Application Review System Administration
Application Review System Administration
Online Application Review System (App Review)
To log into the App Review system, go to https://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/AppReview. A valid UCSB NetID and password are required. Recommended browsers include Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. The system does not currently support Safari.
User Roles and Meanings (Navigation: Admin)
All App Review users must be assigned to an appropriate user role, which defines their permissions for accessing and performing various actions in App Review. The possible roles that can be assigned to different App Review users are described below. See Application Review System Administration | Assigning Permissions (Navigation: Admin) for details on how to add new users and assign permissions.
Faculty Roles
The following user roles may be assigned to faculty users:
Department Chair: The Department Chair is responsible for assigning permissions to all departmental users in App Review. This role is also a Full Reviewer and has access to the Reports menu. The Department Chair may submit and approve Deferral Requests, and may approve admissions decisions in the Admit, Exceptions, Deny, and Incomplete queues.
Faculty Admissions Chair or Graduate Advisor: Only two faculty per department can occupy this role. Aside from the Graduate Advisor, only the Faculty Admissions Chair (if the department has one) should be assigned this role. This role has Full Reviewer privileges and can also approve decisions in the decision queues, submit and approve Deferral Requests, and access the Reports menu.
Fellowships Approver: Users assigned to this role are responsible for approving nominations for the Recruitment Competition made by the Fellowships Administrator prior to the nomination deadline.
Full Reviewer: Faculty who need to be able to access applications in all the queues should be assigned Full Reviewer permissions by the Chair. Departments may wish to consider giving this role to members of the Admissions Committee. Department Chairs, Graduate Advisors and Graduate Admissions Chairs are automatically Full Reviewers.
Restricted Reviewer: Restricted Reviewers see only the Review Queue and Processed Apps Queue. The other queues do not appear when they log in. The Graduate Division recommends that faculty be assigned the Restricted Reviewer role unless they explicitly need access to all queues. Some staff in need of limited access may also be assigned to this role.
Category Manager (Faculty OR Staff Role): Category Managers may create new categories, edit existing categories, and put applicants into categories or remove applicants from existing categories. Staff with the Application Administrator role are typically assigned this role.
Staff Roles
The following roles may be assigned to staff users:
Application Administrator: The Application Administrator is responsible for data entry in App Review. This role has access to the Edit button for applications and can modify applicant data. They can also upload/delete documents, upload letters of recommendation, make comments to the applicant, and add internal comments. This role has access to all queues as well as Admissions Reports. Application Administrators can also submit Deferral Requests, add new users to App review, and manage Faculty Interests and Research Interests.
Queue Manager: The Queue Manager is responsible for moving applications from one App Review queue to another. This role may move submitted applications into the following queues: Submitted, Review, and the department decision queues (Admit, Exceptions, Deny, and Incomplete). Application Administrators are usually also assigned to the Queue Manager role.
Fellowships Administrator (also known as Nomination Submitter): Department staff designated by the Department Chair who will be nominating applicants to participate in the Recruitment Competition should be assigned to this role. Fellowships Administrators can nominate applicants, upload nomination memos, delete nominations and edit the rank order of Merit nominees. The Graduate Division recommends that Application Administrators be assigned this role. (This role may be assigned by the Department Chair).
Category Manager (Faculty OR Staff Role): Category Managers may create new categories, edit existing categories, and put applicants into categories or remove applicants from existing categories. Staff with the Application Administrator role are typically assigned this role.
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Assigning Permissions (Navigation: Admin)
The staff member(s) assigned to the Application Administrator role may add new departmental users to the review system and disable existing users’ access in the Admin screen.
Note: Adding a new user to App Review does not grant them access to the system or to your department. Users must also be assigned to a user role in order to successfully log into App Review.
Adding a New User
To add a new user, complete the following steps:
Locate the new user’s UCSB NetID using the UCSB Directory. Individuals who do not have valid UCSB NetIDs may not be granted access to App Review.
Log in to App Review and select Admin from the Navigate drop-down menu.
Select the Add Users tab and enter the UCSB NET ID of the person receiving access
Click Add User. They will appear in your Existing Users list.
