October 2025
The NursingCAS Dispatch is a monthly newsletter designed to update you on current happenings involving nursing’s centralized application service. The newsletter features:
- Updates & Events including key features, resources, recruitment opportunities, and reminders
- NursingCAS by the Numbers featuring application statistics and other relevant metrics and data
- CAS Q&A providing answers to some of the most frequently asked questions from school users
 Follow NursingCAS on LinkedIn
NursingCAS is now on LinkedIn! Follow us to stay up to date with all NursingCAS and AACN events as well as the latest NursingCAS application updates, tips on managing application cycles, resources for getting the most out of NursingCAS, and much more. Let’s stay connected!
️ ️ Spread the Word About the Discover Nursing School Virtual Fair
The Discover Nursing School Virtual Fair is approaching quickly on Tuesday, October 14. This event will bring together nursing students of all levels from across the country who are eager to learn more about nursing programs and explore opportunities to further their nursing careers.
AACN encourages all NursingCAS schools to register for the Virtual Fair and share it with their students. Now is the perfect time to promote the event to applicants and current students, including current nurses who are interested in pursuing advanced degrees. We want to see as many students as possible at the Virtual Fair, but we can’t do it without your help. Make sure all students know about the event and the benefits of attending!
 NursingCAS Demo Webinar on November 20
Are any members of your team new to NursingCAS or in need of a refresher? Register now to attend AACN’s NursingCAS Overview: A Demonstration of the Student Application and Admissions Management Portal webinar on Thursday, November 20, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET.
Prospective and current NursingCAS users are encouraged to attend this training session, which will provide a walk-through of the platform and introduce users to best practices and useful tools in WebAdMIT. Unable to attend at this time? Register to receive a copy of the webinar recording.
 Recording Available: Discover Nursing School Virtual Fair Best Practices Webinar
Have you registered for the 2025 Discover Nursing School Virtual Fair? AACN hosted the Discover Nursing School Virtual Fair – Best Practices webinar to provide an overview of everything a participating school needs to do to optimize the virtual fair experience. Review the recording and presentation slides to ensure that your team is ready to go, with topics including:
- An overview of the CareerEco event platform
- Best practices such as how to create a booth agenda, how to get students to visit your booth, and how to host a successful and engaging booth
- Next steps in planning for the event
Recording Available: NursingCAS Student Webinar
AACN held a webinar for prospective NursingCAS applicants, Preparing and Strengthening Your NursingCAS Application, last month. The recording of the webinar is now available. AACN encourages admissions and recruitment teams to review the recording to learn about NursingCAS from the applicant’s perspective. Schools can consider hosting similar webinars to support their applicant pool as well. Please share the recording with your in-progress and prospective applicant pool.
Webinar content includes:
- Detailed overview of the NursingCAS application
- Guidance on requesting transcripts and submitting coursework entry
- Answers to FAQs (application statuses, references, etc.)
- Tips to avoid common mistakes
- Recommendations to ensure quick application processing times
- Resources available for NursingCAS applicants
️ Featured Liaison Academy Course | GEM Horizons: The Persuasive Art of Upward Communication
Are you looking for new approaches to data reporting? Watch the recording of Liaison International’s panel discussion with the Association for Graduate Enrollment Management (NAGAP) as they explore optimal methods in strategic data reporting. Topics include:
- Methods for structuring impactful and strategically aligned upward communication.
- Key data points and narratives that resonate with cabinet-level leaders.
- Practical examples of successful communication approaches.
Create a free account with Liaison Academy and become a NursingCAS super user!
 NursingCAS Applicant Newsletter
The NursingCAS Applicant Newsletter, provided by AACN, is emailed to 160,000+ NursingCAS applicants the third week of every month. This newsletter is for programs affiliated with NursingCAS only. Program submissions are FREE and due on the Friday prior to publication.
Posts must relate to a program’s Open Seats, any Deadline Extensions that have been implemented, or New Programs that have launched in the Application Portal since the previous newsletter.
We recommend including contact information for representatives or links to your website and the NursingCAS application within the announcement. Visit the Newsletter Archive for samples of previous submissions.
Submit an Item to the Applicant Newsletter today!
 NursingCAS Applicant Events Calendar
The NursingCAS Events Calendar allows you to publicize your program’s information sessions, virtual fairs, open houses, and other recruitment events that connect you with potential applicants! Submit an Item to the Events Calendar today!
Annual Fall Lookup Tables
Many fields in the Applicant Portal contain predefined answer values that applicants can select; for example, the Country and County fields both have predefined answer values. These values are housed in shared “lookup tables.” Periodically, these tables are updated to include additional response options.
The new lookup table values include updates to colleges, degrees, languages, and majors. Review the Shared Lookup Table Updates page for a full list of updates. Note that the Master High School List will be updated in the next release.
If you created a “crosswalk” from our portals to your local data in your SIS/CRM, you may need to update this crosswalk for the newly-added options. For guidance on the optimal implementation of the new values, review the Shared Lookup Table Updates page.
