A partner-school cohort gives an organization a structured way to help a group of students explore RCA International together. The partner may be a school, micro school, church, co-op, or another organization working with families. The students share a local connection, while each student still moves through the admissions steps that apply to that student.
The word cohort describes the group. It does not mean that a roster automatically enrolls every student or guarantees admission. RCA International first reviews the proposed partnership, completes the appropriate agreement, receives the roster securely, and then works with families through confirmation and admissions.
This model is also different from college dual credit. A partner-school cohort describes how a group is organized with RCA International. Corban University dual credit is a separate academic opportunity for eligible high school students.
Begin With a Partner Inquiry
The process starts when an organization submits a partner inquiry. The inquiry should identify the organization, the primary contact, the kind of partnership being considered, whether a cohort is expected, and any known information about timing or group size.
Exact numbers may not be available at the beginning. A useful inquiry can still explain:
- What kind of organization is asking
- Whether the inquiry concerns a cohort, independent agent relationship, or another partnership
- The approximate number and grade range of students, if known
- The hoped-for start term or timeframe
- Who will coordinate with RCA International and families
- What questions need to be answered before the organization moves forward
The public inquiry form is for that initial conversation. It should not be used to send student transcripts, identity documents, or a roster containing private student information.
Confirm Fit and Responsibilities
After the inquiry, RCA International staff review the opportunity and may invite the partner contact to schedule a call. That conversation helps both sides understand the proposed group, the enrollment path, likely timing, and the support each organization expects to provide.
This is the right time to clarify responsibilities. RCA International handles its admissions decisions, student application workflow, applicable records review, and RCA International academic processes. The partner may coordinate local communication, help families understand deadlines, provide an appropriate local learning environment, or offer other support described in the agreement.
The details can vary by partnership. A school serving a daily student group may have different needs from a church, co-op, or organization helping families connect with an online program. Neither side should assume a responsibility that has not been discussed and documented.
Complete the Partnership Agreement
If the opportunity is a fit, RCA International creates or links the partner organization and sends the partnership agreement to the authorized contact. The agreement comes before cohort setup because it establishes the working relationship and records the terms the parties are accepting.
The partner should review the agreement carefully and have an authorized person enter their own legal name and title or role. Questions about pricing, communication, student support, data handling, or the proposed cohort should be resolved before signing.
An inquiry is not an agreement, and an agreement is not an individual student’s admission. They are related but separate decisions.
Set Up the Cohort and Secure Partner Access
When the agreement is complete and the planned partnership includes a cohort, RCA International can prepare the cohort and invite the partner contact into the secure partner portal. The portal provides a controlled place to download the current roster template, submit the completed roster, and see the status of that upload.
The partner portal is important because a roster contains student and guardian information. Partners should not send completed rosters through the public inquiry form or ordinary email. The secure workflow keeps the roster connected to the correct organization and cohort and gives staff a clear review trail.
The roster template lists the required columns and the accepted options for fields such as program interest and preferred language. Partners should keep the header row unchanged, follow the date format instructions, and provide one student per row. Instructions included in the template may remain in the file when it is uploaded.
Validate and Review the Roster
The portal checks the CSV before treating it as a valid submission. If a row contains a missing required value, an unsupported option, or a date that cannot be read, the partner sees a human-readable explanation and can correct the file before resubmitting it.
Passing that validation does not create students immediately. RCA International staff review the submitted roster and confirm the import. This review helps catch questions that a format check alone cannot answer, such as whether the roster belongs to the intended cohort or whether the proposed program information matches the partnership.
The roster is an efficient starting point, not a substitute for family confirmation or admissions review.
Invite Families to Confirm Their Information
After staff confirm a clean roster import, the system can send each listed family an invitation. The parent or guardian uses the email address on the roster to access the applicant portal and review the information received from the partner.
The family confirms or corrects student and guardian details before moving into the application. This step matters because the partner may not have every current detail, and the family should see how the student is connected to the partner and cohort.
Families should expect to participate directly. A partner can coordinate the group, but it should not sign an application, accept disclosures, or make individual admissions representations for a parent or guardian unless an approved legal arrangement specifically allows it.
Continue Through Individual Admissions
Once cohort information is confirmed, each student follows the admissions path appropriate to that student. The family may need to complete an application, respond to secure document requests, review an education or graduation plan when required, sign and submit the application, and wait for RCA International’s decision.
Students in the same cohort may not always reach each step on the same day. One family may respond immediately while another needs to correct contact information or provide an academic record. A student’s prior coursework, grade level, and proposed program can also affect the review.
The partner portal and RCA International staff workflow help show group progress without turning admissions into an automatic bulk decision. Partners can support timely follow-up while RCA International preserves student-level review.
Prepare the Organization Before the First Roster
A smoother cohort launch usually comes from resolving practical questions early. The organization should identify:
- One reliable primary contact and a backup when possible
- Who will communicate with families about invitations and deadlines
- The expected student group and start timeframe
- How students will access devices and reliable internet
- What local supervision or learning support will be available
- Which questions belong to the partner and which should go to RCA International
- How sensitive student information will be kept out of regular email and public forms
The organization should also avoid promising admission, transfer credit, graduation timing, or college outcomes. Those decisions depend on individual review and successful student progress.
Questions to Ask Before Moving Forward
A prospective partner can use the first conversation to ask focused questions:
- Does the proposed group fit a partner-school cohort?
- What information is needed before an agreement can be prepared?
- Which responsibilities belong to RCA International and which belong to the local organization?
- When will the partner portal and roster template become available?
- Who should be listed as the roster contact?
- What happens when a roster row needs correction?
- How are families invited, and what must they complete themselves?
- How can the partner monitor the cohort without receiving unnecessary private student information?
The process is intentionally sequential: inquiry, fit review, agreement, cohort setup, secure roster submission, staff review, family confirmation, and individual admissions. An organization interested in starting that conversation can review the partner schools and cohorts page and submit the partner inquiry with the best information currently available.