Removing a User’s Access
Users who are no longer affiliated with the department (or no longer in a position for which access to graduate admissions information is necessary) should be switched from Active to Inactive. To remove an Existing User’s access (so they cannot log in and view your department), complete the following steps:
Log in to App Review and select Admin from the Navigate drop-down menu.
Select the Add Users tab and click on the name of the user who would no longer have access.
Click the Disable button. They will appear in your Existing Users list with a status of Inactive.
Deleting a User
Deleted users will no longer have access to your department in App Review. To delete a user from your Existing Users list, complete the following steps:
Log in to App Review and select Admin from the Navigate drop-down menu.
Select the Add Users tab and click on the name of the user who would no longer have access.
Click the Delete button. They will disappear from your Existing Users list.
You may view or hide deleted users from your list by clicking on the Toggle Deleted button.
Reinstating an Inactive or Deleted User
Users who have an Inactive (access disabled) status or who have been deleted can have their access to your department reinstated, or Enabled. To reinstate a user, complete the following steps:
Log in to App Review and select Admin from the Navigate drop-down menu.
Select the Add Users tab and click on the name of the user who will be reinstated. If the user was previously deleted, you will first need to Toggle Deleted so that they appear on your Existing Users list.
Click the Enable button. They will be enabled as their most recent role(s).
Assigning User Roles
Once a new user has been added, only the Department Chair or Graduate Division may assign the appropriate role(s) to that user. Role(s) assigned by the Graduate Division must be approved by the Department Chair via the System Access Request Form.
Roles Assigned by the Department Chair
The Department Chair should designate the following Roles in the Manage Users’ Roles tab of the Admin menu:
Full Reviewer
Restricted Reviewer
Category Manager
Fellowships Administrator (also known as Nomination Submitter)
If a new faculty user has been added to App Review, the Department Chair should assign them either the Full Reviewer or Restricted Reviewer role so that they may view applications for your department. After logging into App Review, the Department Chair should select Admin from the Navigate drop-down menu at the top right side of the screen and then choose the Manage Users’ Roles tab. When the Department Chair selects a user from the list, they will see which roles are currently assigned to that user:
To assign a role to a user, the Department Chair should select the user from the Users list and then check off the Role(s) the user should have from the list on the right. To finish, click Save Roles.
To remove a role from a user’s permissions, the Department Chair should select the user from the Users list and then uncheck the role(s) the user should no longer have from the list on the right. To finish, click Save Roles.
Roles Assigned by the Graduate Division
The Graduate Division must assign the following roles:
Application Administrator
Department Chair
Faculty Admissions Chair or Graduate Advisor
Fellowships Approver
Queue Manager
To request that a user be assigned to one of these roles, submit the System Access Request Form: GradPoint and AppReview Access . The form has three functions and should be used to request access for users of all Graduate Division systems:
To Move GradPoint Access from one user to another
Use for a new portal user who is taking over a position from an existing user that no longer needs access, for example:
New incoming Chair replacing outgoing Chair
New incoming Faculty Graduate Advisor replacing outgoing Faculty Graduate Advisor
New incoming Staff member replacing outgoing staff member
To Remove GradPoint Access from a user
Use for a portal user who has left their position and has not yet been replaced
Use for a new portal user in a vacant position
Bundled Access Request: If you are requesting access for a Staff Graduate Program Advisor (GPA), Faculty Graduate Advisor, Faculty Graduate Admissions Chair, or Department Chair, complete the following steps when completing the System Access Request Form:
Check the button for “Bundled system access based on department position (chairs and graduate advisors only).”
Complete the red required boxes with the incoming user’s information.
Note: NetIDs can be found in the UCSB Directory. Do not input the Employee ID in this field.
Complete details of “Name of user who held the position previously.”
Note: This will remove the outgoing user from the position, and is required in order to update user roles in most cases.
Choose the bundled access to be assigned:
Chair
Faculty Graduate Advisor
Faculty Admission Chair
Staff Graduate Advisor
The form will then be routed to the incoming user for signature and then the department’s current chair for approval. In the case of an outgoing Chair to incoming Chair form, the incoming Chair will be the Requester/User to be added and the Outgoing Chair will be the Department Chair who has final approval on the form.
