RFUCAS Program User Guide

Cycle Timeframes

Applicant Portal

The Applicant Portal opens in early July and closes in late July. 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 RFUCAS Application Cycle Dates page.

Configuration Portal

Between early May and early June, configurations are entered into the prelaunch environment. The Account Manager, Client Success Manager, and RFU 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

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

Applicant Portal

The first three sections of the RFUCAS 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 RFUCAS application and RFUCAS 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 RFUCAS Complete application status.
RFUCAS 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 RFUCAS 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 RFU before it is available to applicants. If your program is reviewed after the cycle launches, RFU will approve it.

Review the Program Transcript and Coursework Requirements and Application Statuses table below to learn how your transcript and coursework requirements affect the applicant's Application Status and the GPAs provided to you.

Program Transcript and Coursework Requirements and Application Statuses

This table is from the RFUCAS Applicant Help Center. All links below will redirect you to that help center.

If your program requires... (Note: see the Colleges Attended & Transcript Entry sections for more information on transcript and coursework requirements.)	...then WebAdMIT does the following with GPAs...	... and your application's final status is...
Official Transcripts + Full Coursework Entry	Calculates three GPAs and makes them available to your programs: By course subject By school By academic year	Verified
Official Transcripts + Prerequisite Entry Only	Provides your programs with per transcript and overall GPAs.	Verified
Official Transcripts + No Coursework Entry	Provides your programs with per transcript and overall GPAs.	Verified
Unofficial Transcripts + Prerequisite Entry Only	Does not calculate or provide GPAs to programs.	Complete
Unofficial Transcripts + No Coursework Entry	Does not calculate or provide GPAs to programs.	Complete
No Transcripts + No Coursework Entry	Does not calculate or provide GPAs to programs.	Complete

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:

API Overview: learn how to set up an API and schedule automatic data exports from WebAdMIT into your SIS/ERP.
Application Coupons Reference Guide: learn how to request coupons to offset application fees and disperse them to applicants.
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.
Direct Applicants: enter directly into WebAdMIT applicants who did not apply through RFUCAS.
Manual Designations: learn how to add additional programs (i.e., designations) to an application in WebAdMIT.
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 RFUCAS 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	Personal Information – Biographic Information	A Gender Identity question was added.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Personal Information – Other Information	The standard Academic Infraction, Licenses Infraction, Misdemeanor, and Felony questions were removed and replaced with custom versions of these questions.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Supporting Information – Diversity Statement	A new Diversity Statement section was added. Applicants can upload an optional diversity statement in this section.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch

2021-2022

The table below contains enhancements for RFUCAS 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	Personal Information – Biographic Information and Contact Information	Liaison utilizes the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for a variety of standard "lookup" values, such as country names, states, etc. By default, the Country drop-down lists Taiwan as "Taiwan (Province of China)." This enhancement allows CASs to use an alternate name for Taiwan. Note that this enhancement does not affect WebAdMIT or Admissions by Liaison, which will continue to display the ISO standard lookup value, Taiwan (Province of China).	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Other Information	The COVID-19 Transcript Hardship Process section was removed.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Supporting Information	The COVID-19 Documents section was removed.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Applicant Portal	Various	You can now set a minimum number of characters on certain custom (i.e., essays) or numeric question types (i.e., Social Security Numbers). A message will notify applicants that they cannot save an answer until they enter the specific number of characters. This can be combined with maximum character limits.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
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
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

2020-2021

The table below contains enhancements for RFUCAS 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 Additionally, if you require applicants to upload unofficial copies of their transcripts, the Upload Transcript button appears for foreign institutions attended. Previously, the Upload Transcript button only appeared for US and English Canadian institutions.	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. 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.	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	Question Rules	When applicants select a program and answer a program-specific or Extended Profile question, their deadline date can update based on the program’s configurations. If an applicant selects an answer that offers multiple deadlines, then the deadline that the program selected as highest priority displays. If an applicant’s answer is linked to only expired programs, the applicant receives a warning message, advising them to select an alternate program or to contact their program.	Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement.	Available now
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
Configuration Portal	Recommendations	Letters of Reference are renamed Recommendations.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available now
Letters by Liaison	Recommendations	Recommenders can automatically reuse a completed recommendation for an applicant who requests they complete additional recommendations that are the same recommendation type as the original (e.g., academic, personal, etc.). Once activated by the recommender, any time the same applicant requests the same recommendation type, the system will automatically complete the recommendation and submit it. Recommenders will receive an email every Friday that records if the recommendation has been reused, and if so, for which programs. This feature can be turned off at any time by the recommender.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
WebAdMIT	Export Manager	The Hispanic field in WebAdMIT aligns with the Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic/Latino Origin? optional question from the Applicant Portal. Currently, when users export this field from WebAdMIT, an applicant’s response populates as: Yes (if the applicant selected Yes) or No (if the applicant selected No or didn’t answer the question). A new Hispanic (Yes / No / Blank) field has been created to accurately reflect an applicant’s response to this Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic/Latino Origin? question: Yes (if the applicant selected Yes), No (if the applicant selected No), or Blank (if the applicant didn’t answer the question). The Hispanic (Yes / No / Blank) field is available in the: Applicant Header List Manager Export Manager Race and Ethnicity subpanel under the Personal Information panel (note that this field is labeled as Hispanic) The original Hispanic field is still available in WebAdMIT.	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