PTCAS Program User Guide

Cycle Timeframes

Applicant Portal

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

Configuration Portal

Between early March and early June, configurations are entered in the prelaunch environment. The Account Manager, Client Success Manager, and APTA review submitted configurations in June.

WebAdMIT

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

Program Participation Requirements

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

Applicant Portal

The first three sections of the PTCAS 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 PTCAS application and PTCAS 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 PTCAS Complete application status can be found here.
PTCAS 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 PTCAS 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 Manager, Client Success Manager, and APTA before it is available to applicants. If your program is reviewed after the cycle launches, APTA will approve it.

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.
Background checks through Certiphi.
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.
Reporting Final Decision Codes: learn how to use WebAdMIT to place applicants in Decision Codes and report them back to APTA.
- Note that PTCAS requires you to report the following Decision Codes by October for the previous cycle:
  - Denied
  - Matriculated
Requesting Official GRE CAS Codes: a guide on how to create CAS-specific codes in order to receive official GRE scores in WebAdMIT.
- To apply for a PTCAS GRE code, click here.
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, including deferred applicants.

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

2021-2022

The table below contains enhancements for PTCAS 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 – Standardized Tests	Applicants can report their AP (Advanced Placement), CLEP (College Level Examination Program), and IB (International Baccalaureate) tests under the Standardized Tests section.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Logo	The PTCAS logo was updated.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch

2020-2021

The table below contains enhancements for PTCAS 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	Account	Applicants can create PTCAS accounts starting on June 17, 2020 but cannot submit applications until July 1, 2020. This delay helps applicants focus on accuracy of their application without the instinct to quickly submit it.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Add Program Page	The Add Program page in the Applicant Portal has a new streamlined look and feel and includes an updated search feature. The improved Add Program interface is easier to navigate and offers increased adherence to 508 Compliance standards. Applicants can select programs from the holistic list under the Add Program sub-tab, and then toggle to the Selected Programs sub-tab to review their program selections. Click here for more information. Additionally, the new Add Program page lists the Organization Name field as a row with its programs grouped below it, instead of as a column. The Organization Name also remains at the top of the table until the next organization and program grouping appear. Click here for more information. Finally, 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	Early Decision	Early Decision is no longer offered.	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
Applicant Portal	Supporting Information – Essay	The Essay prompt has been updated.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Supporting Information – References	Applicants can now submit up to five references.	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: TE-Awaiting Transcripts: the applicant has not submitted all required, official transcripts to the CAS. TE-Ready for Work: the applicant is in queue to have their coursework entered by a PTE specialist. TE-Pending Approval: the applicant must approve the entered coursework before their application is given a Complete date and placed in line for verification. Note that the applicant may have to meet additional CAS requirements, such as a minimum number of evaluations completed, before being given a Complete date. TE-Approved: the applicant has approved the entered coursework. 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: 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