Complete details and instructions can be found in the https://ucsb-atlas.atlassian.net/wiki/x/IgCpLAQ .
Managing Faculty and Research Interests (Navigation: Admin)
Applicants are asked to select their faculty and research interests from the drop-down lists provided within the online application. These lists are created and maintained by the department using the Manage Faculty Interests and Manage Research Interests tabs of the Admin menu of App Review. Application Administrators may edit these lists.
Note: Faculty Interests and Research Interests should be updated prior to the start of each application cycle.
Faculty Interests
To edit the Faculty Interests list, complete the following steps:
Log in to App Review and select Admin from the Navigate drop-down menu.
Select the Manage Faculty Interests tab.
To add a new Faculty Interest, type the faculty name into the text box as you would like it to appear in the list that is visible to applicants. Then, click the Add Faculty button.
To edit or delete an existing Faculty Interest, select the name from the Existing Faculty list and then click the Rename or Delete button, as appropriate.
Note: These lists will always appear in alphabetical order based on the first letter of the entry.
If you would like the applicant to select a specific number of faculty interests, you may enter specific minimum and maximum selection limits.
To finish, click Save Settings.
Research Interests
To edit the Research Interests list, complete the following steps:
Log in to App Review and select Admin from the Navigate drop-down menu.
Select the Manage Research Interests tab.
To add a new Research Interest, type the name of the research interest into the text box as you would like it to appear in the list that is visible to applicants. Then, click the Add Interest button.
To edit or delete an existing Research Interest, select the name from the Existing Research Interests list and then click the Rename or Delete button, as appropriate.
Note: These lists will always appear in alphabetical order based on the first letter of the entry.
If you would like the applicant to select a specific number of research interests, you may enter specific minimum and maximum selection limits.
You may also allow applicants to enter their own Research Interests by selecting the Allow ‘Other’ Entries checkbox. If selected, “Other” will appear in your list of research interests. Applicants may then select Other and they will be prompted to type in a research interest.
To finish, click Save Settings.
Departments may use research and faculty interests to filter applicants into specific review lists. To do so, select the faculty member or research interest area from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen:
The page will automatically refresh to show just the applicants who selected that faculty member or research interest.
Categories (Navigation: Admin)
Departments may use categories to filter applicants into specific review lists. App Review users assigned to the role of Category Manager may create and modify categories, assign applicants to categories, or remove applicants from categories.
Note: Use of Categories is optional and departments may utilize them however is most appropriate for your internal business practices. Categories may be updated at any time.
To edit Categories, complete the following steps:
Log in to App Review and select Admin from the Navigate drop-down menu.
Select the Manage Categories tab.
To add a new Category, type the name of the category into the text box as you would like it to appear in App Review. Then, click the Add Category button. Categories you have created will appear in the Existing Categories list.
To edit or delete an existing Category, select the name from the Existing Categories list and then click the Rename or Delete button, as appropriate.
In the Queues, Categories are available in your Actions drop-down menu and Category Managers may assign categories to applicants.
To place an applicant in a category or remove them from a category:
Select their application.
From the Actions drop-down menu, select the category you wish to assign using the Apply Category action.
Click the Apply to Selected Applicants button. Applicants may be added to multiple categories.
To remove someone from a category, select their application and choose the Remove Category option from the Actions drop-down menu. Click the Apply to Selected Applicants button.
App Review users can then use the Category drop down menu to filter applicants by category:
Searching for Applicants
You can locate individual applications in App Review using the search function. To do so, click on the magnifying glass icon at the top right of the page after logging in to App Review:
You may search using any of the following criteria:
Applicant’s first name
Applicant’s last name
Applicant’s last name [comma] first name
Perm number (if assigned)
Application/Reference ID number
Email address
Note: The applicant’s name or email address must be entered exactly as it appears in their application.
Searching for Unpaid Applicants
You may also search for unpaid/partial applications, which is helpful if an applicant who hasn’t paid yet has questions or needs help uploading a document or transcript.
