PLS-6B: Application Phase Configuration

Overview

In this module, you'll configure the application phase—how students apply to your housing cycle and how applications connect to the broader housing process.

What you'll learn:

• How to set application phase dates

• How to assign YOUR application form (from PLS-5)

• How to assign YOUR ruleset (from PLS-4)

• How to configure auto-accept settings and application limits

Time: 10 minutes

The Application Settings Tab

The Application Settings tab controls how students apply to your housing cycle. This is where you connect the application form you built in PLS-5 and the ruleset you created in PLS-4 to organize applications, roommate matching, and room assignments within this cycle.

Navigation: In the cycle editor, click the Application Settings tab.

Application Phase Dates

Application phase dates define the activity window when students can submit housing applications. Remember: these are phase dates (activity windows), not residence dates (the housing period).

Application Phase Start Date (Required)

Field: Application Phase Begin Date

This is when the application window opens and students can begin submitting applications.

What happens on this date:

• Students see "Apply for Housing" button in their portal

• The application form becomes accessible

• Students can begin filling out and submitting applications

Timing considerations:

• Typically 4-6 months before the residence period starts

• Example: March 1, 2025 application phase for August 15, 2025 residence start

• Coordinate with academic calendar (avoid finals, breaks)

• Allow sufficient time for application review before the next phase begins

Application Phase End Date (Required)

Field: Application Phase End Date

This is when the application window closes and students can no longer submit new applications.

What happens on this date:

• The "Apply for Housing" button disappears from student portals

• Students who haven't submitted cannot start new applications

• Students with in-progress applications may lose access

Best practices:

• Set 2-4 weeks before the next phase opens (allows time for review and approval)

• Example: April 15, 2025 application close if roommate or room selection opens May 1, 2025

• Communicate the deadline clearly to students multiple times

• Consider building in buffer time for late submissions or exceptions

Assigning Your Application Form

Field: Application Form

This is where you assign the application form you built in PLS-5 to your cycle. The form becomes the data collection tool for this specific housing period.

Selecting Your Form

1. Click the Application Form dropdown

2. You'll see a list of all published application forms

3. Select the form you created in PLS-5

4. Example: "Fall 2025 Housing Application"

What this means for students:

• When students click "Apply for Housing," they'll complete the form you selected

• All questions, sections, and conditional logic from your form will appear

• Form responses save to their application record within this cycle

Can I Change the Form Later?

Only if the cycle is not yet active. Once any phase starts, the application form locks and cannot be changed.

Why this locks: Changing forms after students have submitted would create data inconsistencies. Students who submitted using the old form would have different questions and answers than those submitting the new form, making data comparison and reporting unreliable.

Assigning Your Ruleset (Resident Cycles Only)

Field: Ruleset

This is where you assign the ruleset you created in PLS-4. Rulesets define the matching logic and assignment rules that power roommate compatibility and room visibility throughout your cycle.

What Rulesets Control

The ruleset assigned to your cycle determines:

• Roommate compatibility: How students are matched based on questionnaire responses and preferences

• Auto-assignment logic: Which students can be automatically assigned to which rooms

• Room visibility: Which inventory appears to students during room selection

• Hard rules: Must-match requirements that cannot be violated (e.g., gender identity must match)

• Soft rules: Preferences that improve match quality but can be overridden (e.g., sleep schedule should match)

Selecting Your Ruleset

1. Click the Ruleset dropdown

2. Select the ruleset you created in PLS-4

3. Example: "Fall 2025 First-Year Matching Rules"

Can I Change the Ruleset Later?

Only before the cycle becomes active. Once any phase starts, the ruleset locks.

Impact of changing rulesets: If you change rulesets before running auto-assignment, you'll get different matching results based on the new rules. If you change the ruleset after assignments are already made, existing assignments remain unchanged—only future assignments use the new ruleset.

Auto-Accept Applications

Toggle: Auto Accept Applications

This setting controls whether applications are automatically approved upon submission or require manual admin review.

When Enabled (Auto-Accept ON)

Behavior:

• Student submits application

• System immediately changes status from "Under Review" to "Approved"

• Student can immediately proceed to next phases (roommate selection, room selection)

• No admin intervention needed

Use when:

• All students who meet applicability tags should automatically qualify for housing

• You don't need to manually review applications for eligibility or completeness

• You want a streamlined, fast process for students

• Housing is guaranteed for all applicants who meet the eligibility criteria

When Disabled (Auto-Accept OFF)

Behavior:

• Student submits application

• Application status remains "Under Review"

• Admin must manually approve each application before students can proceed

• Students wait for approval before accessing roommate or room selection phases

Use when:

• You need to review applications for completeness or eligibility

• Limited housing availability requires selective approval

• You verify special accommodations or requirements manually

• Institutional policy requires human review of housing requests

Application Limits and Restrictions

Max Submitted Applicants

Field: Max Submitted Applicants

This setting limits how many times a single student can submit applications to this cycle.

