Admissions in openSIS helps institutions manage the prospective student lifecycle, from application submission through review, decision, and enrollment. This workflow may include application form setup, applicant data collection, application review, process steps, application fees, automated communication, and final conversion into a student record.
This article explains the key admissions terms users may come across while working with applications, applicants, application forms, applicant statuses, enrollment-related actions, and admissions communication in openSIS.
Admissions refers to the process of accepting new students into the institution.
In openSIS, admissions may include application form setup, applicant data collection, application review, payment of application fees, process step completion, applicant communication, and enrollment of approved applicants as students.
The Admissions Module is the openSIS module that manages the full prospective student lifecycle.
It helps administrators review applications, process applicants through defined workflow steps, communicate with applicants, and convert accepted applicants into enrolled student records.
The admissions workflow usually follows:
Applicant Submission → Application Review → Decision → Student Enrollment → Student Record Creation
An Applicant is a prospective student who has applied for admission but has not yet become an enrolled student.
Applicant records are usually created when an application form is submitted or when admissions data is entered by an administrator.
Each applicant may have a profile showing submitted data, Application ID, current status, assigned staff member, tags, documents, payment information, and review details.
An Application is the submitted request for admission to the institution.
It may include personal details, academic information, parent or guardian details, uploaded documents, selected program, payment details, and other required information.
An Application ID is the unique identifier assigned to an application or applicant record.
It helps administrators track the application throughout the admissions process.
An Application Form is the form used to collect applicant information.
Institutions may configure application forms based on the data they need from applicants during the admissions process.
Application forms may include multiple pages, required fields, custom fields, document uploads, payment-related fields, and conditional logic depending on the institution’s setup.
The Application Form Builder is the tool used to create and configure application forms.
Administrators use it to decide what information applicants must provide, how the form is structured, which fields are required, and whether any conditional logic should be applied.
Once an application form is published, openSIS may generate a public URL that can be shared or linked from the institution’s website.
A Published Application Form is an application form that is available for applicants to complete and submit.
Once published, the form can be used to collect applicant information for the admissions process.
A Public Application URL is the web link generated for a published application form.
Institutions may place this link on their website or share it with prospective students so they can submit applications online.
Conditional Logic is a feature that changes form behavior based on the applicant’s responses.
Administrators may configure rules to show or hide fields, skip or hide pages, or update field values based on what the applicant enters.
This helps keep the application form focused and avoids showing irrelevant questions to applicants.
A Submitted Application is an application that has been completed and sent for review.
Once submitted, the application may be reviewed by the admissions or administrative team.
An Applicant Profile is the record that stores information about an applicant.
It may include application details, personal information, parent or guardian details, documents, payment status, application status, review notes, assigned staff, tags, and communication history.
Applicant Status shows the current stage of a prospective student’s application within the admissions workflow.
When applicant data is first received, the status may begin as Applied or Submitted. As the application is reviewed, the status may move through different stages.
Examples:
Applied, Submitted, Under Review, Accepted, Waitlisted, Rejected, Enrolled.
Applicant status helps administrators track where each applicant stands in the admissions process.
Application Status shows the current stage or condition of an application.
Common statuses may include submitted, pending review, approved, rejected, cancelled, withdrawn, waitlisted, accepted, or enrolled, depending on the institution’s workflow.
A Pending Application is an application that has been submitted but has not yet been fully reviewed or finalized.
Under Review means the application is being reviewed by the admissions or administrative team.
The applicant may still need document verification, interview completion, fee payment confirmation, or other required process steps.
An Approved Application is an application accepted by the institution.
After approval, the applicant may be moved forward to enrollment and converted into a student record.
An Accepted Application is an application that has been accepted for admission.
Depending on the institution’s workflow, acceptance may come before final enrollment.
A Waitlisted Application is an application that has not been rejected but is not yet accepted for enrollment.
The applicant may be considered later if space becomes available or if the institution decides to move the applicant forward.
A Rejected Application is an application that has been reviewed but not accepted by the institution.
Rejected applications may remain in the system for reference and admissions history.
A Cancelled Application is an application that has been stopped or cancelled by an administrator or institution.
Cancellation may happen when an applicant no longer continues with the admission process or when the institution decides not to proceed with the application.
A Withdrawn Application is an application that the applicant chooses not to continue.
This may happen if the applicant decides not to join the institution after submitting the application.
Process Steps are defined review steps or decision checkpoints that administrators complete before enrolling an applicant.
Each process step represents an action that may be required in the admissions workflow.
Examples:
Document verification, interview, fee payment confirmation, academic review, approval checklist, or final decision.
All required process steps may need to be completed before the applicant can be enrolled.
Enrollment Status is the final outcome designation set on an applicant’s record at the end of the admissions process.
