Introduction to the Common App Integration with Slate

Good afternoon and good morning, depending where you're joining us from. Welcome to our Slate Presents session today on an introduction to the common app integration with Slate, everyone's favorite summertime slate activity. My name is Charlene Robbie. I'm a Senior Client Success Manager here at Technicians, joined by our resident Common.

App expert Tim the Shark Dunning. You may not recognize him outside of costume.

Couple of housekeeping items.

This webinar is being recorded and it is going to be made available for viewing. We will place the link in the Knowledge base. Closed captioning can be enabled by clicking the CC box in the top right corner of your share window.

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Questions can be posted in the chat. We will take all of those after our prepared content is over.

I do want to make a footnote now about the scope of our webinar today being introductory. This is designed to provide an introduction to the processes and the moving pieces of the slate integration for common app. So we are not going to be taking a deep dive into mappings, for example. We'll get a little deeper on our next webinar and we'll tell you about that one later today.

Our agenda looks like this. We're going to address the timeline. What are those moving parts? Who's sending materials, when, from where to where?

What are the various roles and responsibilities involved? Yours, mine and ours essentially.

We're also going to talk about the SDS Global Configuration. So this is a new acronym to some of you, potentially SDS being the scheduled delivery service being provided by the common app to your slate.

Database.

The daily process. We're going to review what that looks like once everything is up and running. What can you expect to happen every day?

And testing. This is where you come into play. You will be testing and testing until you are satisfied with your mappings for the common app data. And of course, we've left plenty of time for questions and answers. So first let's take a look at the process timeline. This is universal for all clients that are using the Slate global process.

So keep that in mind, this is systematic. Same for everyone.

For first year files, which is predominantly what we're talking about today, you all know that on August 1st, the common app launches and becomes available.

Starting the week of August 19th is when the SDS service kicks off. That is when the scheduled delivery service will begin.

Please note that the word begin and.

The week of August 19th.

Because the files will be sent in batches initially, not everyone will start receiving files on the same day, nor will everyone receive files on August 19th. So these are important dates to mark on your calendar and be aware of. But do not be surprised if you don't get files on August 19th.

We'll talk a little bit more about this later on as well. That means in August and even into September, you will be performing testing on the mappings and the importing of data and making your activation live to actually begin importing data.

A little compare and contrast to transfer files, which we will discuss in a Transfer exclusive webinar in early September.

It's not until the week of August 23rd that the SDS service will kick off for transfer files, so keep that in mind. You will be testing and activating well into September for your transfer files.

All right, roles and responsibilities. This is a critical part in understanding what this integration is really all about. We have three, really three parties involved here, The common app.

Technicians and you, the college and universities making use of this integration. So let's start with the common app, since we're doing this really chronologically in terms of how things happen and get kicked off with this process.

The common app is configuring the global SDS, So what is the system wide delivery of this data for everyone?

They will then clone that final configuration to all of the Slate schools.

And they will deliver test files to us at technicians initially.

They will resolve issues along with us that we bring up and identify in the test files.

And lastly, when any issues have been addressed, they will activate production feeds.

Now technicians on the receiving end of the test files.

We will of course coordinate any necessary configurations to the global SDS that we have to arrange for in our source format.

We'll evaluate the test files in light of those changes and build the global remappings.

Keep in mind we use the word remappings a lot.

The majority of you may be first year common app integrators into your slate database.

And I want to just throw out there now that if it is your first time, you will need to set up mappings for the first time this year and you will reap the benefit of having set them up because they will be maintained next year.

So keep that in mind, We refer to remapping because it's a process that we do every year. You're really building those field mappings now for the first time and you can adjust next year, but you won't be doing as much work as you are year one.

The 4th responsibility of technicians is that we will set the remap active status to inactive.

On the common app source formats and update the remap as of date. If this sounds like a lot of secret code, I would push you to the knowledge base documentation and take time to review the vocabulary associated with upload data set. It will make a lot more sense after you've practiced upload data set several times if you are not already comfortable with it.

I want to point out that during kind of item number four, when that's happening, there is an idle period of time during which the source formats are not used at all, and that's the time in between the final delivery of 20/22/23 first year files in the first delivery of the 2324 files.

So that's sort of an inactivated period where no one is doing anything and that is not unique to you that is universal to everyone on the service. So keep that in mind.

Next, roles and responsibilities. This is where you come into play.

I mentioned remapping, so you will be responsible for reviewing the global remapping or if it's the first time doing this, the mapping.

You're going to need to create any custom fields in Slate as needed for your database. Fields like member screen, questions, or any other data point not already in your database.

Modify the remappings so that you're only pulling in essential fields.

I'll address that in just a minute.

Lastly, you'll want to test your mappings by actually importing a file into a test database and making sure it performs as expected.

Once you have tested, presumably more than once numerous times, you will then set your remap active setting to active. That is essentially the Go Live button equivalent for this process.

I want to make note of these five responsibilities for those of you on our call today that there's kind of an unspoken 1.5.

Oftentimes folks ask us how they can get ready for common app.

And I would provide the advice that right now the best thing you can do between now and your first files being delivered is to review the Common App Data Catalog.

