COLLEGE ADMISSIONS VOCABULARY
                                                                                                                     The verbiage of the college admissions process is truly a language unto its own.
                                                                                                                      As you undertake the journey, here are some terms you are likely to see.

PREPARING FOR COLLEGE

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams — The Advanced Placement program offers more than thirty college level courses at high schools across the USA and Canada. Through AP college-level courses and exams, students can bolster their high school GPA and can often earn college credit and advanced placement.
ACT (American College Test) — A group of tests administered by ACT and required or recommended by most colleges as part of the admission process. The tests measure educational development in English, mathematics, reading, and science and are given at specified test centers throughout the year. An optional Writing Test is offered.
California Scholarship Federation (CSF) — Membership in the California Scholarship Federation CSF is based on grades from the previous semester (A = 3 points, B = 1, APB = 2). To qualify, students must earn 10 points from specific courses and return an application which can be obtained from the high school counseling office, copy of the report card, and two dollars to the counseling office within the first two weeks of each semester. If the student is a member of CSF four times, including once in the senior year, he/she will be recognized as a gold seal bearer at graduation. It is important to adhere to deadlines as retroactive applications will not be accepted.
Class Rank — A rating that compares your cumulative grade point average to other members of your class. Class rank is often used as a college admissions and scholarship standard.
CLEP — College Level Examination Program. A program which provides the opportunity to take topic exams for course credit at a drastically reduced cost.
Extracurricular Activities — Activities in which students participate outside of the classroom, such as athletics, student organizations and clubs, volunteer work and community service, music lessons or groups, or part-time jobs. This is the path toward the goal of attaining “interestingness.”
IB Diploma Program — IB classes follow a curriculum mandated by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) in Cardiff, Wales. IB courses include papers and IB exams given in May. Like AP courses, these are viewed favorably by college admissions committees.
PSAT — Preliminary SAT, the qualifying test for national merit scholarship consideration when taken in October of the junior year.
SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) — Standardized tests administered by the College Board which provide college admission offices with a common national standard for evaluation of student records from different high schools. Along with a student’s academic performance in high school and other more subjective factors such as recommendations, extracurricular activities, and essays, the SAT is used with variable success to attempt to predict a student’s academic performance in college.
SAT Subject Tests — A series of 20 subject–area exams sponsored by the College Board and administered by the Educational Testing Service. Students may take one, two, or three exams on any test date. Test subjects include areas such as English literature, American history, world history, math I or II, foreign languages, and various science disciplines. Tests are scored on a scale of 200-800. Information about these tests can be obtained from the high school guidance office or online at www.collegeboard.org.
Transcript — The official record from a school showing the student’s grade records, list of courses taken, and cumulative grade point average. An official transcript, sent directly from the high school to the college admission office, is always required for a student to be admitted.



COLLEGE SEARCH/EVALUATION

Accreditation — Certification that a college meets the standards of a state, regional, or national association.
Art & Sciences — The liberal arts division of the college (usually the largest division). Liberal Arts is considered separately from engineering, business, pharmacy, or nursing. They consist of the humanities; physical, life, natural sciences; math; and social science disciplines. Many students apply to the arts and sciences division.
Competitive College — A college with a rigorous, highly selective admissions process.
Reach School — A college where admission might be a stretch for you, based on the average GPA and test scores of accepted students and the college’s overall admission requirements.
Retention Rate — The percentage of students who return to a college for their sophomore year. An indicator of student satisfaction.
Safety School — A college where, based on the average GPA and test scores of accepted students, you have a high likelihood of being admitted.
Student-Faculty Ratio — The number of students at a college compared to the number of faculty. Some colleges see this as an indicator of class size and professor accessibility, but a lower ratio doesn’t guarantee either. For a true indication of class size and professor accessibility, speak with students and professors at a college.



APPLICATIONS & ADMITTANCE

Acceptance Rate — The percentage of applicants a college accepts.
Candidates Reply Date Agreement (CRDA) — This agreement, sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, states that in order to allow students to consider all their college options, students have until May 1 to accept any college’s offer of admission.
CEEB — The 6-digit high school code most colleges may ask for is called a CEEB (College Entrance Examination Board) code. Your high school counselor will have this information.
College Board — The agency that administers the SAT, SAT Subject tests, and AP exams.
Common Application — The Common Application is an online form that can be used to apply to approximately 400 private colleges; college applicants need to fill out only one form and then submit to participating colleges.
Deferred Admission — A student’s option to defer an offer of admission for up to two years.
Deposit — An amount of money that a student must send it to the college once he or she has been accepted. The deposit indicates that the student accepts the colleges offer and will enroll.
Early Action — This is a decision plan allowing students to apply to college early in the fall. The college responds with an admission decision usually by mid-December. It differs from early the session because early action is non-binding. Check with the schools to which you are applying to see which decision plans they offer.
Early Decision — This is an early application process that involves a binding agreement on the part of the student. If a student is admitted under ED, he or she agrees to enroll at a particular college and to withdraw all other applications in process at other schools.
ELC (Eligibility in the Local Context) — one of three pads to freshman eligibility at the University of California. Under TLC, the top 4% of students in each California high school class are designated UC-eligible based on completion of high school coursework.
Personal Statement — Sometimes referred to as a college application essay. Personal statements are essays that give admissions officers insights into your character, personality and motivation.
Major — A subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
Regular Decision — This is the most common admission program. Applications for admission are due sometime between October 1 and January 15 at most colleges; Applicants are notified of their admission status between February 1 and April 15.
Rolling Admission — With many state universities that operate with rolling admission, the earlier you apply, the better the chance for acceptance. As soon as applications arrive at a college, the admission office starts reading them and making decisions – often within three or four weeks. Usually, if you are excepted under this plan, you will not have to commit until May 1.
Secondary School Report (SSR) — College-generated form requesting a copy of the applicant’s high school record and, frequently, a college counselor letter of recommendation.
Single Choice Early Action — This is a decision plan allowing students to apply to ONE college early in the fall. The college responds with an admission decision usually by mid-December. It differs from early decision because early action is non-binding. Check with the schools to which you are applying to see which decision plans they offer.
Supplemental Material — Items you include in your college application to provide more information about your talents, experiences and goals. Materials could include work samples, additional essays, newspaper clippings, music CDs or art slides. Verify if a college welcomes (or requests) these materials before sending.
Transcript — An official record of classes you have taken and the grades you received. Usually you must provide a high school transcript with your college application.
Wait List  — The number of qualified candidates at a selective college who initially received neither a letter of acceptance nor a letter of denial, but who may be offered a place in the freshman class after the Candidates’ Reply Date, if the class is not filled by those initially offered admission. Some colleges may go to the Wait List as late as July or even August. Students who receive a wait list letter may be asked if they want to remain on it.
Yield — The percentage of accepted students who go on to enroll at a college. Competitive colleges have high yield rates.


