Once your application is built and configured, it's time to get it in front of families. Lazarus gives you two ways to do that: send targeted email invitations to specific families, or share a public link that anyone can use to apply. This guide covers both.
You can use both for the same application. Many schools invite their known families directly and also post the link publicly.
Open your application from the Application forms tab and start an invitation. You'll see a list of students in your organization; select the ones you want to invite, then send.
Each family receives your application invite email — the subject line and message you set under Application Settings & Emails — with a link that takes them straight to your form. Their submission is tied back to the students you selected, so everything stays connected when you review it later.
Tip: Customize your invite email before you send your first batch. A personal, on-brand message gets far more families to actually open the form than a generic one.
Every application has a share link you can copy and distribute. On the application, find the Share widget, click Copy URL, and paste the link wherever you like — your website, an email, or social media.
Anyone who opens the link sees your application page, complete with the welcome message you configured. They fill out the form and pay just like an invited family would. This is the simplest way to open enrollment to the public without inviting people one by one.
Note: The public link accepts applications from anyone who has it. If you'd rather control exactly who applies, use invitations instead and keep the link private.
However they arrive, families see the same thing: your welcome message, the questions you built, and — if you've set a fee — a payment step at the end using the methods you enabled. As they complete the form, their progress is tracked so they know how much is left. When they submit, their application lands in your Dashboard, ready for review.
With your application out in the world, the next guide covers how to review and process the submissions that come in.