📚 Part of the series Application Building Phase I: Core components

So far in this section, you’ve created:

• Application periods and rounds

• Application-scoped fields

• Application materials

While you haven’t yet created a Slate-hosted application, you’ve created most of the basic data structures in Slate that are required to import applications and test scores from external sources.

That makes now a logical time to configure your database to receive these applications and scores.

How Slate imports external applications and test scores

When data enters your database, it often does so via Upload Dataset, the primary Slate tool for the intake of outside data.

To automate Upload Dataset, we use source formats, which interpret the outside data in a consistent way and route its information to fields in your database.

Many of the standard third-party integration sources have source formats in Slate, which can be added from the Source Format Library.

Adding and configuring application source formats

1. Search the Source Format Library for your application and test score sources.

2. Add each of the application sources you accept and plan to import into your database.

3. For each application or test score source you’ve added, explore the Application Sources and Test Scores documentation to configure the source formats.

Creating custom source formats

If you don’t see one of the applications you accept in the list of standard source formats, you can create your own custom source format. Custom source formats import application and test score data the same way standard source formats do.

➡️ Follow steps to create a custom source format.

➡️ Up next: Collecting application fees

You’ve configured source formats for the application and test score sources you plan to bring into Slate. There’s one last step to complete before you build the application: configuring your database to process payments associated with the application.

📚 Next article in this series: Collecting application fees