OpenApply helps schools manage the admissions journey by organizing individuals into distinct rosters and assigning them predefined statuses. These two elements work together to track a person’s progress—from first enquiry through to graduation—while keeping data cleanly segmented for staff.
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how rosters and statuses function within OpenApply, what each one represents, and how to use them effectively as an admin.
Rosters Overview
When logged in as an admin, you'll find several key rosters listed in the left-hand panel:
Enquiries
Applicants
Students
Families
Alumni
Each person in the system is placed into one of these rosters depending on their current status. Applicants move between rosters as their status changes throughout the admissions and enrollment lifecycle.
Default Applicant Statuses in OpenApply
OpenApply uses a fixed set of system statuses to define each stage of the admissions pipeline. These statuses cannot be removed or expanded, but you may rename them to align with your school’s terminology (e.g., renaming "Admitted" to "Place Offered") at Settings > Admissions > Status & Notification. Renaming only changes the label—it does not affect the functionality or logic behind the status.
Here are the standard statuses:
Pending – The applicant has shown interest but has not submitted a full application.
Applied – The application form has been submitted. The applicant is now in the Applicants roster.
Admitted – A place has been offered by the school, awaiting acceptance from the family.
Declined – The application has been declined due to fit, space, or other considerations.
Wait-listed – The applicant qualifies but has been placed on a waitlist pending availability.
Enrolled – The applicant has accepted the offer and is now considered a student.
Withdrawn – The student has withdrawn before completing the program.
Graduated – The student has completed their education at the school.
📝 Note: The status change from Pending to Applied occurs automatically when an application form is submitted. The status change from Admitted to Enrolled may also occur automatically if your school uses the standard Enrolment form which is a dedicated feature that needs to be enabled upon request. All other status changes—such as Declined, Enrolled, or Withdrawn—must be performed manually by an admin user.
How Statuses Relate to Rosters
Each roster in OpenApply serves a specific role:
Enquiries
Lists individuals who have submitted an enquiry form, booked a tour or event, or begun but not completed the application form.
All contacts with a Pending status appear here.
Applicants
Applicants move to this roster automatically when their status becomes Applied.
The following statuses appear on this roster:
Applied
Admitted
- Declined
Wait-listed
These are applicants who have submitted their application but have not yet enrolled.
Students
Once an applicant accepts an offer and the school considers them a current student, their status should be updated to Enrolled.
The applicant is then moved to the Students roster.
Alumni
Students who graduate or withdraw from the school should be updated to the appropriate status: Graduated or Withdrawn.
These statuses automatically move the individual to the Alumni roster and archive their profile.
Families Roster: Managing Parent Information
While most rosters focus on students and applicants, the Families roster provides an overview of parent contacts, grouped by family.
Each entry in the Families roster shows parent names and includes up to three icons that provide key information:
🔑 Key icon – Indicates the parent’s account has been activated. Parent accounts are activated automatically when created; no manual action is required.
✅ Check icon – Confirms that the parent’s email address has been verified.
✉️ Envelope icon – Shows whether "Receive Notifications" is enabled. If disabled, the parent will not receive any emails or messages sent via OpenApply.
📝 Note: Before sending bulk messages, it is strongly recommended to check whether notifications are enabled for all parent accounts. You can select all parents and click on Enable Notifications to enable it for the parents in bulk. This action does not affect the parents who have already enabled the notifications.
Parent Notification Settings
By default, the "Receive Notifications" setting is enabled for all parents. However, there are a few situations where it may be disabled:
- In forms such as the Register of Interest, application form, or event registration, schools can add a checkbox allowing parents to opt out of receiving notifications. If this checkbox is not included, parents cannot adjust this setting themselves.
- Admins can manually enable or disable notifications via student profile for any parent at any time.
- If parent accounts are created via data import, the notification setting may be disabled by default.
The combination of statuses and rosters in OpenApply provides a clear, logical framework for managing every stage of the admissions and enrollment process. By understanding how applicants move between statuses—and how those statuses determine their placement in various rosters—schools can maintain a well-organized, efficient system.
Keeping a close eye on status changes, notification settings, and parent engagement tools like the Families roster ensures that communication remains effective and no student or family is overlooked during their journey through your school.