If you become familiar with the inventory of data points there, that will serve you extremely well and understanding what's coming in on a file.

On the fleet side?

If you are not very comfortable with upload data set and how that tool works in Slate, we recommend that you practice with the test file in your test environment simply for building muscle memory of the steps required in upload data set.

The file need not have anything to do with common app, but you will want to be very comfortable with that process.

So it's.

Again, kind of unspoken, and it's not on your top five roles and responsibilities here.

Because it's assumed.

All right. I am going to now turn this over to Tim and he's going to get into some details about the multiple steps involved with the file process.

Thanks Charlene and welcome again everyone. Thanks for being here. I think this is maybe the 9th time I've had a webinar at technicians about the coming out process.

Um, the next part of the process we're going to talk about is the files. The files that you.

Will likely be receiving. Not everyone's going to receive every file that we talked about, but we'll go through the different kind of files so you can know what to expect and they they kind of line up with the source formats and slate which are available in the source format library. And So what we received from the common app are a prospect file. So as long as you're using at least the custom platform.

At the Common app, so if you're using a standard platform, they won't be sending the processing suspects. If you have any questions about that, certainly reach out to coming up member support.

But once a student adds your college to their my colleges list, they become eligible to be received in the next days. Prospect file, I have suspects file, I'm sorry suspects file. And then if they complete your mic, colleges list the questions you they become a prospect. So essentially you get those each once so you get the student one time and you'll then have the information. So.

Obviously the in the suspect file you won't have the member question responses. You'll only have you know, the standard kind of coming up questions from the profile. But once they complete your member questions, you'll receive that information in the prospect file. And then of course when they submit the application to your institution, you'll receive the data. And in the application file, as Charlie mentioned, there's a ton of.

Kind of data points. There's over 2400 data points. That's why it's important that you familiarize yourself about, you know what you're going to be receiving.

There are the associated materials. These are PDF's. This includes the PDF of the application as well as all of the supporting documents. The School Report, the mid year report, the optional report, the final report, the transcripts and teacher evaluations. So those come in as PDF's and the material source format is used to help bring those in. We'll talk a little bit more about that in a minute. There's also the recommendation.

Data. So this is a student based file that includes information that the recommender provided on those school reports and so that includes data points like GPA and class rank and other items. So you may want to add some of that data to your instance in Slate. There's also a payment file so if you charge an application fee you'll receive a payment file and then if you are using the common app, optional.

Courses, you would receive that file as well. And also if you have a separate writing supplement, this is not the essay that's part of the main common app, but if or part of your it's a supplement that you require that they submit. And so if you are using it writing supplement, you'll receive that file. If you're not using it, obviously you wouldn't, you wouldn't receive that and there's no reason to kind of add that to your Slate instance.

Ohh, so how does this process look? Um, so the common app starts this process. They actually have an SFTP site that has a folder for every school. We have a corresponding folder that you have access to on the slate SFTP site. It's segregated. Only you and us and anyone that you grant access to can access that folder and so the files get transferred over to the slate.

HTTP site in your folder and again here are the formats that are associated with those and.

We're back.

We've thrown a lot of information at you.

So we want to recap how we're here to help and where you can go for different aspects of this process. The common app is going to be the place to go if you have questions about their data catalog, your particular service level, your member screen question, any specific date and deadline configurations that you have talked to with them about.

Obviously, contact the common app.

Technicians is here to provide resources which are going to help support you through the questions that will come up over the next 6 to 8 weeks.

Each file, you know is designated by the settings and the source format. And then essentially what happens is you're going to go in and you're going to tell Slate what the translations are for each source format. For example, where do I want a particular data field to land? Or do I not want it if I don't want it? Like Charlene mentioned, that I just don't map it. And then eventually after everything's been mapped and activated.

First and foremost, familiarize yourself with the content in the knowledge base. This recording will be there, but there are also articles about each of the individuals course format and the nuances to mapping in them.

The Learning Lab online LMS program some of you may be familiar with. I hope you are.

You're going to see things those data points end up on a Slate record if if the person doesn't already exist, it create a person. And then of course, really what we're trying to get to is a application record in Slate.

Recently added an introduction to the Common App course, so for those of you that have the Learning Lab Pass, you have access to that course right now.

For those of you who are.

Um, something that note about materials on this is one of the things that kind of tripped people up a lot. Is that the common app source format for materials in Slate?

Does not contain any data. It doesn't import anything on its own. It's actually just used to tell Slate.

Less than a year new into your slate implementation, you may still have access to your fundamentals course.

The Fundamentals course, while it may not have a common app Lesson does have a very good introduction to upload data set. So that would be a resource I would point you to if you are still brushing up on those skills. We have two more webinars coming on Common app and we have two community conversations in August.

You can find the registration for the community conversations and for our next two webinars through your home slate in the top right corner of your home page.

The community conversations, for those of you who may not have attended them, will not be recorded. They are intended to be more informal and allow you the opportunity to talk with one another and for us to moderate and obviously help you get your answers. But there will be a lot of lessons learned shared by other schools.

