PSYCAS Program User Guide
This guide provides you with documentation, reference guides, and direct links that answer common admissions questions about the PSYCAS 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 late August. 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 PSYCAS Application Cycle Dates page.
Configuration Portal
Between mid-June and early September, configurations are entered into the prelaunch environment. The account team and APA review submitted configurations in September.
WebAdMIT
You can view new applicants and initiate a transfer settings shortly after the new cycle opens in early September.
Program Participation Requirements
APA requires all programs to designate two contacts at your institution who will receive all communication from APA and PSYCAS, including the configuration, application, and WebAdMIT launch notifications.
Applicant Portal
The first three sections of the PSYCAS 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 PSYCAS application and PSYCAS 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 PSYCAS Complete application status.
- PSYCAS 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 PSYCAS 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 APA before it is available to applicants. If your program is reviewed after the cycle launches, APA will approve it.
WebAdMIT
Review the WebAdMIT Manual 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.
- 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.
- Requesting Official GRE CAS Codes: a guide on how to create CAS-specific codes in order to receive official GRE scores in WebAdMIT.
- Social Security Number (SSN) Documents Reference Guide: a guide on how to configure a PGP key to receive an encrypted file that contains the applicant's CAS ID and SSN.
- 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, Letters by Liaison, and WebAdMIT, in addition to upcoming training opportunities.
For any questions, contact the Client Support Specialist Team.
Cycle Enhancements
2022-2023
The table below contains enhancements for PSYCAS 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 an applicant selects Unlisted French Speaking Canadian or Other Foreign Institution, they must complete a new required field for the college’s country. If you created exports to pull a college's country data, you must edit and select the new college country fields. Review the Country Field for Manually Entered Foreign Institutions release note for more information. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Chatbot |
Liaison has partnered with Ada to offer an AI chatbot. The chatbot, nicknamed Cassie, leverages an API with CXone Expert, which hosts the CAS-specific Applicant Help Centers. Applicants can access this chatbot once they are logged in to the application. The chatbot responds with information and links to the CAS-specific Applicant Help Center and, if needed, directs the applicant to live support with customer service. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
GDPR Question |
The GDPR question asks users located in a European Union country, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland to choose if they want to opt into our policies when creating an account. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Personal Information – Other Information |
The Program Plans question, which asked the applicant when they intended to apply, was moved to the Other Information section. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Supporting Information – Evaluations |
Applicants must request at least three letters of evaluation and can request a maximum of five. Previously, applicants could only request a maximum of three letters of evaluation. Additionally, the instructions were updated to better assist applicants. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Configuration Portal |
Organization Details |
Instead of rebuilding your program in the prelaunch environment, you can import your program from a previous cycle's production environment into the prelaunch environment. You can access the Import from Previous Cycle button in the Configuration Portal prelaunch environment. Visit the Import Your Programs page for more information. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
Configuration Portal |
Program Details |
You can edit the Program Code program attribute, which may be useful for importing program data into your Student Information System (SIS). |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
WebAdMIT |
Applicant Details Page |
You can view TOEFL MyBest scores in the Standardized Tests panel of the Applicant Details page. Additionally, you can view scores in the Full Application PDF under the Documents panel of the Applicant Details page. All TOEFL iBT score reports sent after August 1, 2019, will include the applicant's MyBest scores as well as the individual scores from each test date. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Clipboard |
You can now add multiple applicants to your Clipboard by uploading a CSV file of their CAS IDs. Review the Using the Clipboard page for more information. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Export Manager PDF Manager |
If you create a list that searches for applicants based on any field in the Designations field grouping (e.g., Designation, Application Status, etc.), you can now extract exports and full application PDFs that adhere to your list's criteria. For more information, see the Export Manager and PDF Manager pages. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
In Progress Applicants Search Page |
CASs can now create a custom Program Plans question and answer values that are available in:
|
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
2021-2022
The table below contains enhancements for PSYCAS 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 |
Coupon Codes |
You can offer organization-specific coupon codes to applicants. Applicants can only use the coupon for a program at your organization. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Personal Information – Biographic Information |
New Preferred Name, Gender Identity, and Pronouns questions were added. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Test Submitted Email Template |
A new Test Submitted email template will notify applicants when PSYCAS receives official GRE or TOEFL scores. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Page Footer |
A link to the Liaison Privacy Policy was added to the page footer. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Configuration Portal |
Kira Talent Assessment |
Kira Talent offers on-demand, timed video and timed written assignments that can be combined with the standard admissions process. You can link your Kira assessment to your program in the application by selecting Kira Assessment. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
Configuration Portal |
Question Rules |
You can choose to request or require a document upload based on an applicant’s response to an Extended Profile or program-level question using the Show Document Question Rule. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
Configuration Portal |
Question Rules |
You can choose to show or hide your programs based on an applicant’s response to an Extended Profile or program-level question using the Program Availability Question Rule. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
Configuration Portal |
Organizations and Programs |
Association users can batch activate or reset programs to draft in the Configuration Portal. A new Organization column is added so association users can filter by organization and perform these batch actions more easily. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
Letters by Liaison |
Account |
Evaluators can now submit their evaluations as a guest, without creating a Letters by Liaison account. Guest users can create an account at any time while working in Letters by Liaison, and evaluators who already have an account can also complete an evaluation as a guest. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Applicant Details Page |
You can now view which applicants reapplied from a previous cycle in WebAdMIT. The Applicant Previously Applied to Organization field tracks this information and populates as Yes or No. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Transfer Settings |
You can now defer applicants to the next cycle via the transfer settings process. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
GPA Overview |
You can now view GPAs by school in the GPA Overview by School subpanel. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
2020-2021
The table below contains enhancements for PSYCAS 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 |
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 |
Fee Waiver Page Personal Information – Fee Waiver Acknowledgement |
To promote fee waivers and clarify eligibility, fee waiver information is added to the login page and Submit Application page. Additionally, a new section, Fee Waiver Acknowledgement, is added to the Personal Information section. Applicants must confirm that they read the fee waiver standards and eligibility. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Submit Application Page |
The Submit Application page lists the term on each program’s tile. Previously, applicants needed to click the additional information icon to view the program’s term. |
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 |
You can configure both organization- and program-level questions for your programs. This allows you to configure one set of questions that are asked by all programs in that organization for the CAS and cycle, and another set of questions that are asked by individual programs, as needed. Additionally, 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 |
Applicant Details Page |
You can quickly identify if an applicant has chosen to use the Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) service, where a PTE specialist enters the applicant’s completed coursework for an additional fee. The PTE Status field appears for all applicants under the Applicant Header on the Applicant Details page; it won’t appear in the full application PDF. It can be used in the List Manager, Export Manager, and Email Templates as a merge field. The possible values for this field include:
If an applicant did not elect to use the PTE service, their PTE status is blank. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Report Manager |
A new Applicant-based report is available: Local Status History. This report includes the applicant’s:
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 |
|
WebAdMIT |
SSN Document |
You can now download an encrypted SSN Document to extract applicant social security numbers (SSN). Review the Social Security Number (SSN) Documents Reference Guide to learn how to configure a PGP key to receive an encrypted file that contains the applicant's CAS ID and SSN. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |