MeritariaWrite a practical evaluation brief
Define your must-haves before comparing platforms.
- Estimate student, form, scholarship, reviewer, and file volumes.
- List the application formats and reports your program must support.
- Identify the work currently causing delays or duplicate entry.
- Separate essential requirements from features you would rarely use.
Request a demonstration using your scenario
Ask to follow a realistic record through the system, with different people performing their roles.
- Use a representative student application and your scoring rubric.
- Check the student experience on a phone.
- Ask to see how exceptions are handled, such as late files or corrected submissions.
- Confirm the reporting fields match your board or funder’s needs.
Ask about operating responsibilities
Clarify what the provider does and what your organization must manage.
- Request written scope and pricing for your expected volumes.
- Clarify support arrangements, backups, exports, and account transition procedures.
- Ask how organization access, document permissions, retention, and deletion work.
- Read the security, privacy, and terms pages before sharing student information.
Run a small pilot before committing
Use the pilot to uncover gaps, then make an explicit decision.
- Include an administrator, reviewer, and sample student.
- Record issues and confirm which can be resolved before launch.
- Compare the actual process against your original must-have list.
- Keep your evaluation records and agreed scope for future reference.