So make note of these next sessions and then the last resource, um and certainly one of the most powerful are the community forums.

Do not hesitate to pose questions there when you begin this process. Um, the audience of the forums includes not only technicians, staff, but also our preferred partners, as well as community moderators and thousands of other users like yourself. So I would encourage you to Max out all those resources.

All right. I think we are going to pause now for questions. It looks like we kept up with a couple that came in while we were presenting.

But here we are at about the halfway mark, ready for some good questions.

Yeah.

Where you want a material to land, meaning there's a material called a student report or an Sr. and what do you want that to be in Slate? Now, it could be the same thing. It could be an Sr. and Slate. The Slate doesn't know that. And so you'll go through the value mappings for the material source format and tell Slate where you want the materials to land. So for example, even though it says application, you probably want to create a material in Slate called the Application or Common App Application.

However, you want to designate that, but then in the source format you're going to designate where that ends up, and it's. In the case of an application would be an application material.

And really, Tim, if it works, it's probably only ideal for year one anyway because year 2.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I I just put it in ohh, there we go.

Something to note also is that PDF's cannot be imported in test environments. Again, this is another thing that people go in and they try to test the process. Once you activate the common app source format, Slate will go, oh OK, I know Now I have an application record. Application record exists. I've uploaded the application. Let me go out, find any materials for this record, and go ahead and add them to sleep and so they'll sit there until you're ready to start.

OK, next question. If we only have minimal changes year to year, do we need to create a new common app application template every year or can we continue using what is already built?

I think.

That maybe.

This question is being generated.

From a misunderstanding of an application in Slate, so I'll take a stab at this and Tim can add to it.

If you think about a slate application from any source, regardless of whether it comes from common app or it is the slate native application, it's a series of applications scoped data points. On a tab, they've been mapped to a round which is going to generate that application tab.

That is really the structure on which your common app data is going to live the same place in the same location on a slate record as would a slate hosted native app.

So they look the same once they're imported if you're looking at a student record.

Um, I'm not sure if the question is really more about the fields and the mapping.

And less about the body of the application.

But if we're talking about mappings, we have mentioned once you set up the mappings for your first time this year, they will.

Uh, persevere through next year and you have the option to edit them.

You will need to set them up for the first time this year, obviously.

But there is no common app template per se.

Reporting applications and then subsequently all the associated other data like the recommendation file, the payments, etcetera, but also the materials.

And then of course, the common app, um about five years ago, split off the transfer application. It's actually a liaison application. And so it's a separate process, but it is very similar. You are going to receive the applications, you're going to receive all the data and associated fields with them, and you'll also receive any of your program specific fields that you've set up, again if you're not.

Using a standard common app platform, you'll receive the in progress records which are similar to prospect records on the first year side, again if you're.

That was.

Collecting a payment, an application fee, you'll receive the payment data and field. Something to note is due to eliminate limitation on the liaison side. Those payment data files are always cumulative, so going to get every record every day and then it also includes the associated PDF's. So it includes the application PDF, the evaluations, the transcripts and kind of everything that you want to receive. And again, this is what the process.

This is surprising.

One of the one of the questions we frequently get on our client success community conversations, uh relates to the default status page AKA portal. You do not need a different one for common app, you will use the same default status page.

That a slate hosted app uses the common app will also use. Meaning regardless of the source of the application, the student is still going to the same place to log back in and check.

Their status?

Looks like common app posts the records from the previous day in a file or associated files. We go and pick them up, they land on the slate SFTP site in your folder and then basically everything gets associated to a source format. It uses the mapping and they end up on the record.

And probably the other thing we hear a lot about, Tim, is communications.

And so this is that daily process. We have several kind of jobs that run kicking off at 2:30 AM Eastern Time every day, almost every day of the year. As Charlene mentioned, we do shut down for a few days between the time that the coming up takes the 20/22/23 year in this example offline and then launches 20/23/24. We'll start back up basically once the common app says we're ready.

Setting U an e-mail or drip marketing campaign for your common app imports, Whereas you might rely on some of the system emails for your slate hosted app, don't forget that you'll want to communicate with your imported common app folks as well.

Ohh, Matthews submitted a good question.

To start sending you files again, we do test the process every year, make sure it's working, but essentially there usually isn't much different in the delivery and there there are no differences kind of in the delivery process. Again, this year, files get downloaded and processed again once an hour. We're going out between 2:30 and 10:30. Those jobs kick off looking for any new files that the common app has posted. And then another benefit of using kind of the slate.

Our school reports and transcript materials sent with seed codes so they can be mapped or attached automatically to the school record in Slate instead of the person or the app.

It's quiet in the chat.

Automated process and the common FSS process is we work together with the common app, we find kind of if they're already issues, you know we we are notified of them, we coordinate kind of making sure that anything is resolved and we'll reach out on a kind of individual or group basis if there's anything that needs to be done. But again, you're gaining a lot from us, you know monitoring.

And communicating with the common app directly.

All right. Well, thank you everyone for attending. It was good to have you here for this introductory session and we will look forward to seeing you and chatting with you on our next series.

Take care.