While the graduate college is still celebrating its April launch of the online application process, plans for a better version are waiting in the wings.

The first measure to draw potential graduate students online has proven successful, organizers said. They receive 15 to 25 applications each day, with numbers picking up daily.

"We are extremely pleased to finally have an online application process for graduate students. It is much easier and much more efficient," said Maria Velez, associate dean of the Graduate College, who was one of the main advocates to support the new system.

The fast and paperless way is especially convenient for international students, who are now recognized by the college immediately, Velez said.

"Students are so busy in their lives today, and we do anything to facilitate that process (of applying)," Velez said.

But the ultimate goal for a new version is to ease efforts by combining applications for the graduate college and the department in favor. Unlike the current process, where future students have to apply at both places separately, there would be only one submission.

"Our first application that's out there right now is pretty basic," said Dave Soroka, information technology and computing support manager for the Graduate College. "The next one is going to be bigger because it provides more functionality for the students and us."

As someone being responsible for the development of the project, Soroka said he finds it to be "kind of a hassle" to apply separately to the Graduate College and the department, which might ask the applicant a lot of the same questions.

Other plans for the new version shoot for a completely paperless process, so transcripts and other documentation do not have to be sent in by mail, a method many other universities are already using, Soroka said.

"It has taken off pretty well since April," Soroka said. "We're still heavily using paper, but I expect by probably next year 80 to 85 percent of the students will apply online."

Soroka said he's been planning an online application for a long time, and last November the Graduate College finally had the resources to hire two new staff members to help out with the process.

"It was a significant thing and it allowed us to do a lot of different projects and now we're making very good progress," Soroka said.

The online application is based on Cosmos, an online information system the university purchased about five or six years ago from Systems and Computer Technology, Soroka said.

The next version does not have a deadline but Soroka said they plan to meet with the anthropology, psychology, business and chemistry departments to find out what each prefers regarding applications.

Safety is one of the major issues Soroka said he is concerned about.

Besides safety features already built into the application by SCT, the credit card information is handled by Bank of America, which has a contract with the UA, Soroka said.

"This is about as safe as you can practically get," Soroka said.

Nicole Anderson, a third-year psychology graduate student, said even though she did not apply online she thinks online applications add to the appeal of universities because it makes them look more technologically advanced.

Elaine Ulrich, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council, said online applications are important because graduate students are increasingly aware of how well a university is technically equipped to handle their demands.

"Accessibility to higher education is something the university should always be striving to do," Ulrich said. "If you fall behind technology issues, especially with graduate students, it's going to make people perceive you as not being a place where they would want to go."