To include unpaid or unsubmitted applications in your search results, click on the Search unpaid/partial applications checkbox:
Note: Only Application Administrators have access to unpaid/partial applications. These applications should not be released to other users under any circumstance. It is important to remember that these applicants may never pay or choose to release their application for review.
Queues
The Queue system allows departments to manage applications and move them through the admissions review process. Queue Managers may move applicants between queues at will. Applicants may be moved back and forth. Their queue location is only cemented once an admissions decision has been processed by the Graduate Division as reflected in the Processed Apps queue. Department users may no longer move or edit an application once it appears in the Processed Apps queue.
Queue Descriptions
Each of the following queues appear in App Review: Submitted, Review, Admit, Deny, Incomplete, Exceptions, Waitlist, and Processed Apps.
Submitted Queue
When an applicant submits and pays for their online application, they will appear in the Submitted Queue. From this queue, the Application Administrator can email the applicant, edit inconsistencies in the application, upload documents/letters received via email, and view the Application Datasheet by clicking on the applicant’s name.
Note: The Edit button is also accessible via the Datasheet.
The Submitted Queue is sortable by any of the following parameters:
Name
Perm Number
Applied Date
Application Quarter
Degree Objective/Emphasis
Number of Required Documents Locked (Statement of Purpose, Personal History Statement, and Resume/CV)
Number of Common Supplemental Documents Locked (D=Department Form; W=Writing Sample)
Number of Other Documents Locked
Number of Letters of Recommendation received
Official Exam Scores received (none if none are official; name of exam if official scores have been received)
Review Queue
When an application is deemed complete and ready for faculty review by the Application Administrator, the Queue Manager should move the application into the Review Queue. Faculty may log in to review these applications. The queue is sortable by any of the following parameters:
Name
Objective/Emphasis
Applicant-reported residency status
Res = applicant indicated they are a California resident
Non = applicant indicated they are a US citizen or permanent resident, but not a California resident
Int = applicant indicated they are an international student
Name of the degree-granting undergraduate institution
Grade Point Average (as listed in the Reported GPA field in the Education History – Institutions section)
Letter Grade Equivalency (if reported in the Institutions area)
Area(s) of Research Interest as self-reported by the applicant in their online application
The queue can be filtered by Research Interests, Faculty Interests, Comments, Votes, or Categories (if the department is using Categories).
Clicking on the applicant’s name will take the user to the datasheet. From the datasheet they can review all of the applicant-reported information supplied in the online application, view exam scores (Official or Self-Reported will be indicated in the Status column), view documents and letters, and leave internal comments. Faculty Reviewers may “vote” on an admissions decision on this page if they wish.
Admit Queue
Once it is determined that an applicant should be admitted, the department Queue Manager should place that applicant, or set of applicants, into the Admit Queue. One of the users with signature authority (Department Chair, Graduate Advisor, or Graduate Admissions Chair) should then log in to approve the decision.
Deny Queue
Once it is determined that an applicant should be denied, the Queue Manager should place that applicant, or set of applicants, into the Deny Queue. One of the users with signature authority (Department Chair, Graduate Advisor, or Graduate Admissions Chair) should then log in to approve the decision.
Important: Once the decision is approved, the applicant will immediately be emailed with a notification that there is a decision available and they will log in to their application to see the denial letter. The Graduate Division does not review denied applicants.
Incomplete Queue
If it is determined that an application cannot be reviewed because it is incomplete, the Queue Manager should place that applicant, or set of applicants, into the Incomplete Queue. One of the users with signature authority (Department Chair, Graduate Advisor, or Graduate Admissions Chair) should then log in to approve the decision. Once the decision is approved, the applicant will immediately be emailed with a notification that there is a decision available and they will log in to their application to see the incomplete letter. The letter will indicate that the applicant could not be admitted because their application was not complete. Alternatively, departments may choose to deny applicants who fail to complete the application.
Note: An “incomplete decision” is a final decision. Do not approve admissions decisions for applicants in this queue if you would like to receive additional application materials from them for further review. The Graduate Division does not review incomplete applicants.
