OGSAS Graduate Admissions Assistant's Guide

Beginning late 2007, the School of Computer Science started deploying the Online Graduate Student Admissions System (OGSAS). In the first phase of deployment, OGSAS is responsible for capturing the following:

  • Application data stored in Quest that was submitted by the applicant to the OUAC.
  • Supplementary information submitted to the School by the applicant through OGSAS.
  • Reference information submitted to the School by referees through OGSAS.

To use OGSAS, you need your UWDir credentials (and obviously be authorized to use it).

Contents

Tracking Documents in OGSAS

Whenever you get paper documents related to an application, you'll either need to scan it for storage in OGSAS, or tell OGSAS that you have received paper. The first thing to do is find the student:

You'll be presented with a page containing summary information of the applicant and current application. You want to see the checklist of required documents, so click on Checklist.

On the Checklist screen, the first link you'll see is Download PDF Application Package. This link is to be used to download and print the application package, usually for initial review and/or circulation, once the package is complete. Remember to change the status of the application as appropriate (see the section on Tracking Applications, later in this document).

There are five types of documents:

  • Application Documents
  • Transcripts and Diplomas
  • Test Reports
  • Supplementary Information
  • Referees

Application Documents

Signed Application Printout

This is the summary of the application information submitted to the OUAC that was printed and signed by the applicant. It is always required. Scan the document using the four character code as the filename using the scanning instructions found later in this document.

Proof of Immigration Status

If the applicant is a Canadian citizen, change the "Actions" drop-down menu to Not Required, then click on "Update Checklist!". Otherwise, you will need to scan the document using the four character code as the filename using the scanning instructions found later in this document.

Filemaker Application Header

In the early stages of OGSAS, Filemaker is used to generate the header sheet (for the paper application), as well as the course summary that's part of the applicant's supplementary information. Importing a pdf generated by Filemaker is likely one of the last things you'll to make the application package complete for downloading and printing. Do the following to upload this document to OGSAS:

  • Open the Filemaker application and, using your CS e-mail/domain credentials, load the ogsas database from the server scsfm1.cs.
  • From the Scripts menu, select Refresh Data.
  • Go to the Header Sheet layout, and search for the desired application.
  • Print the 2 page document to pdf (name it whatever you want for the next step)
  • At the bottom of the checklist screen for the application in OGSAS, browse for the file you saved in the previous step, and click Upload Header!.

You should see the status for "Filemaker Application Header" change to Scanned. Note that OGSAS treats the file as a "scanned document" even though it really isn't.

Transcripts, Diplomas and Test Reports

If a particular document is required, then scan the document using the four character code as the filename using the scanning instructions found later in this document. If a particular document is not required or should be waived, then indicate so using the drop down menu and click the Update Checklist! button.

The criteria for determining what documents should be required (or not) or waived is beyond the scope of this document.

Supplementary Information

Supplementary information is normally provided using on online form, directly by the applicant . OGSAS will initially show the form with a status of Created, with an X in the "Missing" column of the checklist. Other states that the form can be in are:

  • Accessed: The applicant visited the form, but has not submitted any information.
  • Submitted: The applicant has submitted some information, but has not completed it.
  • Completed: The applicant has completed the form.

For many applications submitted in December 2007, many applicants submitted supplementary forms on paper. In this case, you can put a check in the box labeled To be Scanned, then click Update Checklist!. You will then be able to scan the submitted supplementary information form(s).

Referees

References are normally provided online, directly by the referees. For references, OGSAS will initially show a status of Created, with an X in the "Missing" column of the checklist. Other states that a reference can be in are:

  • Accessed: The referee visited the form, but has not submitted any information.
  • Submitted: The referee has submitted some information, but has not completed it.
  • Completed: The referee has completed the reference form.

When a reference is complete, you can perform two actions on it. When the signed reference form is received, you need to indicate so by checking the Received box and clicking on Update Checklist!. If you discover the reference form needs to be re-done for whatever reason being Completed, check the Re-open box and click on Update Checklist!

For many applications submitted in December of 2007, or where referees are unwilling or unable to submit reference information electronically, you can put a check in the box labeled To be Scanned, then click Update Checklist!. You will then be able to scan the submitted reference letter.

Scanning Documents in OGSAS

  • Look up the applicant's record in OGSAS, and go to the checklist page.
  • The checklist page will show all expected documents for that applicant, with a short random code next to each one.
  • Place the document in the feeder.
  • Indicate that a grad admissions document is being scanned, and whether ADF or flatbed source (ADF is Automatic Document Feeder, and can do simultaneous duplex - blank pages are discarded).
    • The scanner "buttons" are now configured as:
      • button number 1 - UW-adf profile
      • button number 2 - UW-flatbed profile
      • button number 3 - UW-Offers profile
  • Push the appropriate button on the scanner, or click on the profile in HP Smart Document Scanner, to initiate the scan. When the scan is complete, the coordinator will be prompted for a filename.
  • Use the short code to name the file.
  • Click on the Update Checklist! button to import whatever scans that you have saved.

Tracking Applications using OGSAS

You can use OGSAS to track an application from the time it arrives to the point where an admissions decision is made. Applications can have two initial states in OGSAS:

  • Old: The application pre-dates the deployment of OGSAS.
  • New: The application was just imported from Quest.

Other states that can be assigned include:

  • Hold: The application is waiting for all supporting documentation to be submitted.
  • Initial Review: The application is being reviewed by the Director of Admissions
  • Circulate: The application is being reviewed by faculty.
  • Acceptance Pending: A faculty member has expressed interest in an applicant.
  • Initial Offer: The School has made an offer to the applicant.
  • Offer Declined: The applicant has declined the School's initial offer.
  • Offer Accepted: The applicant has accepted our initial offer.
  • Acceptance Recommended: The required forms have been sent to GSO for the official offer to be made.

You can change the status using the Update Status! section of the checklist page of an application. You can list a summary of applications for a given admissions term, and status, using the form located at https://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/grad/ogsas/app/list/.

-- JasonTestart - 19 Dec 2007

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Topic revision: r8 - 2011-09-13 - IsaacMorland
 
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