SHP CAS Program User Guide
This guide provides you with documentation, reference guides, and direct links that answer common admissions questions about the SHP CAS 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 your Account Manager and Client Success Manager.
Cycle Timeframes
Applicant Portal
The Applicant Portal opens in mid-September and closes in late August.
Configuration Portal
Between early May and mid-August, configurations are entered in the prelaunch environment. The Account Manager, Client Success Manager, and CCBC review submitted configurations in August.
WebAdMIT
You can view new applicants and initiate a transfer settings shortly after the new cycle opens in mid-September.
Program Participation Requirements
CCBC requires all programs to designate two contacts at your institution who will receive all communication from SHP CAS, including the configuration, application, and WebAdMIT launch notifications.
Applicant Portal
The first three sections of the SHP CAS 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 SHP CAS application and SHP CAS 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 SHP CAS Complete application status can be found here.
- SHP 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 SHP CAS 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 CCBC before it is available to applicants. If your program is reviewed after the cycle launches, CCBC 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.
- Application Coupons Reference Guide: learn how to request coupons to offset application fees and disperse them to applicants.
- 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.
- 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
2020-2021
The table below contains enhancements for SHP CAS 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 – Citizenship Information |
The Visa Information question was removed. |
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 |
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. Click here to learn more. |
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:
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:
The Hispanic (Yes / No / Blank) field is available in the:
The original Hispanic field is still available in WebAdMIT. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |