Implementing a Paperless Admission System
Phase #2
Thomas Skottene & Nancy Walsh
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Agenda
• Intro
• Modules
• Document Management
• Processing
• Review
• Post Review
• Reports
• Applicant Experience
• Framework Functionality
•Q&A
Timeline & Resources
• Largest Office of Undergraduate Admissions
(OUA) project since the ERP (Banner)
implementation in 2003
• eAdmit went live in August 2011 for the 2012
admissions cycle
• Some parts will complete in fall 2011 and spring
2012
TM
Scope & Benefits
• Goal:
– Replace our previous paper docket process
with an electronic web based workflow and
document delivery system
• Benefits:
– Do more with less, through
• Increased automation
• Improved transparency
• Improved workflow
Development
• Built by the Office of Undergraduate
Admissions (OUA) with in-house
resources
– Browser Based Program
– We can change it over time as we see the
need
• Banner interfaces
– Daily import job
– Some instant Banner updates
High Level Process Flow
Scanned
Documents &
PDF Transcripts
Change Forms
Self Reported
Academic
RecordTM
eAdmitTM
DARwin
95% of all OUA work
100% of College work
No Change
Keep as paper
process for now
Some data
flows instantly,
Daily import
most flow
At 5:30AM
once a day
Online Web
Application Form
Test Scores
Banner
Less than 5% of OUA
activity
Goal: Get the
Banner data
we need and
make Banner
look like it did
before
eAdmitTM
TM
eAdmit
Modules
Opening Screen
• eAdmit users have the same opening or splash
screen after logging in
• Goal:
TM
– Make sure users are cognizant of our current
application numbers
• Data elements:
– # of Scanned Documents
– # of Applications
– # of Decisions
Opening Screen
• Screenshot
TM
eAdmit
Document Management
Or DocQ
Document Management
• Purpose
– Receive, prep, index, match, and route
incoming documents, electronic and paper
• Non-eAdmitTM steps
– Receive, open, and sort mail
– Filter out materials that will not be scanned
• E.g. letters of recommendation, CD of piano
recital, certificate of health club membership, etc.
Scanning, Indexing & Uploading
• All relevant incoming documents will be
scanned
– unless they are already in an electronic format
we can use
• All documents will be indexed/uploaded
– Add identifying information such as name and
DOB
– Indentify what kind of document it is
• Transcript (+ institution, if available), passport
copy, fee waiver, etc.
Automated Matching
• eAdmitTM will try to match a new document
based on the known data to either a
student or an applicant
• A nightly job runs to match any new
applications or students against existing
uploaded documents in eAdmitTM
• Success depends on the accuracy of the
meta-data added
Manual Matching Component
• For single matches a DM staff member will manually verify that
eAdmitTM made a valid match by comparing:
– Scanned Document
– Banner Data
– Indexed Data
• If not, the staff member can exclude the match, leave the document,
or search for another match
• For zero or multiple matches a DM staff member can
– Search for new matches
– Narrow down existing matches
– Provides tools
• Partial or fragmented fields
• Switch first/last name, etc
– Manage applicant vs. student search
Document Search
• DocQ allows searches for any document by
available meta-data:
–
–
–
–
–
Name
DOB
Document Type
UIN (University Identification Number)
Document ID (internal reference number)
• Handy for routing of un-matched documents
– Institution
• Handy if you need to find a transcript you know came from a
specific school, but must have been mismatched
TM
eAdmit
Processing
Processing
• Automated
– Process steps that only require error reports
and spot checks
– Self-Reported Academic Record (SRARTM)
• Semi-Automated
– Steps that require limited human intervention
• Manual
– Steps that still require human intervention
SRAR
TM
• Self-Reported Academic Record
– Inspired by University of California system, Georgia
Tech, Rutgers, and others
– Freshman applicants self report their academic record
– Self-reported data is used to review application &
make decision
– Once applicants accept their offer, we check the final
transcripts for discrepancies
– Large administrative savings
• 7,000 vs. 28,000 transcripts, automation possibilities
Fully Automated Steps
• Matching online forms
– like the SRARTM, appeals, etc. based on their
application ID
• Academic calculations
• Pattern analysis
• English proficiency
• Essay check
Semi Automated Steps
• Dedicated screens for analyzing
applicant responses
- First Generation
- Educational Goal
Manual Steps
• Transfer Processing
– Long list of manual tasks
• Initial Validation
• High School Work
• College Work
– eAdmitTM will only keep track of status and manage
the workflow
Processing Summary
• Automation where possible
• Very large savings in time and effort
– In theory, a freshman could apply at 5PM and be available for
review by 8AM the next morning!
• All wins come at a price 
– Some issues might not be discovered until they reach review
TM
eAdmit
Review
Worklists
• Review, like most work in eAdmitTM, is
organized into Work Lists
• Work Lists are chunks of work waiting to
be done
• Work Lists can be sorted or prioritized
according to need
• Work Lists can be assigned according to
need
Review
• Organization
– All workflow is managed by worklists and committees
– An applicant will show in a worklist based on their status which
includes
•
•
•
•
•
•
Committee membership (most often program code)
Referral status
Number of reads and who did these reads
Decision status
College status
Special requirements status
These will open as PDFs
Transfer Review
•
•
•
•
Same application data as for freshmen
Different review sheet
Different worklists
Different committees
Other Reviews
• We also have some processing and
review that does not fall neatly into our
common procedures:
– Non-degree
– Dual Admission
– Etc
TM
eAdmit
Framework Functionality
Person Search &
Summary Page
• eAdmitTM has a search feature that allows user to search
by UIN or last name/partial name
• Find status
– Checklist items
• Find documents
– Receive dates
• The results will take you to the summary page which will
allow users to access any and all information we have
about the applicant or the student
Reports
• eAdmitTM has several types of reports:
– Troubleshooting/Error/”Black Hole” reports
• E.g. Compare how many applications we have in Banner vs.
eAdmitTM
• Check that the Banner decisions are the same as in
eAdmitTM
– Operational/Manager reports
• E.g. who worked First Generation yesterday and how many
did they do each
• How many reviews did so and so do last month
– Strategy reports
• Opening page
• Where are we this year compared to last
Post-Review
• Some processes have been recently
added or are still being worked on
• These include:
– I-20 processing and document gathering
– Final transcript processing and document
gathering
– Scholarships
– Archiving
Applicant Experience
•
eAdmitTM has several forms and pages exposed to the Applicant
– SRARTM
– Change Forms
• Bio/Demo change
• Term/Program Change
• Course Change form
– Appeal forms
• Freshman
• Transfer
– Request for Delayed Admission
– Ability to view and download NOA and other letters
– I-20 application
•
Allows international students to upload their passport copy and financial documentation online
– Applicants use their WebID and PIN to access these forms which
means they are auto-matched
Questions & Answers
Thomas Skottene
tskotten@illinois.edu
Nancy Walsh
njwalsh@illinois.edu