| School setup > Program Management > Setting up queues > Understanding rank method

Understanding rank method

When you create a restrictive queue, you can define the order in which students can be offered positions in programs by specifying the rank method and whether the queue will consider rank weights.

Note: In an open queue without capacity or eligibility restraints, the student's queue status is set to offered immediately in the order they enter the queue.

When students apply to a program, they are placed in the queue. If the queue is restrictive, before you can offer them a position in the program, you must calculate their rank and status within the queue. You cannot offer a student a position in the program if another student has a higher rank. The applicant's calculated rank depends on the queue's rank method and whether rank weights are used.

Two rank methods are available to queues: Sequential and Random.

Use the Sequential method to set up a simple wait list in which students are assigned ranks in the order they are entered into the queue.

Use the Random method to set up a lottery queue in which students are randomly assigned a rank and the order they are entered into the queue does not influence their placement.

For information about calculating ranks, see Calculating rank [>>].

Note: Ranks are assigned regardless of the student's program eligibility status, so students with an Eligibility status of Ineligible can be assigned a rank in the queue and offered positions in the program. However, ineligible students cannot be assigned to programs.

Understanding Rank Weights

If the queue considers rank weights, students are assigned ranks in groups according to the rank weight specified in their program application.

For example, suppose a queue contains a total of 20 applicants. Five applicants have a rank weight of 10, eight have a rank weight of 20, six have a rank weight of 30, and one has a rank weight of 1. If the queue considers rank weight, it will assign ranks to the applicants in the following order:

The six with a rank weight of 30

The eight with a rank weight of 20

The five with a rank weight of 10

The one with a rank weight of 1

Within in each group, the queue will assign ranks according to the specified rank method, such as, sequentially or randomly.

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