You’ve built your application; you’ve tested it; you’ve tested your decision release process. Now, you’ll build out your integrations. We cover here the most common integration: getting Slate to communicate bidirectionally with your student information system.

Beyond your SIS, we have an ever-growing list of standard source formats that you can add to your database to quickly stand up integrations to application sources like the Common App, test score providers, credential verification services, and much more.

If you don’t see your preferred service in our source format library, don’t fret: you can create your own custom source formats that do all the same things that ours do.

Sending data to your SIS

In Slate, data exports are created with queries. Export flat files via SFTP to external systems. Flat files such as CSV or Tab Delimited can generally be managed by admissions operations staff.

✨ Combine or transform exported data to meet any system’s requirements with subquery exports.

▶️ Action item

To make these queries, follow along with the data export overview article. Then, work through the rest of the data export section.

📖 Further Reading: Scheduling exports

Managing recurring imports with source formats and Upload Dataset

Slate processes all incoming data, including your SIS, through Upload Dataset.

Regular and ongoing imports can be brought in using standard or custom source formats, which can be found in Database → Sources/Upload Dataset → File Format-Predefined Formats.

The source format library

Slate has standard source formats which are pre-built import templates for many common files such as the Common App, GradCAS, SAT and GRE.

Find the complete list of standard source formats in Database → Source Format Library.

📖 Further Reading: The source format library

Custom source formats

If a standard source format does not exist, a custom source format can be created.

📖 Further Reading: Creating a custom source format

Web services

While we recommend flat file integrations automated using SFTP, Slate also supports web service integrations.

📖 Further Reading: Web services

Managing document imports with Batch Acquire

We’ve already touched on importing materials, like recommendations and transcripts, as part of your application.

Beyond your application, Slate can process and manipulate documents like PDFs, image files, and Word files that have been scanned using a scanner uploaded directly from a hard drive.

You can do this with the purpose-built Batch Acquire tool, or you can create a custom Document Import Processor source format.

📖 Further Reading: Importing documents

Managing duplicate records

Once records are being created in your Slate system by forms or through an incoming data feed, you'll likely end up with duplicate records. You can manage duplicate records using the Consolidate Records tool.

Familiarize yourself with this functionality before go-live and establish staff protocol for maintenance.

📖 Further Reading: Consolidate Records

Setting up payments

If you’ll be collecting payments, like application fees or enrollment deposits, you can do so with Slate Payments or with a third-party provider.

▶️ Action item

If you’re using Slate Payments, configure payment accounts as necessary.

📖 Further Reading: Payments

Next up: Reporting and wrap-up

You’re almost done! Last but not least: creating the reports that make all of the preceding data visible and actionable.

➡️ Next: Step 6: Reporting and wrap-up