Overview

The Checklist feature in the Decisions module is a powerful tool that can be customized to suit the unique needs of your application process. Each checklist item can be tailored to display for all selected applications or targeted to specific populations using segments, ensuring that students see only the relevant checklist items in their application portal. This feature helps applicants stay organized and aware of what needs to be completed both before and after admission decisions are released.

Students can view and complete checklist items, track which items have been fulfilled, and easily stay informed about any requirements that apply at different stages of the admissions process.

This article will cover the various checklist item types, detailing those automatically marked as complete and those requiring manual intervention by reviewers.

For the checklist to display in the student's application site/portal, you must enable the 'checklist' card in the application dashboard.

Accessing Checklists

Navigate to Applications > Decisions > Decision Settings.
Click on the Checklist tab.

Creating a Checklist

To create a checklist for an application, follow these two steps:

Create each checklist item
Enable the checklist card on the application

Checklist items can be applied to one or more applications. Each step is outlined below:

Step 1: Create a Checklist Item

The first step in creating a checklist is adding each checklist item. Once your items are set, you can proceed to enable the checklist card on the application.

Navigate to Applications > Decisions > Decision Settings.
Click on the Checklist tab.
Click the blue plus sign button in the bottom right corner.
You will be prompted to provide initial setup information using three tabs: General, Works For, and Visible To. We will explain the configurations within each tab below:

General
- Active
  - Enabling this option makes the checklist item live and adds it to all applicable checklists.
  - Checklist items are dynamic, meaning that once activated, the item will appear on checklists for both current applicants and new applicants moving forward.
- Require
  - Enabling this option categorizes the checklist item as Required, helping applicants identify items they must complete.
  - Items not marked as required will appear under the Optional section of the checklist card, providing flexibility for applicants to decide whether to submit them.
  - The checklist card automatically organizes items into these two categories—Required and Optional—based on this setting.
- Post-Admit
  - Enable this option to keep the checklist item visible to applicants after an admission decision is released. For more details, see the section below.
- Type
  - Choose one of the five checklist item types. Detailed explanations for each type are provided in the section below.
- Name + Description
  - Enter a name and description for the item. These will be visible to applicants, so include clear details or instructions if needed.
Works For
- Use this setting to specify the application(s) where the checklist item should appear.
- If you have multiple applications, you can use the “All Applications” toggle to apply the checklist item to all applications. Alternatively, you can go through your list of applications and individually toggle the “Apply” setting for specific ones.
Visible To
- Use this setting to define who can see the checklist item by adding conditions with User Segment or User Segment Reference. For example, you might display the item to applicants with specific test scores or require a TOEFL/IELTS exam for applicants whose citizenship is outside the United States.
- Important: This setting only determines visibility—it does not affect the behavior of how the checklist item's status is updated.
After configuring your new checklist item, click Create in the bottom right corner.
Your next steps depend on the checklist item type:
- Custom, Transcript, or One-off: Proceed to Step 2 or add more checklist items by repeating Steps 1–6, as needed.
- Conditional: Add the condition(s) that will automatically mark the item as complete. The "Set Conditions" side sheet should open automatically after clicking create, but if it doesn't, click the funnel icon next to the checklist item to set these conditions.
Once you’ve added your condition(s), proceed to Step 2 or add more checklist items by repeating Steps 1–6.

Step 2: Add the Checklist Card to the Application

After creating your checklist item(s), you need to add the checklist card to the application. Applicants won’t see the item(s) until this step is complete.

Follow these steps to add the checklist card:

Navigate to Applications > Applications > All Applications.
Click on the application name where you want to display the checklist item. This will open your Application editor.
In the left menu, under Content, click on Dashboard.
Under Cards, click the button that says + Add Card.
Complete the fields on the Add Card side sheet:
- Title: Enter a name for the card. This will appear at the top of the checklist card in the student’s application portal (e.g., Your Admissions Checklist).
- Type: Select Checklist Card from the options.
- Conditional Logic: (Optional) Add conditions to determine which students will see this card.Title: Give the card a name. It will be displayed at the top of the checklist card in the student's application portal (e.g., Your Admissions Checklist)
When you are finished completing the fields, click Add in the top right corner.

Checklist Item Types

There are five different types of checklist items. No matter the type, the student will see a title, description, and if the item is required.

For transcripts and supplemental forms, add only one checklist item per type. The system automatically adds multiple items based on the information provided. More details are listed below with each respective type.

Condition

Conditional checklist items are automatically marked as completed when predefined conditions are met. These conditions allow you to streamline checklist management by leveraging automated completion rules.

Purpose: Use this type when you want to automate checklist completion based on user segments or specific data criteria.

You can load existing segments so that when an applicant enters that segment, the checklist item is automatically marked complete.
Alternatively, you can create custom conditions by adding individual data filters, such as “Submitted Form,” to define exactly when the item is completed.
Once a checklist item is marked complete by the condition, the status does not update if the applicant later no longer meets the condition—it will remain completed.
Condition checklist items cannot be manually marked as Not Completed after being automatically marked by the system. Once an item is marked as Completed, the system stops evaluating it, and the status will not revert, even if the conditions are no longer met.

Let's say you're managing official ACT/SAT scores. You could set up conditions based on specific criteria, such as having official test scores. In this case, you could configure a calculated segment of users who meet this criterion. When you process and add the evaluation to their application, the student automatically joins this segment, completing the checklist item.

Leverage the item description to provide detailed instructions to the student on completing the checklist item. This description can include links to relevant resources and step-by-step guidance.

