RF-PTCAS Program User Guide
This guide provides you with documentation, reference guides, and direct links that answer common admissions questions about the RF-PTCAS Applicant Portal, CAS 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 late September and closes in mid-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 RF-PTCAS Application Cycle Dates page.
CAS Configuration Portal
Between late July and early September, configurations are entered into the prelaunch environment. The account team and ABPTRFE review submitted configurations in September.
WebAdMIT
You can view new applicants and initiate a transfer settings shortly after the new cycle opens in early October.
Program Participation Requirements
ABPTRFE requires all programs to designate two contacts at your institution who will receive all communication from ABPTRFE and RF-PTCAS, including the configuration, application, and WebAdMIT launch notifications.
Applicant Portal
The first three sections of the RF-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 RF-PTCAS application and RF-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.
- Review the requirements for the RF-PTCAS Complete application status.
- RF-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 RF-PTCAS Customer Service.
Configuration Portal
Once you've configured your program, you'll need to have it approved by the account team and ABPTRFE before it is available to applicants. If your program is reviewed after the cycle launches, ABPTRFE will approve it.
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:
- Data Dictionaries and Master Code Lists: a comprehensive list of all fields available in the Export Manager and Report Manager, including associated lookup tables.
- 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.
The Release Notes feature new enhancements in the CAS Applicant Portal, CAS Applicant Gateway, CAS 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 RF-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Fees |
The application fees increased to $175 for the first program and $75 for each additional program. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Personal Information – Biographic Information |
A new Preferred Name question was added. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Liaison Letters |
Recommendation Forms |
Recommenders can include comments on their ratings for Likert scales. You can view their comments within WebAdMIT and the full application PDF. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Application Status |
You have partial (i.e., limited) viewing rights for the On Hold application status. |
No action required by participating programs 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. 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 |
Export Manager |
The Program Plans field under the Applicant field grouping was removed from the Export Manager. The CAS-custom Program Plan/Intent to Apply question remains. You should update any exports and other integrations to account for this question's removal. |
Action required by all participating programs. |
Available at cycle launch |
2024-2025
The table below contains enhancements for RF-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 |
Add Program 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 |
Fees |
Application fees increased to:
|
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Applicant Portal |
Applicant Help Center |
The full text of the RF-PTCAS Applicant Responsibilities was removed from the Applicant Help Center and replaced with a link to a copy of it. This ensures that applicants can view the most accurate and up-to-date version. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
| Liaison Letters | Delegates | Recommenders (i.e., evaluators, references) can designate assistants or "delegates" to help them submit their letters of recommendation on their behalf through Liaison Letters. Recommenders are still responsible for writing an applicant’s letter of recommendation. | No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. | Available now |
|
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 |