Exceptions Queue
If the department would like to admit an applicant who does not meet minimum admissions standards and needs an exception for any reason (low GPA, low TOEFL, late admit, etc.), the Queue Manager should place that applicant, or set of applicants into the Exceptions Queue. The reason(s) for exception(s) should be selected and the justification should be entered into the text box provided. One of the users with signature authority (Department Chair, Graduate Advisor, or Graduate Admissions Chair) should then log in to approve the decision from the Exceptions Queue. This will send the applicants to the Graduate Division for evaluation by the deans.
Note: Do not move applicants requiring an exception into the Admit Queue after entering an exception request – this will delete the exception request.
The Department may not send an admission letter to the applicant until further notice from the Graduate Division. If the exception is approved, the admission will be processed. If it is denied or additional information is needed, the applicant will be placed back in the Exceptions Queue for further action by the department.
Waitlist Queue
If the department has reviewed an application, but is not yet ready to finalize and/or release an admissions decision, it may be moved to the Waitlist Queue. The Waitlist Queue may be used to help sort applications so that decisions are not issued prematurely by mistake. Applicants moved to this queue will not receive any system-generated notifications and admissions decisions cannot be approved from this queue.
The Waitlist Queue is sortable by any of the following parameters:
Name
Perm Number
Application Quarter
Degree Objective/Emphasis
Applicant-reported residency status
Res = applicant indicated they are a California resident
Non = applicant indicated they are a US citizen or permanent resident, but not a California resident
Int = applicant indicated they are an international student
Grade Point Average (as listed in the Reported GPA field in the Education History – Institutions section)
Number of Required Documents Locked (Statement of Purpose, Personal History Statement, and Resume/CV)
Number of Letters of Recommendation received
Processed Apps
The Processed Apps Queue reflects all applicants who are in process for an admissions decision or have received a decision (including provisional admits, unconditional admits, denied applications, and incomplete applications). The queue also allows users to view decision letters. This queue is visible to all users, including Restricted Reviewers. Once a decision has been processed, the Datasheet and all documents/information are visible, but not modifiable.
From the Processed Apps Queue the department can track if an applicant’s admission has been processed by the Graduate Division by checking the App Status column. A processed admit will display a status of either Provisional Admission or Unconditional Admission. An applicant pending approval will display a status of In Process.
Moving Applicants between Queues
To move applicants from one queue to another, complete the steps below.
Note: Applicants will not receive any notifications that their application has been moved or that a decision is available until the faculty member with signature authority formally approves the decision (deny, incomplete) or the Graduate Division releases the decision (Admit, Exceptional Admit) in App Review. Moving the application from one department queue to another (all queues except the Processed Apps Queue) will not generate a notification to the applicant.
Select the check box next to the applicant’s name, or check the header check box to select all applicants.
In the Actions drop-down menu select the proper Move to Queue command.
Click the Apply to Selected Applications button. The application will disappear from the queue they were in and appear in the new queue that has been designated.
Reports
Users with the following permissions have access to GradPoint Admissions Reports:
Application Administrator
Faculty Graduate Advisor or Admissions Committee Chair
Department Chair
All of the following reports are available:
Admitted
All Decisions
Applicant Queues
Application Address
Application Export
Awards by Student Name
Coming
Internal Comments
Denied
Department Recruitment Offers
Faculty Votes
No SIR
Not Coming
Provisional Students Coming
Recruitment Award Statistics
Special Populations
Unpaid Report
To access Admissions Reports via App Review, click on the Reports button:
When the page loads, login to GradPoint (if you have previously logged in, you should be automatically redirected without re-entering your login credentials); note that it may take a few minutes for the data to load. Select the report you would like to view from the bottom tray.
To access Admissions Reports via GradPoint, login to GradPoint and click on the Admissions Reports button:
Select the report you would like to view from the bottom tray. Note that data is refreshed once per day and the date and time of the most recent refresh will display at the bottom of the page.
You can change the data by using the various slicers along the top, as well as the slicers (filters) along the right side.
To clear a selected filter, click on the eraser icon that appears when hovering over the filter.
Exporting Admissions Reports
Select the tab for the report that you would like to export from the bottom tray. To export the report to Excel:
Make sure you have clicked within the report and click on the three dots in the right corner.
Click Export Data from dropdown menu:
Choose your format, and click Export.