# How college admissions works, from application to decision

> A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv21y5k3000mif06l8j67uwt
> It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data.

## Summary

- 12 steps across 1 layer
- Persona: Student, High school, Admissions office, Financial aid office

## Pain points

Where this process hurts, worst first:

- **Choose a school and pay the deposit** (How college admissions works, from application to decision; painful): Net cost often differs a lot from the listed price

## How to read this file

- A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps.
- **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step.
- Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`.

## How college admissions works, from application to decision

Lanes:
- Student: person / role (id `student`)
- High school: person / role (id `school`)
- Admissions office: person / role (id `office`)
- Financial aid office: person / role (id `aid`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **Build a list of schools** [start; Student; id `a1`]
   - then Send transcripts and recommendation letters
2. **Send transcripts and recommendation letters** [task; High school; id `a2`]
   - then Write essays and fill out the application
3. **Write essays and fill out the application** [task; Student; id `a3`]
   - then File the financial aid forms
4. **File the financial aid forms** [task; Financial aid office; id `a4`]
   - then Read each application
5. **Read each application** [task; Admissions office; id `a5`]
   - then Committee votes
6. **Committee votes** [task; Admissions office; id `a6`]
   - then Decision: admit, deny or waitlist
7. **Decision: admit, deny or waitlist** [task; Admissions office; id `a7`]
   - then Compare offers and aid packages
8. **Compare offers and aid packages** [task; Student; id `a8`]
   - then Choose a school and pay the deposit
9. **Choose a school and pay the deposit** [task; Student; id `a9`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (painful): Net cost often differs a lot from the listed price
   - then Is the deposit paid by the deadline?
10. **Is the deposit paid by the deadline?** [decision; Student; id `a10`]
   - if "Yes" go to Seat is held for fall; if "No" go to The offer goes to someone on the waitlist
11. **Seat is held for fall** [end; Admissions office; id `a11`]
12. **The offer goes to someone on the waitlist** [end; Admissions office; id `a9a`]

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_student["Student"]
    n_a1(["Build a list of schools"])
    n_a3["Write essays and fill out the application"]
    n_a8["Compare offers and aid packages"]
    n_a9["Choose a school and pay the deposit"]
    n_a10{"Is the deposit paid by the deadline?"}
  end
  subgraph l_school["High school"]
    n_a2["Send transcripts and recommendation letters"]
  end
  subgraph l_office["Admissions office"]
    n_a5["Read each application"]
    n_a6["Committee votes"]
    n_a7["Decision: admit, deny or waitlist"]
    n_a9a(["The offer goes to someone on the waitlist"])
    n_a11(["Seat is held for fall"])
  end
  subgraph l_aid["Financial aid office"]
    n_a4["File the financial aid forms"]
  end
  n_a1 --> n_a2
  n_a2 --> n_a3
  n_a3 --> n_a4
  n_a4 --> n_a5
  n_a5 --> n_a6
  n_a6 --> n_a7
  n_a7 --> n_a8
  n_a8 --> n_a9
  n_a9 --> n_a10
  n_a10 -->|"Yes"| n_a11
  n_a10 -->|"No"| n_a9a
```

## Full data (JSON)

```json
{
  "title": "How college admissions works, from application to decision",
  "maps": {
    "m_root": {
      "id": "m_root",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "student",
          "name": "Student",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "school",
          "name": "High school",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "office",
          "name": "Admissions office",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "aid",
          "name": "Financial aid office",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "a1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "student",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Build a list of schools"
        },
        {
          "id": "a2",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "school",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a3"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Send transcripts and recommendation letters"
        },
        {
          "id": "a3",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "student",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a4"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Write essays and fill out the application"
        },
        {
          "id": "a4",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "aid",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a5"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "File the financial aid forms"
        },
        {
          "id": "a5",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "office",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a6"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Read each application"
        },
        {
          "id": "a6",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "office",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a7"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Committee votes"
        },
        {
          "id": "a7",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "office",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a8"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Decision: admit, deny or waitlist"
        },
        {
          "id": "a8",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "student",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a9"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Compare offers and aid packages"
        },
        {
          "id": "a9",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "student",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a10"
            }
          ],
          "pain": {
            "note": "Net cost often differs a lot from the listed price",
            "level": 2
          },
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Choose a school and pay the deposit"
        },
        {
          "id": "a10",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "student",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a11",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "a9a",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Is the deposit paid by the deadline?"
        },
        {
          "id": "a9a",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "office",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The offer goes to someone on the waitlist"
        },
        {
          "id": "a11",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "office",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Seat is held for fall"
        }
      ],
      "title": "How college admissions works, from application to decision",
      "parent": null
    }
  }
}
```