Paper applications are soooo 2000

Now that I've had sufficient time to cool off after this year's batch of interns, it's never too soon to start thinking about preparing for next year. Because of the dramatic increase in applications this past year, it became painfully apparent that we need to update our application procedure to streamline the process.

First and foremost, we need to make as much of the application electronic as possible. When processing the applications currently, it is very time consuming to take their written-out information and type it into our database. If even just their personal and contact information were digitized so that that data could be easily copied and pasted, that would be a significant improvement.

Once the applicants are all entered into the system records, each application is reviewed by the selection committee. Having everything online and accessible by multiple reviewers at once would be advantageous, as you're no longer relying on passing paper around. So, it would be best to also have the short-answer questions, essay, and letters of recommendation sent to us electronically.

Under the current process, once the 24 applicants selected to interview are identified, their complete application packages are scanned one at a time to PDF and sent to the lab directors that will be conducting the interviews, This task is surprisingly tedious and time consuming, as there are staples to remove, combinations of single- and double-sided pages, etc. So to have everything electronic and eliminate this step completely would definitely be an improvement.

One thing we will not be able to handle electronically is official transcripts, so we will still have to scan those individually and match them up with their corresponding applicant. I don't think there is any way around this, but at least we would presumably only have one piece of physical mail for each applicant, as opposed to the 2, 3, 4, 5, sometimes more pieces we collect currently (depending on whether the applicant includes everything at once, or in pieces over time).

So, where does this leave us? In the current application, we provide:

• Cover letter
• Research group descriptions
• Application checklist
• Applicant information - to be filled out and returned with application
• Short answer questions - to be filled out and returned with application

And then we have additional required materials:

• 1 page essay
• Copy of a lab report
• Official transcript
• 2 letters of recommendation

What I plan to do is replace the application package with a website that contains application instructions, including:

• A link to the cover letter and group descriptions 
• A link to download the application checklist (for personal use)
• Instructions on how to:
• Complete an online submission form (replacing the applicant information and short answer questions)
• Email the 1-page essay and lab report
• Have letters of recommendation sent via e-mail
• Have schools mail an official transcript

It will also be explicitly state NOT to ask for confirmation that all materials have been received - if letters or transcripts are missing, applicants will be notified; and if any other materials are missing, applications will not be considered. Although I won't say this on the website, I hope to send out notification emails that the initial submission forms have been received... but it all depends on the volume to applications I receive. If I get as many as I did last year, there's no way I can address every applicant individually like that.

I think that this new process covers all the current bases while making the overall process more efficient. I also hope that this will help cut down on the number of last-minute submissions we receive (though I doubt there is any real solution for that... But at least I won't have lost parents wandering around campus looking to hand-deliver written applications to me). The only real way to find out is to try it, and address any problems as they surface. If you have any thoughts, please feel free to share in the comments! 

Now it's time to get to work creating the online forms and writing clear instructions... Hopefully I can find a decent free online tool that will support my planned approach.