Common values:

• 1: Students can only submit one application (most common)

• 2-3: Allow resubmission if students need to update information

• Unlimited: No restriction on application submissions

Use case for allowing multiple applications:

• Students can update information if circumstances change during the application window

• Correction workflows where students resubmit with fixes after initial review

• Testing environments where multiple submissions help verify workflows

Most common setting: 1 - Students submit once, then contact housing staff directly if changes are needed.

Max Reselection Attempts

Field: Max Reselection Attempts

Controls how many times students can change their room selection after initially selecting a room.

Common values:

• 0: No reselection allowed (students are locked to their first choice)

• 1-3: Limited changes allowed during the selection window

• Unlimited: Students can change selections freely during the active selection phase

When to restrict reselection:

• Prevent students from "room hopping" and creating assignment instability

• Reduce administrative overhead from frequent changes

• Encourage thoughtful, intentional decision-making during room selection

When to allow reselection:

• Build student confidence by allowing room changes during the selection period

• Accommodate changing roommate groups or preferences

• Provide flexibility during the initial selection window

Max Reselection in Days

Field: Max Reselection in Days

Sets a time window during which reselection is allowed after the initial room selection.

Example:

• Student selects a room on April 20

• Max reselection in days: 7

• Student can change rooms until April 27

• After April 27, the selection locks even if the selection phase is still open

Use when: You want to allow changes immediately after initial selection but lock choices as move-in approaches, providing stability for planning and logistics.

Saving Your Application Settings

After configuring the Application Settings tab:

1. Verify form is assigned: Confirm your application form appears in the dropdown

2. Verify ruleset is assigned (resident cycles only): Confirm your ruleset is selected

3. Review phase dates: Ensure application phase dates align with your overall cycle timeline

4. Review auto-accept setting: Confirm it matches your institutional review process

5. Click "Save" or navigate to the next tab

Key Takeaways

• Application Settings connects your form and ruleset to organize applications within the cycle

• Application phase dates define the activity window when students can submit applications

• Phase dates occur months before the residence period begins

• Your application form (from PLS-5) must be published before it appears in the dropdown

• Resident cycles REQUIRE a ruleset to power matching and assignment logic

• Non-resident cycles do NOT have a ruleset field (no room assignment or matching)

• Auto-accept immediately approves applications; most institutions leave this OFF for quality control

• Reselection limits control how many times students can change room selections

• Application form and ruleset lock when the cycle becomes active

Common Questions

I don't see my application form in the dropdown. Why?

Forms must be published to appear in the dropdown. Navigate to Admin › Setup › Forms, find your form, and verify its status is "Published" (not "Draft"). If it's in draft status, publish it first, then return to your cycle configuration.

What happens if I enable auto-accept?

Every student who submits an application is immediately approved without admin review. They can proceed to roommate selection and room selection right away. Use this carefully—once auto-approved, you cannot easily reject applications without manual intervention.

Can I change the application form after students have submitted?

No. Once the cycle is active, the form locks. Changing forms mid-process would create data inconsistencies between students who submitted different versions. Finalize your form in PLS-5 before assigning it to your cycle.

What's the difference between application phase dates and residence dates?

Application phase dates define the activity window when students can submit applications (typically March-April). Residence dates define the housing period when students actually live on campus (typically August-May). Phase dates occur months before the residence period begins.

Do I need different rulesets for different cycles?

Not necessarily. You can reuse the same ruleset across multiple cycles if the matching logic and assignment rules are the same. However, if first-years have different rules than upperclassmen (e.g., different hard rules or inventory visibility), create separate rulesets and assign them to the appropriate cycles.

What if I set the application start date to the past?

Your cycle immediately becomes active when you save. All configuration locks except phase dates and release dates. Only set dates in the past when you're ready to launch and all settings are finalized and tested.

Can students apply to multiple cycles at the same time?

Yes, if they meet the applicability tag requirements for multiple cycles. However, use applicability and exclusion tags carefully to ensure students only see cycles relevant to them (e.g., first-years shouldn't see upperclassmen cycles).

What's Next: PLS-6C

Now that you've configured how students apply for housing, you're ready to set up how they find and form roommate groups.

In PLS-6C: Roommate Phase Configuration, you'll learn:

• How to assign your bio/questionnaire form

• How to set roommate group size limits

• How to create roommate phases with dates and applicability

Continue to PLS-6C →