PLS-7: The Complete Housing Selection Journey (Testing YOUR Cycle)

Last updated: October 5, 2026

Overview

Product Learning Session 7 (PLS-7) is where you validate that everything you built actually works. After configuring YOUR production cycle in PLS-6, you'll now test it from the student perspective—experiencing the complete housing journey from application submission through room selection, document signing, and move-in preparation.

Who this is for: Super admins, housing directors, and anyone responsible for launching housing cycles to students.

What you'll accomplish: Test YOUR cycle end-to-end as if you were a student, identify configuration issues before students encounter them, document common problems for your support team, and iterate until your cycle is ready for launch.

Duration: 45-60 minutes for live training session; allow 2-3 hours for comprehensive testing with multiple test students.

Environment: All PLS-7 testing takes place in your sandbox environment during implementation (Month 4, Week 1). Test data created during this session stays in sandbox and does not migrate to production.

Critical Quality Control Checkpoint: PLS-7 is NOT a "nice to have" session—it's your final validation before real students use your system. Configuration errors caught here prevent support ticket chaos, student frustration, and emergency fixes during peak housing season. Never skip testing.

The Purpose of PLS-7: Testing & Validation

You already learned what cycles are (PLS-3) and how to configure them (PLS-6). PLS-7 is different—it's a hands-on testing workshop where you:

  • Experience what students experience: Log in as a student and walk through the complete housing journey using YOUR cycle configuration

  • Catch issues before launch: Identify form errors, tag misconfigurations, phase timing problems, and workflow gaps

  • Build support readiness: Document common problems and create troubleshooting guides for your team

  • Iterate and improve: Fix issues, retest, and refine until your cycle works flawlessly

  • Build empathy: Understand the student experience so you can provide better support

Why Testing Matters: The #1 cause of student support tickets during housing launch is configuration issues that could have been caught with testing. A single misconfigured applicability tag can prevent hundreds of students from seeing your cycle. A broken form validation can block submissions. Testing catches these issues while you can still fix them.

Session Modules

PLS-7 is organized into six focused testing modules that follow the student housing journey chronologically. Each module includes testing checklists, common issues, and troubleshooting guidance.

PLS-7A: Preparing Your Testing Environment

Set up test student accounts in sandbox, configure your cycle for testing with active date ranges, verify all components are ready, and create your testing plan.

Key topics: Creating test profiles in sandbox without login credentials, setting phase dates for testing, verifying forms and tags, testing checklist preparation

Time: 15 minutes

Go to PLS-7A

PLS-7B: Testing the Application Journey

Navigate the resident portal as a student in sandbox, locate YOUR cycle, complete YOUR application form, and verify that form responses create application records and apply tags correctly.

Key topics: Resident portal login in sandbox, cycle visibility, form completion, validation testing, tag verification, application submission workflow

Time: 15 minutes

Go to PLS-7B

PLS-7C: Testing Roommate Matching

Complete YOUR bio form, browse other students' profiles using YOUR tags, test compatibility filters, form roommate groups, and verify group size limits work correctly.

Key topics: Bio form completion, roommate finder navigation, tag-based filtering, compatibility display, roommate group formation, visibility settings

Time: 10 minutes

Go to PLS-7C

PLS-7D: Testing Room Selection

Browse available inventory in sandbox, test YOUR lottery configuration (if applicable), verify visibility rules control what rooms students see, and complete room selection as individual students and roommate groups.

Key topics: Room browsing, lottery timing, inventory visibility rules, pricing display, group selection workflow, assignment confirmation

Time: 15 minutes

Go to PLS-7D

PLS-7E: Testing Post-Selection Workflows

Sign YOUR documents, select from YOUR meal plans, schedule move-in appointments using YOUR moving groups, verify QR code generation, and test the complete residency dashboard.

Key topics: Document signing workflow, meal plan selection, move-in scheduling, moving group capacity, QR code access, residency dashboard features

Time: 10 minutes

Go to PLS-7E

PLS-7F: Troubleshooting, Iteration & Launch Preparation

Document all issues discovered during testing, make configuration fixes in the admin portal, retest to verify fixes worked, create support documentation, and complete your pre-launch checklist.

Key topics: Issue documentation, configuration fixes, retesting workflow, support team preparation, final pre-launch validation

Time: 20 minutes (plus additional time for fixes and retesting)

Go to PLS-7F

Learning Path

Complete the modules in order to systematically test your entire cycle:

  1. PLS-7A: Preparing Your Testing Environment - Set up test accounts and configure for testing

  2. PLS-7B: Testing the Application Journey - Verify application submission works correctly

  3. PLS-7C: Testing Roommate Matching - Validate bio forms and roommate finder functionality

  4. PLS-7D: Testing Room Selection - Ensure room browsing and selection works as expected

  5. PLS-7E: Testing Post-Selection Workflows - Confirm documents, meal plans, and move-in work properly

  6. PLS-7F: Troubleshooting, Iteration & Launch Preparation - Fix issues and finalize for launch

In a live 45-60 minute training session, we walk through the complete student journey together, identifying common issues and demonstrating the testing methodology. Teams then spend additional time testing independently with multiple test scenarios.

