MeritariaConnect every field to a purpose
An application should collect evidence for eligibility or evaluation, not information nobody will use.
- List the eligibility rules and the evidence needed to verify each one.
- Separate contact information from material used for committee scoring.
- Remove questions that duplicate another field or document.
- Explain sensitive or optional requests clearly.
Make questions easy to answer
Use the smallest suitable field and tell students what a complete answer looks like.
- Use choices for fixed options, short answers for facts, and essays for reflection.
- Give each essay a clear prompt and reasonable word limit.
- Group related questions; use structured address and reference fields where useful.
- Use optional scholarship sections only when an opportunity needs additional evidence.
Write useful file and recommendation instructions
Students should know what to provide, who provides it, and when it is due.
- Name each document separately and explain acceptable formats.
- Distinguish an official application PDF from supporting attachments.
- Specify recommendation count, relationship expectations, and deadlines.
- Identify materials permitted after the core submission and explain the remaining task.
Preview as a student
Read the form from the applicant’s perspective, especially on a phone.
- Open the invitation and confirm the intended form and organization.
- Check required labels, upload instructions, and save-progress behavior.
- Verify the final-submission warning and the route for requesting a correction.
- Ask someone unfamiliar with the program to identify unclear instructions.