Setting Up Priority Groups for App & Lottery

This feature allows users to set up groups of applicants with different priority levels, ensuring that each group is processed in order before running the general lottery. Users can filter applicants or manually select them for each priority group.

Table of Contents

• Accessing Lottery Settings
• Creating a New Priority Group
• Applying Filters
• Manual Group Enrollment (Optional)
• Explanation of Overflow and Group Size Options
• Running the Lottery
• Best Practices and Tips

Accessing Lottery Settings

• Navigate to Admin > Application & Lottery > Lottery Settings. 
  

Creating a New Priority Group

Once you are in the Lottery Settings, you can create priority groups to effectively organize and manage the lottery process. If you are overseeing multiple programs, you will need to set up these groups individually for each program. 

• Click "Edit" icon on your desired program: 
  
• Click on "Add New Priority Group" to start the process of creating your first group. You will find this option located at the bottom of the screen. You can create additional priority groups by following the same steps outlined.
• Please provide a suitable name for your priority group.
  

Assigning a Priority Level

• For each group, assign a priority level. The system will process groups in the order of their priority level, with 1 being the highest priority. 
  

Applying Filters

• Apply filters to determine which applicants will be included in the priority group. For example, you might filter based on grade priority, proximity to the school, or specific program needs.
• To apply filters, click on "edit": 
  
• Upon clicking the edit icon, you will be directed to the settings page for that priority group. In this section, please click on the "Add Filter" option to add a filter.
  
• In the "Add Filter" section, you will be prompted to select a filter based on the fields available in your enrollment form or the data collected through imports. Choose the appropriate field for your filter and click "Save." If you select the grade level as a filter, an additional option will appear below, allowing you to specify an operator and the specific grade level.
  

Manual Group Enrollment (Optional)

• If you have specific students assigned to this priority group and wish to add them manually, you can do so in the Manual Group Enrollment section.
• Click on "Add Manual Group Enrollments":
  

Explanation of Overflow and Group Size Options

• Max Group Size (Optional)

  • The Max Group Size setting allows users to specify how many applicants can be selected from a particular group during the lottery process. This does not limit how many applicants can be placed in the group but rather sets a cap on how many winners can be chosen from it.

  • Example: If a group contains 100 applicants and the max group size is set to 50, only 50 winners will be selected from that group during the lottery.

  • Once the maximum number of winners has been selected, the remaining applicants are considered “overflow,” which leads to the next two settings.

  Push Overflow to Next Group

  • If this option is enabled, any remaining applicants (those not selected due to reaching the maximum group size) will automatically be moved into the next priority group before it runs in the lottery.

  Pull Overflow from Previous Group

  • This option allows the current group to pull any overflow applicants from the previous group, ensuring they are considered in the lottery before the general pool.

  • If neither of these options is enabled, the overflow applicants will remain in a separate pool and be processed with the general lottery after all priority groups have been run.

Running the Lottery

Once all the priority groups are set up, you can run the lottery.

Running Each Priority Group in Succession

• The lottery will automatically process each priority group in the order of their assigned priority level. Each group will be processed before the general lottery.

Running the General Lottery

• After all priority groups are processed, the general lottery will run, including all remaining applicants who do not meet the criteria for any priority group.

Best Practices and Tips

• Plan your Priority Groups carefully: Consider the characteristics and needs of your applicants to set up the most effective priority filters.
• Test the filters: Run a test lottery to ensure your filters capture the intended applicants for each group.
• Manually adjust where necessary: Take advantage of the manual selection option for applicants who might not fit typical filters but still need priority.