Prerequisites

Before starting PLS-7, you must complete:

  • PLS-3: Introduction to Housing Cycles - Understanding what cycles are and how they organize housing operations

  • PLS-4: Tags & Rulesets - You've created tags and rulesets for YOUR cycle in sandbox

  • PLS-5: Building Forms - You've built application forms and bio forms for YOUR cycle in sandbox

  • PLS-6: Creating YOUR Housing Cycle - Your production cycle is fully configured in sandbox and ready for testing

Cycle Must Be Fully Configured: Before starting PLS-7, ensure you've completed ALL tabs in PLS-6 (A through K). Testing a partially configured cycle wastes time and doesn't validate your actual student experience. If your cycle isn't complete, finish PLS-6 first.

What You'll Need for Testing

Before beginning PLS-7, ensure you have:

  • ✓ YOUR production cycle fully configured in sandbox (all PLS-6 modules complete)

  • ✓ YOUR application form published in sandbox

  • ✓ YOUR bio form published in sandbox (if using roommate matching)

  • ✓ YOUR documents created in sandbox (if using e-signatures)

  • ✓ YOUR tags created and applied to test profiles and inventory in sandbox

  • ✓ YOUR charge codes configured for room pricing in sandbox

  • ✓ YOUR meal plans created in sandbox (if required)

  • ✓ Access to your sandbox environment (typically yourschool.housing.cloud)

  • ✓ Admin access to create test profiles in sandbox

  • ✓ 2-3 hours set aside for thorough testing

Sandbox Testing Environment: All PLS-7 testing happens in your sandbox environment during implementation (typically Month 4, Week 1). Your sandbox is pre-populated with sample data from data migration, and any test data you create during PLS-7 stays in sandbox—it does not migrate to production. This gives you a safe environment to test, experiment, and iterate without any risk to production systems.

Key Takeaways

After completing PLS-7, you'll understand:

  • How to create test student profiles in sandbox for testing purposes

  • How to configure your cycle with testing-friendly date ranges

  • The complete student experience from application through move-in preparation

  • How to navigate the resident portal from a student perspective

  • What students see at each phase of the housing journey

  • Common configuration issues and how to troubleshoot them

  • How to verify that YOUR forms, tags, rulesets, and settings work correctly

  • How to test as both individual students and roommate groups

  • How to document issues for your support team

  • The iteration cycle: test → identify issues → fix → retest

  • How to validate your cycle is ready for real students

  • That sandbox test data stays in sandbox and doesn't migrate to production

Testing Complete = Launch Confidence: After completing PLS-7, you'll have tested every critical workflow in your cycle. You'll know your configuration works, you've documented common issues, and your support team is prepared. You're ready to open your cycle to real students with confidence.

The Testing Methodology

PLS-7 uses an iterative testing approach in your sandbox environment:

1. Test as a Student

Navigate the resident portal using test student accounts in sandbox. Experience each workflow exactly as students will experience it.

2. Identify Issues

Document everything that doesn't work as expected—form errors, missing buttons, confusing messaging, validation problems, workflow dead-ends.

3. Switch to Admin

Log back into the admin portal to investigate and fix the issues you discovered.

4. Make Configuration Fixes

Adjust cycle settings, form configurations, tag assignments, or phase dates based on what you found.

5. Iterate with Test Data

Create additional test students or modify existing test profiles to test different scenarios. Since this is your sandbox environment, test data doesn't need to be deleted—it won't migrate to production.

6. Retest

Log back in as a student and test again to verify your fixes worked.

7. Document for Support

Create notes for your support team about common issues students might encounter and how to resolve them.

Test with Multiple Scenarios: Don't just test the "happy path" of a student who meets all requirements. Test edge cases: students with different tags, students who don't meet applicability requirements, international students, transfer students, students with accommodations. Each scenario reveals different potential issues.

Testing Different Student Scenarios

For comprehensive testing, create test profiles in sandbox that represent different student populations:

Scenario 1: First-Year Student (Happy Path)

  • Has all required applicability tags

  • Meets all cycle requirements

  • Goes through the complete workflow start to finish

  • Tests the "everything works" scenario

Scenario 2: Returning Student with Roommate Group

  • Has different applicability tags than first-years

  • Forms a roommate group with 2-3 other test students

  • Tests group selection workflow

  • Validates roommate matching features

Scenario 3: Student Who Shouldn't See the Cycle

  • Missing required applicability tags

  • Has exclusion tags

  • Should NOT see your cycle in their portal

  • Tests that your eligibility rules work correctly

Scenario 4: Student with Special Requirements

  • Has accessibility tags

  • Requires specific room features

  • Tests that visibility rules show appropriate inventory

  • Validates accommodation workflows

Common Issues You'll Catch During Testing

Based on thousands of implementations, here are the most common issues discovered during PLS-7 testing:

Configuration Issues

  • Applicability tags misconfigured (wrong students see or don't see the cycle)

