learn how your transcript and coursework requirements affect the applicant's Application Status and the GPAs provided to you.
Program Transcript and Coursework Requirements and Application Statuses
This table is from the AHCAS Applicant Help Center. All links below will redirect you to that help center.
WebAdMIT
Review the WebAdMIT Help Center for any questions related to working in WebAdMIT. The Reference Guides and WebAdMIT Training and Support sections are additional resources as you configure WebAdMIT for your needs. Documents commonly requested include:
- Application Coupons Reference Guide: learn how to request coupons to offset application fees and disperse them to applicants. To purchase coupons, use the Coupon Code Payment Gateway.
- Application Coupon Codes FAQ: view answers to frequently asked questions about offering coupon codes.
- Data Dictionaries and Master Code Lists: a comprehensive list of all fields available in the Export Manager and Report Manager, including associated lookup tables.
- Deferring Applicants via Transfer Settings: learn how to transfer deferred applicants from one cycle to the next.
- Integration Help Center and WebAdMIT API: learn how to set up an API and schedule automatic data exports from WebAdMIT into your SIS/ERP.
- Invitation Codes Reference Guide: learn how to offer individual deadline extensions directly to applicants.
- Manual Designations: learn how to add additional programs (i.e., designations) to an application in WebAdMIT.
- Transfer Settings Guide: a review of how programs and templates built in WebAdMIT are carried forward each cycle.
The Release Notes feature new enhancements in the Applicant Portal, Applicant Gateway, Configuration Portal, Liaison Letters, and WebAdMIT, in addition to upcoming training opportunities.
For any questions, contact the Client Support Specialist Team.
Cycle Enhancements
2025-2026
The table below contains enhancements for AHCAS for the cycle timeframes noted at the top of this page. Note that some sections have multiple enhancements. If an action is required by participating programs to use the enhancement, click the links under Enhancement Details to learn more. Additional enhancements may have been automatically released; review the Release Notes to learn more.
|
Portal |
Section |
Enhancement Details |
Implementation |
Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
User Interface |
The application is updated to the new Mobile UX design, which has an updated look and feel, updated application workflows, and is optimized for mobile devices. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Extended Profile |
The Intent to Apply answer options were updated to:
|
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Academic History – Colleges Attended |
Applicants are required to upload their unofficial domestic transcripts and/or foreign evaluations before they submit their application to your program. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Professional Transcript Entry |
Applicants can opt to use Professional Transcript Entry (PTE), a service where applicants pay an additional fee to have Liaison's PTE specialists enter their coursework. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Supporting Information – Evaluations |
Applicants can choose different evaluation (i.e., recommendation, reference) forms to request. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Add Programs |
The Subject field now displays in the Program Description instead of as a column on the Add Programs page. Additionally, Subject is now an optional field in the CAS Configuration Portal. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Configuration Portal |
Program Details |
Other 2 and Other 3 Document Types are now available. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
CAS Configuration Portal |
College Transcripts |
You can select different requirements for domestic transcripts and foreign transcripts or evaluations. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
CAS Configuration Portal |
Organization Details |
The College Transcript sheet in the Export report now includes the following fields:
This enhancement allows you to capture all program configuration data, especially related to recent new features. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
Liaison Outcomes |
Applications Grid |
The email interface has been redesigned to provide a simpler, easier-to-use experience. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
WebAdMIT |
Applicant Details Page |
The CAS Custom Questions panel has subpanels by question block, so you can more easily find applicant data and restrict your users' access to it via Work Groups. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Applicant Details Page Email Templates Export Manager List Manager |
The Title field is no longer collected in the application and will be removed from WebAdMIT. You will need to update any lists, exports, emails, and other integrations to account for this field removal. |
Action required by all participating programs. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Applicant Details Page Export Manager List Manager |
The Refugee answer option was removed from the Visa Information question in the application; the correct option, I-94 Refugee, remains available. You should update any lists, exports, and other integrations to account for this answer option removal. |
Action required by all participating programs. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
List Manager Export Manager Scoring Applicant Header |
Two new official WES GPA types are now available:
|
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Login |
You can now activate multi-factor authentication (MFA) using any standard two-factor authentication (2FA) app (e.g., Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy, etc.). |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Lookups Manager |
Academic Years tags were added. This enhancement ensures all column headers have the proper name for GPA export items. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
2024-2025
The table below contains enhancements for AHCAS for the cycle timeframes noted at the top of this page. Note that some sections have multiple enhancements. If an action is required by participating programs to use the enhancement, click the links under Enhancement Details to learn more. Additional enhancements may have been automatically released; review the Release Notes to learn more.
|
Portal |
Section |
Enhancement Details |
Implementation |
Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Applicant Portal |
Academic History – Colleges Attended |
If applicants have no colleges to list, they can click the I Have Never Attended a College or University button. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Academic History – Transcript Entry |
Applicants can view instructions when entering their coursework details. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Academic History – Standardized Tests |
Applicants can now submit their self-reported GMAT Focus tests. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Supporting Information – Release Statement |
Applicants can edit their responses to questions in the Release Statement section after submitting their application. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Applicant Help Center |
The full text of the AHCAS Admissions Code of Cooperation was removed from the Applicant Help Center and replaced with a link to a copy of the release statement. This ensures that applicants can view the most accurate and up-to-date version of the release statement. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Configuration Portal |
Question Rules |
The Change Deadline and Program Availability rules can now be built at the organization level, meaning that they can be applied to some or all programs under an organization. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
WebAdMIT |
Applicant Details Page Export Manager List Manager Local GPA |
The following Academic Year GPAs were removed, as AHCAS does not use them. If you have exports, lists, or Local GPAs that include these fields, you will want to review and update them as necessary.
|
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Work Groups |
In WebAdMIT, you can configure Work Groups to allow users to see specific panels on the Applicant Details Page. With this enhancement (from Release 11, 2023) if you remove access to a panel for a Work Group, the fields in that panel are also not available for the Work Group to see when creating exports, lists, or PDF manager templates. For example, if the Race and Ethnicity subpanel is not enabled for a Work Group, its members will not see the information from that panel when creating an export, and will not be able to create filters in List Manager using any of the fields from that panel. As a result of this enhancement, reports that are not shared with Work Groups from the Report Settings page will be inaccessible to anyone who is not a WebAdMIT Administrator. Review the How Work Groups Impact Access to Features and Fields documentation to learn more about the impacts of this enhancement. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |