Applying to Graduate School? Look on the Web

Prospective graduate students may now apply to UC Davis via the World Wide Web, thanks to a new online application. The application, which became available to the public on Monday, Jan. 6, is the joint project of the Offices of Graduate Studies, Student Affairs and Information Technology, as part of the Banner Web for Student software implementation.

Banner Web for Students, an expansion of the Banner Student Information System, will allow many student services to be offered via the World Wide Web. The first of these, the online graduate application, makes it possible for prospective students to transmit applications almost instantaneously. And the program immediately loads the applicants' data into the Student Information System.

Susan Morin, an administrative analyst and Banner representative for Graduate Studies, says the system will reduce the costs of data entry, postage and printing. In addition, the Web offers a versatility that paper doesn't: "It's constantly evolving. Paper applications are printed out for the year," she says. While changes to a Web site can be made in a matter of minutes, adjustments to paper publications are rarely possible.

The project was a group effort, and took just four months to complete. Personnel from Graduate Studies, Student Affairs, and Information Technology took part, including senior programmer Ken Komoto and Web specialists Tom Arons and Steve Faith of Information Technology's Distributed Computing and Analysis and Support (DCAS).

"Ken Komoto spent several months customizing the software according to our student information system structure," says Sandra Stewart, Computer Resource Manager for Information Resources, who served as project manager.

Security methods used to safeguard information transmitted by applicants include the user ID and password required to access the system, and encryption methods that mask information from potential hackers.

The application fee, letters of recommendation, and transcripts all must be sent by U.S. Mail. Graduate Studies' long-term goal is to have all materials, including transcripts and letters of recommendation, to be submitted electronically. Future plans also call for enabling graduate programs to review application materials electronically when the graphical interface to Banner is implemented in Fall 1997.

"This application lets the world know that UC Davis is on the cutting edge of technology," says Morin. "There are a lot of large institutions that don't have an application on the Web yet. It makes us visible and allows potential students to communicate with us very quickly."

Applicants can send e-mail by pointing and clicking on the names of graduate program liaisons or pose technical questions by clicking on Morin's address. Eventually all the graduate program offices with Web sites will be linked to the application's instruction page, Morin explains, making information even more accessible to potential students. As of Feb. 3, 1997, 89 online applications had been completed, including 44 international applications.