PhORCAS Program User Guide
This guide provides you with documentation, reference guides, and direct links that answer common admissions questions about the PhORCAS 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
CAS Applicant Portal
The CAS Applicant Portal opens in early November and closes in late May. 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 PhORCAS Application Cycle Dates page.
WebAdMIT
You can view new applicants and initiate a transfer settings shortly after the new cycle opens in early November.
Program Participation Requirements
ASHP requires all programs to designate two contacts at your institution who will receive all communication from ASHP and PhORCAS, including the application and WebAdMIT launch notifications.
Applicant Portal
The first three sections of the PhORCAS 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.
You can access the PhORCAS application and PhORCAS 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 PhORCAS Complete application status.
- CAS 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 PhORCAS Customer Service.
Configuration Portal
Use the Configuration Portal Quick Start Guide to edit your program's deadline(s). Ensure that no programs have a deadline prior to January 2, 2025.
WebAdMIT
- 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.
- Transfer Settings Guide: a review of how programs and templates built in WebAdMIT are carried forward each cycle.
Cycle Enhancements
2026-2027
The table below contains enhancements for PhORCAS 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 |
Personal Information – Pharmacy School of Graduation |
The State field in the Pharmacist License Information question was updated to Licensure State. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Personal Information – Release Statements |
The Pre-Submission Release statement, where applicants can choose to share their basic contact information before they submit their application to your program, has been updated for conciseness. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Personal Information – Contact Information |
Applicants can validate their mailing addresses via the SmartyStreets integration. You can view verified address data from WebAdMIT. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Supporting Information – Achievements |
CASs can choose to collect and require country and state data for an applicant’s achievements (e.g., awards, honors, presentations, etc.). |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Liaison Letters |
Recommendation Form |
The Independence and Resourcefulness Likert scale criteria was updated to Independence to avoid duplicating an existing Resourcefulness criteria further down the list. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Report Manager |
A new Multi-Row In Progress Report is available in the Report Manager, under the Applicant report type. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
2025-2026
The table below contains enhancements for PhORCAS 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 |
Personal Information – Release Statements |
A new section about fraudulent materials was added to the release statements. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Personal Information – Biographic Information |
The Pronouns question was removed. Additionally, the following answer options were removed from the Gender question:
|
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Personal Information – Race & Ethnicity |
The Race & Ethnicity section and corresponding questions were removed. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