 
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Award Letter — Official notification of the type and amount of financial aid a college is offering you.
College Scholarship Service (CSS) — The division of the College Board responsible for the profile and needs analysis that determines a family’s contribution toward payment of their student’s education.
Cost of Attendance (COA) — A figure provided by colleges and/or college financial offices that estimates the total cost of attending a particular school for a period of one year. Included in the estimate are all reasonable expenses such as tuition, room and board, books and supplies, personal expenses and transportation.
CSS Profile — A financial aid form administered by the College Board required by many private schools.
Demonstrated Need — Amount, as determined through federal, private and/or institutional financial aid forms, which is the difference between the total cost of attendance and the estimated family contribution.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) — How much money you and your family are expected to contribute toward college expenses. EFC is based on your FAFSA application and a calculation by the federal government.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) — The application every student must submit in order to be eligible for federal financial aid.
Grant — Money for college that does not have to be repaid. Most grants are need-based and are awarded by the state or federal government.
Guaranteed Tuition — A program that guarantees to qualified students that their tuition for each succeeding year of college will not increase above their first-year rate.
Institutional Aid (or Campus-Based Aid) — Financial assistance given by a college.
Internships — Short-term, supervised work experience, generally relating to the students field of interest.
Loans — the most commonly used loans are:
   - Federal Stafford loan — obtained from a local bank, with the interest paid by the federal government while the student attends                  jjjjcollege. Repayment begins six months after completing or leaving college.
   - Federal Perkins loan — carries the lowest interest rates and is offered through the college as part of a financial aid package.
   - Parent Loan Program (PLUS) – Parents borrow from participating banks; repayment begins 60 days after inception of the loan.
Merit-Based Aid / Scholarships — Financial aid awarded without regard for financial need, based on your individual achievements and talents (academic, artistic, athletic, or other non-need based criteria.
National Merit Scholarship Program — This program offers qualified student scholarships on the basis of PSAT scores, coursework, grades, leadership, interests, goals, and school recommendations.
Need-Based Aid — college funded or college-administered award from institutional, state, federal, or other sources for which a student must have financial need to qualify.
Need-Blind Admission — An admission process that does not consider an applicant’s ability to pay as a factor in the admissions decision.
Net Price Calculator — An online “calculator” (which should be found on each college’s own website) that allows one to calculate an estimated net price of attendance at an institution (defined as cost of attendance minus grant and scholarship aid) based on what similar students paid in a previous year. The net price calculator is required for all Title IV institutions that enroll full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduate students.
NMSQT — the national merit scholarship qualifying test is the PSAT (Preliminary Student Aptitude Test). Scores on the PSAT are used by the national merit scholarship program, in combination with other student attributes, to determine scholarship recipients.
Need-Based Aid — Financial aid given based on the ability of you and your family to pay for college.
Package — A student’s financial aid award, “packaged” together with such components as loans, grants, work-study, and scholarships.
Profile — The form used by the College Scholarship Service (CSS) to assess a family’s ability to pay for a college education. After information is analyzed, a complete report is sent to institutions designated by the student. Need-based financial aid is awarded according to the results. You must register with CSS (online) to begin the PROFILE registration process.
Scholarship — Money for college that does not have to be paid back. Usually awarded based on specific criteria, such as your academic performance, extracurricular activities, ethnic heritage or religious affiliation.
Stafford Loan — Formally know as “Guaranteed Student Loans” and renamed in honor of Sen. Robert Stafford (VT), low-interest loans sponsored by the federal government for students enrolled at least half-time. Loans can be both subsidized (for students with demonstrated financial need) and unsubsidized (for students who do not qualify for need-based financial aid). While the U.S. government will pay the interest on subsidized Stafford Loans until six months following a student’s final full-time semester enrolled, students pay the interest (no principal) on unsubsidized Stafford loans.
Student Aid Report (SAR) — After you file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will receive a SAR stating your EFC (expected family contribution) and eligibility for financial aid. This report is also sent to colleges you indicate on the FAFSA.
Student Contribution — An estimate of the student’s ability to contribute to his/her college education, typically up to 35% of savings and up to half of student summer earnings above $1,750.
Student Loan — Financial aid that must be repaid. