Summer Term Registration Overview

General

The Summer Registration theme was built for managing Summer Term program registration. It uses the child starter theme for Responsive Framework 2x.

The bu.edu/summer-registration site has no content other than the program forms. It has no Home Page; the home URL redirects to https://www.bu.edu/summer/registration/

The overall function of the theme is to collect form data from multiple users through multiple forms to create a single Program Application for the applying student. This requires careful form construction and maintenance as well as extensive customization of the Gravity Forms administrative UI.

A general map of the form flow is here.

As of 2025, the Summer Term Programs are:

  • Research in Science and Engineering (RISE)
  • High School Honors (HSH)
  • Academic Immersion (AIM)
  • Summer Challenge (SC)
  • International Ad Hoc (INTL)

Each Summer Term Program has a Primary Application Form and additional Supporting forms. Student applications are managed using a set of custom metaboxes on the Entry screen of the Primary Application form. Those custom metaboxes are created using the ST App. Settings. The ST App. Settings tab is located under the Form Settings menu of the Primary Application Form.

Nelnet and Payment Processing

The theme has one custom template, the Payment Thank You Page. This page is the return URL configured in the Nelnet .xml configuration file.

The Nelnet return URL contains a number of data points. The first two parameters in the return URL must be ‘?form_id={form id of the original Program Application}&application_id={the unique entry id of the original Program Application}’. The page template checks and updates the original application with payment status information and displays the Thank You message defined in the GF Notifications. Note: the Payment Thank You Notifications have a custom ‘Payment Updated’ GF Event assigned. This prevents the Notification from being sent until a user successfully reaches the Thank You page.

BU Notifications in the admin sidebar include a textarea and shortcode that allow the Admin to add custom text to notifications.