This guide covers how external requests work and how to set them up. Tracking request status is in Managing External Requests.
External requests let you gather applicant information from external sources, such as guidance counselors, coaches, or teachers.
Use external requests to:
Collect letters of recommendation or recommendation forms
Collect high school transcripts
Collect more structured responses from any external party
Workflow for external requests
An administrator creates a template and adds it to the application or to an individual scholarship.
The applicant sends the request from the application or individual scholarship.
The external party receives the request by email and opens it through a hyperlink.
The external party completes and submits the request.
Once the external party completes the request:
The applicant can see that the request is complete but can't see the responses.
The applicant receives an email that the request is complete. The email directs the applicant to log in to AwardSpring to complete and submit their application, if necessary.
Reviewers can see the external party's responses on the student's application.
Administrators can see the external party's responses in the Users > Application tab or the Award & Deny tab of an individual scholarship.
Configuration
There are two parts to setting up an external request:
Creating the request template
Adding the request to your application or to an individual scholarship
Creating Templates
Go to Settings > External Requests, then click Create New Request.
Fill out the request details and name the template. The name is visible only to you, so describe the template's purpose for reference.
Decide whether to check Require response before request is considered complete:
Leave the box unchecked so the applicant can submit the request and the application while waiting for the external party to complete the request.
Check the box if the applicant can't submit their application until the request is completed.
Note: The applicant must log in and submit the application after the external party submits the request and before the application deadline.
The Instructions for Applicant field tells the applicant what they need to know to complete the request. At a minimum, it specifies who to send the request to.
The Message from Applicant to Recipient field is optional. This message is included in the email sent to the external party.
Instructions for Recipient appear on the external party's form. Use it to give directions to the external party. After you complete the fields above, click Save Template.
You can then add questions to the request form. These are the questions the external party completes when they open the request. Select from the available question types below the existing questions.
Tip: Use Instructional Text to include sample documents or to provide additional guidance.
Add the external request template to the Application
Go to Application, open the section where you want the request, scroll to Create Question, and select External Request.
Select the template in the Request Template field to insert it into the application:
Add the external request template to a scholarship
Go to Scholarships, open the scholarship, and click the Additional Requirements tab. Click Add Question in the section where you want to add the external request.
Select Insert an External Request Template, then select the template, name the request, and select Add.
Keep in mind:
You can use a template multiple times. If you require two recommendation letters, add your recommendation template twice.
You can make external requests conditional. For example, ask applicants whether they have a recommendation letter to upload, and if not, ask them to send a request.
You can make external requests optional by selecting the Optional checkbox.
You can place external requests in any section and reorder them like other questions. Hover your cursor over the dotted area on the question, then drag and drop.
To track the status of external requests, see Managing External Requests.