ApproveThis manages your DreamApply Integration approvals.

Why Approval Automation Matters in Education

Let’s cut to the chase: admissions teams are drowning in paperwork, committee meetings, and endless email threads. DreamApply already handles applicant tracking like a pro, but when you bolt on ApproveThis’ approval automation through Zapier? Now you’re not just managing applications – you’re surgically removing bottlenecks.

This isn’t about replacing your process. It’s about giving your team superhuman speed to review applications, flag issues, and make decisions without the administrative hangover. We’re talking real-time tracking, automated escalations, and approvals that happen where your team actually works (hint: it’s not in another software tab).

The Nuts and Bolts of the Integration

ApproveThis plugs into DreamApply through Zapier, acting as your approval layer for three critical scenarios:

1. New Application Submissions: Auto-create approval requests the moment applications hit DreamApply. Admissions directors get email-based approvals with all relevant data – no logins required.

2. Flagged Applications: Instant approval chains when DreamApply marks an application for review. Configure thresholds to auto-approve routine cases and only escalate what matters.

3. Cross-Team Coordination: Create DreamApply applicant records directly from approved requests in ApproveThis. Keeps marketing, admissions, and faculty on the same page without manual data entry.

Bonus: Approvers don’t need DreamApply licenses. Perfect for external accreditation partners or part-time faculty who just need to say yes/no.

Real-World Use Cases That Actually Matter

1. The Accelerated Admissions Pipeline

Take University of Northern Nowhere – they process 12,000 applications annually. Their old system? Committee meetings every Thursday, endless PDF attachments, and at least 3 follow-up emails per decision.

With ApproveThis+DreamApply:

• Applications auto-route to department heads based on program choice
• Conditional approval chains: undergrad apps go straight to admissions, grad apps add faculty review

Result: 68% faster decisions, zero lost applications, and department heads who no longer send death threats via Outlook.

2. The International Student Shuffle

Global Business School Paris handles visas, language certifications, and transcript evaluations. Their nightmare? Applications getting stuck because Mrs. Lefevre from accounting is on vacation and didn’t approve the tuition deposit.

ApproveThis fix:

• Auto-flag applications needing financial verification
• Approval groups with backup delegates (Mrs. Lefevre’s assistant gets auto-assigned during her August hiatus)

Now visa paperwork starts the same day applications are approved. No more students showing up campus with pending paperwork.

3. The Accreditation Trap

Midwestern Nursing College needs state board approvals for every 50th applicant. Previously, this meant manually exporting CSVs and begging bureaucrats to reply.

New workflow:

Every 50th application in DreamApply triggers an ApproveThis request to the state board’s generic email. Board members click approve/reject without logging into yet another portal. Approvals sync back automatically – and the college stays compliant without the administrative circus.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

If you can forward an email, you can set this up:

1. Connect DreamApply and ApproveThis through Zapier (takes 4 minutes)
2. Map application fields to approval requests (name, program, documents)
3. Set approval rules: who needs to approve what, in which order
4. Test with live data (we recommend using your least favorite application as the guinea pig)

Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to auto-flag applications that hit certain criteria (GPA below 3.0 + international student = automatic escalation to the dean’s office).

Who Actually Benefits From This?

Admissions Teams

Ditch the spreadsheet trackers. See every application’s approval status in real time. Automatic reminders go out to dawdling approvers – because passive aggression is less effective than automated nagging.

Faculty Review Committees

Get applications that actually need your input. No more sifting through 200 submissions – only see the ones that meet your department’s criteria. Approve via email during your morning coffee.

External Accreditors

Give them a simple approve/reject link without DreamApply logins. Track their response times. Because nothing motivates like visibility.

Finance Offices

Tuition deposit approvals tied directly to application statuses. Auto-approve payments under $5k, escalate larger amounts. Sync approved deposits straight to your accounting software.

The Quiet Advantages You’ll Learn to Love

Beyond the obvious time saves:

Audit Trails That Don’t Suck: Every decision timestamped with comments. Perfect for accreditation reviews or explaining why Professor Smith approved that clearly unqualified applicant.

Delegation Without Drama: Approvers can pass the buck (responsibly) when overloaded. Vacation settings prevent applications from rotting in inboxes.

Conditional Logic: Route applications from legacy donors’ kids straight to the development office. Everyone else goes through standard channels. No one gets offended.

Common Objections (And Why They’re Wrong)

“We have a unique process!” – So does everyone. Custom approval chains handle 99% of edge cases. The other 1%? That’s what manual overrides are for.

“Our approvers are technophobes!” – Email approvals. One click. No logins. If they can delete spam, they can use this.

“We’re too busy to set this up!” – That’s like saying you’re too hungry to open a granola bar. The Zapier integration is pre-built – just plug in your fields.

Getting Started

Option 1: Free trial with pre-configured DreamApply templates. Connect to Zapier in 15 minutes.

Option 2: Custom demo where we’ll map your exact approval chains. Bring your most complex use case – we dare you.

Either way, keep using DreamApply like normal. We just make the approval part less… painful.

Final Thought

Admissions isn’t getting simpler. Application volumes aren’t dropping. The schools that’ll thrive are those that fix their decision bottlenecks before they become crises. This integration isn’t magic – it’s just the pragmatic way to handle modern application volumes without hiring an army of coordinators.

Or keep doing things manually. Your call.