OTACAS Program User Guide

Cycle Timeframes

Applicant Portal

The Applicant Portal opens in mid-July and closes in mid-June.

Configuration Portal

Between mid-May and mid-June, configurations are entered in the prelaunch environment. The Account Manager and Client Success Manager review submitted configurations in June.

WebAdMIT

You can view new applicants and initiate a transfer settings shortly after the new cycle opens in mid-July.

Program Participation Requirements

AOTA requires all programs to designate two contacts at your institution who will receive all communication from AOTA and OTACAS, including the configuration, application, and WebAdMIT launch notifications.

Applicant Portal

The first three sections of the OTACAS 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 OTACAS application and OTACAS 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.
- Requirements for the OTACAS Complete application status can be found here.
OTACAS Quick Start Guide and FAQs: a suggested timeline for completing and submitting the application and a FAQs section.

You can direct any applicant inquiries related to the application to OTACAS Customer Service.

Configuration Portal

The Configuration Portal Guide contains all information related to configuring your program in the Applicant Portal. You will need to first create your program in the prelaunch environment and have it approved by the Account Manager and Client Success Manager before it is available to applicants.

Use the following checklist to make sure you configure your program efficiently and completely. Also, review the best practices found at the end of these articles. If any optional sections of the application are required for your program (e.g., experiences, test scores, etc.), you'll want to note this in your program configurations.

☑ 1. Review the Application

Review the current application to get a sense of the questions that are already included and what you may want to add.
Start to pull together any details about your program and school that you want to share with applicants in the application.

☑ 2. Be Aware of Cycle Rollovers

Keep in mind that all pages from the current cycle will be rolled over to the new cycle.

☑ 3. Brand Your Program Page

Work with your Marketing or PR department to choose a branding image that meets the size and format specifications. Images have to be 900x270 pixels, and 250 KB or less.
Pull together your program’s introductory text and instructions, as well as any requirements information, including supplemental items/fees if you use a two-part application process.

☑ 4. Configure Questions and Question Rules

Review current school and supplemental applications to help you determine which questions you need to ask.

☑ 5. Configure Prerequisites

Pull together information on prerequisites, including any instructions.

☑ 6. Configure Documents

Ensure you have specific instructions for any documents you are requesting.

☑ 7. Configure College Transcript and Coursework Entry

Indicate the college transcripts and coursework entry you require.

☑ 8. Preview and Submit Your Program

Monitor your program’s status by returning to the Configuration Portal.

WebAdMIT

Review the WebAdMIT Manual for any questions related to working in WebAdMIT. The Documentation and Reference Guides and WebAdMIT Training and Support sections are additional resources as you configure WebAdMIT for your needs. Documents commonly requested include:

API Overview: learn how to set up an API and schedule automatic data exports from WebAdMIT into your SIS/ERP.
Custom Export Field Layout: a comprehensive list of all fields available in the Export Manager, including associated lookup tables.
Master College Code List: a comprehensive list of all college names and their respective Liaison, MDB, CEEB, FICE, and/or IPED codes.
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, Configuration Portal, and WebAdMIT, in addition to upcoming training opportunities.

For any questions, contact the Client Support Specialist Team.

Cycle Enhancements

2020-2021

The table below contains enhancements for OTACAS 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	The workflow for entering colleges has been improved. Enhancements include: The option to employ an e-transcript vendor from within the application (e.g., Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, or Credential Solutions, where applicable) An improved process for uploading and previewing unofficial transcripts Enhanced display of requirements	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Add Program Page	Applicants can skip the Add Program page after creating their account.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Login Page	The cycle dates on the login page text were updated.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Personal Information – Other Information	The Did you receive your GED? question uses conditional answer values. If the applicant selects No, then no additional questions appear. If the applicant selects Yes or In Progress, then the applicant can select the month and year they received or will receive their GED.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Configuration Portal	Organization Details	You can offer applicants a deep link to the application's Add Program page with your programs pre-filtered. This allows applicants to quickly access your programs without needing to set their own filters. If an applicant has not yet created an account, the deep link will first instruct them to create an account, and then will take them to the pre-filtered Add Program page.	Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Configuration Portal	Questions	When you create a question in the Configuration Portal, you can choose to hide the question in the full application PDF in WebAdMIT. These questions will still display on the Applicant Details page in WebAdMIT and be available in the List Manager and Export Manager.	Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement.	Available now
WebAdMIT	Report Manager	A new Applicant-based report is available: Local Status History. This report includes the applicant’s: CAS ID Name Designation Designation WebAdMIT Label Local Status Local Status Changed Date Local Status Changed By Decision Code Decision Code Changed Date Decision Code Changed By Every Local Status change for an applicant is listed on one row. If an applicant has multiple Local Status changes, the report will include multiple rows with this information. This information can still be accessed under the History panel on the Applicant Details page.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch