Shortlisting a Closed Round

When an application window closes, every application made during it is waiting in a queue nobody has been told about. Shortlisting is where a co-ordinator sees the whole queue at once, chooses who goes forward, ranks a reserve list and declines everybody else in one step.

Where to find it

Admin Panel → Processes:

Shortlisting — the co-ordinator's console, once granted to their security group

Architect Panel → Forms:

Shortlisting — the same console for architects

You see only rounds on forms whose datastore you can read, and you can act only where you hold Edit Existing on it. Otherwise the page says you can see the round but not act on it.

The list of rounds

Rounds waiting for a decision are listed first. Each shows the placement name and period name, the form, its closing date, the number of places, the number of applications (and how many are still waiting) and its status. Two markers may appear: First come, first served, with places left, and a red Clashes with warning for a round that refuses applications. Press Shortlist on a round that is Ready to shortlist, or Open on any other.

Shortlisting a round

Open the round. The heading gives the placement and period; below it the form, application and placement dates, status, and a line of Places, taken, remaining and applications.
Read the queue. Each row shows the reference and the fields the form collected at stage 1, formatted as people read them, with the Outcome so far.
Tick Shortlist for each applicant to take a place. The count beneath reads how many of the places you have chosen; more than the number of places turns it red and disables the button.
Tick Reserve for applicants to hold back. The order you tick them in is their reserve ranking. Ticking one box clears the other: nobody can be both.
Press Confirm shortlist. A confirmation warns that the shortlisted applications go to their next stage and everyone not shortlisted or in reserve is declined, and that this cannot be undone here.

Shortlisted applications are sent to the stage they would have reached on submission, and that stage's approver is e-mailed. Reserves stay waiting. Everyone else receives the declined e-mail.

After shortlisting

Outcomes read Shortlisted, Reserve with its rank, Not shortlisted, Withdrawn, or Waiting.
A place is freed whenever a shortlisted application is declined, cancelled or timed out later, including by a supervisor from their e-mail link. Its outcome then reads (place released).
Promote a reserve into a free place. While every place is taken it is refused with Decline somebody first to free one.
Close this round when places are filled and reserves are no longer needed. It declines everybody still on the reserve list and marks the round Finished.

If you cannot shortlist

This period is still open, so the queue is not final: the status is still Open. If the closing date has passed, the Close Application Windows task has not run; enable it, or set the status to Ready to shortlist in Application Periods.
No tick boxes: you lack Edit Existing on the form's datastore, or the round has already been shortlisted.
A round you expect is missing: you cannot read its form's datastore.

Held applications

An application that an answer flag is holding is still shortlisted when you choose it, and keeps its place, but its next approver is not told until the hold is released from its progress page. See Answer Flags.

Worked example

A round for an outpatient clinic closes with fourteen applications for four places. The co-ordinator opens Shortlisting the next morning, reads the applicants' year group and statements, ticks four for Shortlist and three for Reserve in order of preference, and confirms. A week later one shortlisted student's parent declines consent. The round shows that place as released, and the co-ordinator presses Promote on Reserve #1, whose parent is e-mailed straight away. Once all four placements are confirmed they press Close this round, and the remaining two reserves are declined.

Recommendations

Shortlist promptly; applicants hear nothing until you do.
Keep a short, ranked reserve list.
Close the round once reserves are no longer needed, so they are not left waiting.
Grant Edit Existing on the application datastore only to those who decide.