  • Phase dates in the past or future (students can't access current phase)

  • Forms not published (cycle can't find the form to display)

  • Forms not assigned to cycle (no form appears for students)

  • Documents not assigned to cycle (signature workflow doesn't trigger)

  • Meal plans not assigned to cycle (no meal plan options appear)

Form Issues

  • Required field validation not working

  • Conditional logic creating dead-ends

  • Confusing question wording

  • Missing help text on complex questions

  • File upload size limits not clear

  • Tag mapping not configured (tags don't apply after submission)

Roommate Finder Issues

  • Bio form visibility set to private (no profiles visible)

  • Tag filters not working as expected

  • Compatibility scoring confusing to students

  • Group size limits not enforced correctly

Room Selection Issues

  • Lottery dates not configured correctly

  • Inventory visibility rules too restrictive (no rooms visible)

  • Room pricing not displaying

  • Group selection workflow unclear

  • Re-selection toggle not working as expected

Post-Selection Issues

  • Document merge fields not populating correctly

  • Meal plan defaults not applying

  • Moving group capacity too small

  • QR code not generating

  • Move-in instructions missing

Every Issue is a Learning Opportunity: Finding issues during testing isn't a failure—it's the whole point. Each issue you catch and fix prevents student frustration and support tickets. Document everything you find and share it with your team.

How Testing Differs from PLS-3 (Student Experience Overview)

You may remember PLS-3D, which covered "The Student Experience" conceptually. PLS-7 is different:

PLS-3D (Conceptual Learning):

  • Explored a SAMPLE cycle to understand how cycles work

  • Learned what students see at each phase

  • Understood the housing journey theoretically

  • Didn't test YOUR specific configuration

PLS-7 (Hands-On Testing in Sandbox):

  • Tests YOUR production cycle with YOUR configuration in sandbox

  • Validates YOUR forms, tags, rulesets, and settings work correctly

  • Identifies issues specific to YOUR setup

  • Prepares YOUR team for launch

  • Results in a tested, validated cycle ready for students

  • All testing happens safely in sandbox without affecting production

Pre-Testing Checklist

Before starting PLS-7A, verify you've completed these items from PLS-6 in your sandbox:

  • ☐ Cycle name and display name configured

  • ☐ Residence start and end dates set

  • ☐ External term code entered (if applicable)

  • ☐ Applicability tags configured (And/Or/Exclude)

  • ☐ Application form assigned and published

  • ☐ Ruleset assigned (for resident cycles)

  • ☐ Bio form assigned and published

  • ☐ Application phase dates configured

  • ☐ Roommate phase dates configured

  • ☐ Room selection phase dates configured

  • ☐ Move-in moving groups created

  • ☐ Meal plans assigned to cycle (if required)

  • ☐ Documents assigned to cycle (if using)

  • ☐ Charge codes configured for pricing

  • ☐ Tags created and applied to test profiles

  • ☐ Tags applied to inventory for visibility testing

If any items are incomplete, finish PLS-6 configuration before proceeding with testing.

Post-Testing Deliverables

After completing PLS-7, you should have:

  • ✓ Tested your cycle end-to-end in sandbox with at least 2 different student scenarios

  • ✓ Documented all issues discovered during testing

  • ✓ Fixed all critical issues and retested to verify fixes

  • ✓ Created a troubleshooting guide for your support team

  • ✓ Documented common student questions you anticipate

  • ✓ Completed the final pre-launch checklist (PLS-7F)

  • ✓ Confidence that your cycle is ready for real students in production

What's Next: PLS-8

Now that you've tested YOUR cycle from the student perspective in sandbox and validated it works correctly, you're ready to learn how to operate your cycle day-to-day.

In PLS-8: Managing Applications & Assignments, you'll learn:

  • How to review applications submitted by students

  • How to approve or deny applications based on YOUR criteria

  • How to manually assign students to rooms

  • How to run auto-assignment using YOUR rulesets

  • How to use occupancy reporting for tracking and planning

Why This Progression Works: By the time you reach PLS-8, you've CREATED the forms students fill out (PLS-5), you've CONFIGURED the cycle (PLS-6), and you've TESTED the application process (PLS-7). When you review applications in PLS-8, you'll understand exactly how they were created because you experienced it yourself as a student.

Getting Help

If you encounter issues during testing that you can't resolve:

  • Review specific modules: Each PLS-7 module (A through F) includes detailed troubleshooting guidance

  • Ask your trainer: Bring questions to your live PLS-7 training session

  • Contact your implementation team: Schedule office hours for cycle testing support

  • Submit a support ticket: Include specific details about what you're testing and what isn't working

When contacting support about testing issues, include:

  • Which module you're testing (e.g., "PLS-7B - Application Journey")

  • What workflow you're testing (e.g., "Application submission")

  • What you expected to happen vs. what actually happened

  • Screenshots showing the issue from the student perspective

  • Screenshots of your cycle configuration from the admin portal

  • Test student profile details (tags, status, etc.)

  • Note that you're testing in sandbox environment

Additional Resources