Custom

Custom checklist items require manual oversight, giving you full control over when and how the item is marked as completed. This type is ideal for requirements that need personalized review or verification before completion.

Purpose: Use this type when you need flexibility to manually update the item’s status based on your review process, rather than relying on automated conditions.

Provide clear instructions to applicants through the item description, helping them understand how to fulfill the requirement. Include links to relevant resources, step-by-step guidance, or other materials to make the process seamless for the student.

Imagine you need to verify residency. Using the Custom type, you can review the residency documentation submitted by the applicant and then manually mark the item as complete. This ensures you have thoroughly assessed the requirement before updating its status.

Unlike condition-based checklist items, Custom items allow you to manually change their status at any time. This flexibility is especially useful for requirements that require judgment or review on a case-by-case basis.

Transcript

Transcript checklist items are specifically designed to track transcripts required from applicants. This type streamlines checklist management by automatically marking the item as complete when the required transcript has been uploaded. Important: Only one transcript checklist item should be added per application, regardless of the number of transcripts required. The system will automatically handle multiple transcripts. See Applications with Multiple Transcripts for more details.

Purpose: Use this type to efficiently manage transcript submissions, ensuring that requirements are automatically updated without manual intervention.

How It Works: The item is automatically marked complete only when a transcript is uploaded through one of these methods:

By the applicant: When the student uploads a transcript as part of their application using the transcript field within the school field grouping.
By an internal user: When a transcript is uploaded from the school card on the student’s profile.
- Do not upload transcripts through the documents card on the student’s profile. Transcripts uploaded this way will not mark the checklist item as complete.

Applications with Multiple Transcripts

Managing multiple transcripts on an application is simple with the system’s automated process. Here’s what you need to know:

Add Only One Checklist Item

Add one transcript checklist item to each application, no matter how many transcripts are required. The system will automatically create separate checklist items for each school the applicant includes in their application.

Use a Generic Title

For the transcript checklist item, choose a generic title like “Transcript.” This is important because the system automatically appends the school name in parentheses to differentiate between individual checklist items. The format will look like this: Checklist Item Title (School Name).

Example

If you use “Unofficial Transcript” as your item title and the applicant lists two schools—Element Senior High School and Element Community College—the system will generate these checklist items:

Unofficial Transcript (Element Senior High School)
Unofficial Transcript (Element Community College)

Supplemental Form

Supplemental Form checklist items are specifically designed to track supplemental forms required from applicants. This type streamlines checklist management by automatically marking the item as complete when the form is submitted. Important: Only one supplemental form checklist item should be added per application, regardless of the number of forms required. The system will automatically handle multiple forms. See Applications with Multiple Supplemental Forms for more details.

Purpose: Use this type to efficiently manage and track the submission of additional forms, such as residency verifications, enrollment agreements, or other required documents.

How It Works: The item is automatically marked complete once the student submits the supplemental form.

Applications with Multiple Supplemental Forms

Managing multiple supplemental forms on an application is simple with the system’s automated process. Here’s what you need to know:

Add Only One Checklist Item

Add a single supplemental form checklist item to each application, regardless of the number of forms required. The system will automatically create separate checklist items for each form attached to the application.

Use a Generic Title

For the supplemental form checklist item, choose a generic title like “Supplemental Form.” This is important because the system automatically appends the form name in parentheses to differentiate each checklist item in the format: Checklist Item Title (Form Name).

Example

If you use “Supplemental Form” as your item title and the applicant has two forms attached to their application—Parent/Guardian Info and Residency Verification—the system will generate these checklist items:

Supplemental Form (Parent/Guardian Info)
Supplemental Form (Residency Verification)

Important to Note

If you mark the supplemental form checklist item as required and multiple forms are attached, all forms will be marked as required. Be sure this aligns with your application process.

Need More Help?

For a step-by-step guide on adding the Supplemental Form checklist item type, watch our video tutorial below:

One-Off

One-Off checklist items are designed for unique situations where you need to manually add an item to a student’s checklist. Unlike other types, these items are not automatically populated and require manual oversight.

Purpose: Use this type for individual, non-standard requirements that do not fit into other predefined checklist categories, such as specific residency verifications or fee waivers.

How It Works:

After creating and enabling the checklist item, you can manually add it to a student’s checklist through their decision.
The status of a One-Off checklist item must be manually marked as complete by an internal user.

You might use a One-Off checklist item to request additional documentation from a student for a unique situation, such as verifying eligibility for a fee waiver or resolving a special residency requirement.

Post-Admit Setting

The checklist is designed primarily for pre-decision document and requirement collection. By default, the checklist card disappears once an admission decision has been released, regardless of whether its items are completed, incomplete, or waived.

If you need specific checklist items to remain visible after the applicant has been admitted, you must enable the “Post-Admit” setting for those items. Only items with this setting enabled will appear post-admit; any items without this setting will not be visible after a decision is released.

This setting is especially useful for collecting post-admission requirements, such as final transcripts, immunization records, or program-specific documents and is ideal for school with direct admissions.

Manually Updating Checklist Item Status

To update the status of a checklist item, navigate to the Checklist tab of the student’s Decision. Use the Status dropdown to select one of the following options: not completed, completed, or waived.

Important Note Regarding Condition + Supplemental Checklist Items

Condition and Supplemental Form checklist items cannot be manually set to Not Completed once the system has automatically marked them as Completed.
When the system marks an item as Completed, it stops evaluating it, and the status will not change, even if the original conditions are no longer met.
For more flexibility in manually updating statuses, consider using the Custom or One-Off checklist item types.