Gateway to Prep is an online platform that streamlines the application process for private boarding and day schools. It serves as a centralized hub where students can manage their applications to multiple schools simultaneously.

Gateway to Prep has an automated process that generates application data and associated documents to a SFTP server. The Slate automated process retrieves the files daily and they are then imported using standard source formats in Slate.

Step 1: Creating a Gateway ID field

Go to Database → Fields. If your institution already receives data from Gateway to Prep, you likely have an application-scoped field representing the Gateway to Prep ID here. If you find this field, move on to step 2.

If you don’t have this field:

1. Select New Field.

2. Configure the following settings:

   • Status: Active

   • Scope Category: Records

   • Scope: Application

   • ID: gatewaytoprep_id

   • Name: Gateway to Prep ID

   • Folder: Keep fields organized by placing them in a folder. To create a new folder, select Other and enter a name.

   • Category: Select or create an optional field category.

   • Field Type: Free Text

   • Unique for Merging: Value contains a unique ID which identifies a single record for merging.

3. Select Save.

4. Select the link in the sidebar to force refresh the fields cache.

   

Step 2: Adding the Gateway to Prep source formats

You must add two source formats to your database:

• GatewayToPrepCandidateProfile

• GatewayToPrepMaterials

The GatewayToPrepCandidateProfile source format

To add the GatewayToPrepCandidateProfile source format:

1. Go to Database → Source Format Library.

2. Enter GatewayToPrepCandidateProfile in the search bar.

3. Select Add.

🔔 Do not change the source format’s name or format settings. Notes and internal name can be edited.

You cannot map fields until you receive or manually upload a file from ApplicationsOnline.

The GatewayToPrepMaterials source format

To add the GatewayToPrepMaterials source format:

1. Go to Database → Source Format Library.

2. Enter GatewayToPrepMaterialsin the search bar.

3. Select Add.

ApplicationsOnline generates PDF files associated with the applications delivered in the data files.

These files are associated with Slate records using unique IDs that come in through the GatewaytoPrepCandidateProfile source format. You must configure these files as Slate materials.

Step 3:  Remapping the Gateway to Prep Source Formats

GatewaytoPrepCandidateProfile

To map the application-scoped unique ID created in step 1:

1. Go to Database → Source Formats.

2. Select GatewaytoPrepCandidateProfile.

3. Select Edit Mappings.

4. Map the A_ID source field to the Gateway to Prep ID created earlier or to the app ID.

5. Set the Destination to Application Fields / App: Other – Gateway to Prep ID.
   

6. Select Save.

7. Review the additional field value mappings and add/update the mappings as necessary.

8. Review Field Fusions, Prompt Value Mappings and Static Mappings to update/add additional mappings.

📝 To create application records when the GatewaytoPrepCandidate source format is processed, you must map an App: Round.

GatewaytoPrepMaterials

The GatewaytoPrep Materials Source Format does not contain data points to map. This source format is only used as a translation table to match incoming document types with material types in Slate.

Step 4: Setting up value mappings

Specify the material destination value in Slate for the types of GatewaytoPrep PDFs.

Set up your GatewaytoPrep materials in a one-to-one relationship with a distinct material type in Slate. The GatewaytoPrep materials are mapped to a Person/Application scoped material in Slate.

1. Go to Prompt Value Mappings page.

2. Map the Material Source Format to the Slate material type that should be used to store each of the Gateway to Prep document types.

3. Select Material.

4. For each Gateway to Prep document type, select the Slate material type as which you want to store the document type.
   

5. Select Save.

📝 Only document types that have been mapped to a valid Slate material type will be imported.

PDFs associated with unmapped document types will remain in the SFTP directory until they are mapped (and imported) or purged.

Step 5: Testing the GatewaytoPrep source format

To test importing application data:

1. Complete the remap configurations in your production environment.

2. Refresh your test environment.

3. Activate the source format’s remap settings in the test environment.

4. Confirm that the behavior of the import matches what you expect.

Repeat as necessary until you are satisfied with the configuration of the remap settings.

Step 6: Activating the source format

Once you’ve finished testing remap configurations, you can activate the source format in your production database:

1. Go to the GatewaytoPrepCandidate source format.

2. Select Edit.

3. Set the Remap Active flag to Active.

4. Select Save.

Data for existing files uploaded on or after the Remap As Of Date that are Awaiting Import are imported using the remap settings you’ve configured.