Subscribe to WebAdMIT Release Notes
WebAdMIT Release Notes provide a summary of enhancements and new features that are made available in the Applicant Portal, Applicant Gateway, Configuration Portal, Letters by Liaison, and WebAdMIT. Want to receive Release Notes emails? Subscribe here.
Liaison provides monthly updates on new features and enhancements available within the Applicant Portal, Configuration Portal, WebAdMIT, and information on upcoming training opportunities. Please note that these are only a few highlights of Liaison’s recent enhancements. A complete list of recent WebAdMIT Release Notes is available.
 WebAdMIT Sandbox Environment Refresh
Are you utilizing the WebAdMIT Sandbox? If not, you should be! Sandbox is a duplicate test platform useful for testing and training purposes; any actions performed in Sandbox will not affect the live data in production. This tool provides users with a safe, “near-production” environment to test applications and run sample exports, among other actions. The WebAdMIT Sandbox is a copy of the WebAdMIT production environment with sensitive applicant information (such as surnames, email addresses, etc.) obfuscated.
The WebAdMIT Sandbox is refreshed between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. ET every Monday. If Monday is a US or Canadian holiday, deployment is the next business day and includes all system changes from the preceding release. The WebAdMIT Sandbox environment is refreshed with current (cleansed) production data and program configurations. Any test exports, custom fields, etc., in the current Sandbox will be overwritten.
Transcripts & Coursework Settings (2023-2024 Cycle)
During configuration, schools determine which types of transcripts and coursework entry they require from applicants.
With transcript settings, schools may require Official Transcripts (sent directly to NursingCAS by the issuing institution’s registrar’s office and validated by the verification team for authenticity), Unofficial Transcripts (self-uploaded by applicants and not verified), or may choose not to require transcripts at all. NursingCAS also offers the option to create Custom Transcript Sending Instructions, where Applicants can view your custom transcript requirements, such as sending their transcripts directly to your institution or uploading them under the Program Materials section.
In the 2023-2024 NursingCAS cycle:
- 92% of programs required Official Transcripts from applicants
- 4% of programs required Unofficial Transcripts from applicants
- 4% of programs did not require transcripts from applicants
For coursework settings, schools may require that applicants enter All Coursework (where applicants must enter all the coursework they have completed at any college or university attended, allowing NursingCAS to calculate several GPAs for the member institution), only Prerequisite Coursework (where applicants only enter specific coursework they have completed to match your prerequisite course requirements), or No Coursework Entry (where applicants are not required to enter any coursework data).
Of the 2023-2024 cycle programs that required Official Transcripts:
- 52% required All Coursework to be entered
- 16% required Prerequisite Coursework Entry only
- 32% did not require coursework entry
Of the 2023-2024 cycle programs that accepted Unofficial Transcripts:
- 46% required Prerequisite Coursework Entry
- 64% did not require Prerequisite Coursework Entry
The transcript and coursework entry selections you make determine the level of verification performed by the CAS staff. For more information on these processes and how selections can affect an applicant’s final status and verification, please visit the Configure College Transcript Settings resource in the WebAdMIT Help Center.
Q: I’m registered for the Discover Nursing School Virtual Fair. How do I ensure students visit my booth?
A: There are multiple ways your school can ensure maximum participation at your booth:
- Promote the Virtual Fair to Your Network: Make sure everyone knows that your school will be at the Virtual Fair! Promote the event to anyone within your network who would have an interest in attending your booth or who can share it. These include current and prospective students, on-campus organizations, and external organizations that support nursing students.
- Share the Event on Multiple Channels: When promoting the Virtual Fair, go where the students are! Share the Virtual Fair on various channels, including social media, email, newsletters, on-campus flyers, and in-class announcements.
- Showcase Your Special Sessions: Schools are encouraged to offer a special session/workshop to drive attendance to their booth (e.g., Admissions Team FAQ, Current Student Panel, Chat with the Dean). Include these in your outreach to build excitement and send them to us using this form so we can share them as well.
- Outreach to Virtual Fair Registrants: Schools participating in the fair have access to all registered students’ contact information. Reach out to them leading up to the event to invite them to your booth. To access registrants’ information:
- Log in to CareerEco
- Select Reports from the menu at the top of the screen
- Select Candidate under the header labeled Candidate Report
- Download this list by clicking Run Report next to the October 14, 2025 event
 Support for WebAdMIT School Users
As always, the dedicated WebAdMIT Client Support Specialist Team is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET to assist with questions about WebAdMIT features. The team can be reached at (857) 304-2020 or webadmitsupport@liaisonedu.com. Training is also available via webinars, on-demand courses, and the Liaison Academy. Please visit the WebAdMIT Help Center for further information.
Make sure to sign up to receive important notices through the Liaison CAS Status page for updates on future CAS and WebAdMIT outages.
If you have any questions, please contact Taylor Jaczko, AACN’s Director of Application Services, at tjaczko@aacnnursing.org. |