When the Enrollment Status is set to Enrolled, the applicant can be converted into a student record. During this step, the administrator may need to select a grade level and enter an enrollment date.
Enrollment means adding an approved or accepted applicant as a student in the institution.
Once enrolled, the applicant becomes a student and can be connected to school year, grade level, program, schedule, attendance, grades, billing, portal access, and other student workflows.
Enroll Applicant is the action of converting an approved or accepted applicant into a student record.
This step connects admissions data with the student information system.
A Student Record is created or updated when an applicant is enrolled as a student.
It stores student-related information such as profile details, enrollment information, academic records, contacts, documents, and system access details.
Student 360 is an option or record context that can link the original application data to the student’s master record after enrollment.
When enabled or available, administrators can view the applicant’s original submitted information from within the student record. This helps provide a complete history from first application through active enrollment.
New Enrollment refers to adding a new student into openSIS for the selected school year or academic structure.
A new enrollment may come from admissions, manual entry, or import.
Manual Entry means creating or updating applicant or student information directly inside openSIS.
Administrators may use manual entry when they need to add records one at a time.
An Imported Applicant is an applicant record added into openSIS through an import process.
This is useful when the institution has applicant data available in a file or external source.
An Imported Student is a student record created through an import process instead of manual entry.
Student import helps institutions add multiple student records efficiently.
Admission Year refers to the academic year in which the applicant is applying or being admitted.
This helps institutions organize applications by intake year or academic cycle.
A Program is an academic path, course of study, or institutional grouping selected during the application or enrollment process.
Examples:
High School Program, Undergraduate Program, Nursing Program, Business Administration.
A Grade Level represents the academic level the applicant or student is applying for or entering.
Examples:
Grade 1, Grade 9, Freshman, Undergraduate Year 1.
A Required Field is a field that must be completed before an application can be submitted.
Required fields help institutions collect essential information from applicants.
A Custom Field is an additional field created by the institution to collect information not available in the default form or profile.
Custom fields help schools collect institution-specific applicant or student data.
A Supporting Document is a file uploaded as part of the admissions process.
Examples:
Birth certificate, previous school transcript, identification document, recommendation letter, medical document.
Document Upload is the process of attaching files to an application or applicant profile.
Uploaded documents help the admissions team verify applicant information.
Review Notes are internal notes added during the application review process.
Admissions or administrative users may use review notes to record observations, pending items, decisions, or follow-up requirements.
Assigned Staff refers to the staff member responsible for reviewing or processing an applicant’s case.
This helps institutions organize admissions workload and track responsibility for applicant follow-up.
An Applicant Tag is a label or marker used to categorize and filter applicant records.
Tags may help admissions teams identify priority applicants, program interest, missing documents, special review needs, or other applicant groupings.
An Application Fee is the amount charged during the application process.
Institutions may collect application fees before reviewing or processing an application, depending on their admissions policy.
Application Fee Payment refers to the payment made by an applicant for submitting or processing an application.
The payment may be collected through a configured payment gateway if online payments are enabled.
An Application Fee Refund is the return of an application fee amount to the applicant.
In openSIS, refunds may be handled when an applicant withdraws an application or when an administrator cancels the application form, depending on the institution’s policy and payment setup.
A Payment Gateway is an external service used to process online payments.
In admissions, payment gateways may be used to collect application fees or subscription-related payments during application submission.
Subscription from Application Form refers to a workflow where an applicant can select and pay for a subscription plan during the application process.
When enabled, the system can trigger subscription-related actions after the application is submitted, based on the institution’s configuration.
Applicant Email Messages are automated email notifications configured for the admissions process.
They may be sent to applicants at different stages of the application lifecycle.
Examples:
Application received, under review, accepted, rejected, waitlisted, enrolled.
These messages help institutions keep applicants informed as their application status changes.
An Application Notification is an alert or message related to an application event.
Notifications may inform administrators, applicants, or other users about submitted applications, status changes, payment updates, missing documents, or required actions.
Application Review is the process of checking submitted applicant information, documents, payments, eligibility, and process steps before making a decision.
An Admissions Decision is the outcome of reviewing an application.
Examples:
Accepted, rejected, waitlisted, cancelled, withdrawn, or enrolled.
An Archived Applicant is an applicant record retained for history after the admissions process is completed.
Once an applicant is enrolled, the applicant record may be archived and should not be reprocessed as a new application.
Admissions terms help users understand how openSIS handles applicants before they become students. Clear understanding of application forms, applicant statuses, process steps, fees, documents, approvals, email messages, and enrollment helps institutions manage admissions more accurately and maintain a clean transition from applicant to student.
These terms also help users follow the admissions workflow without confusing applicant records with enrolled student records.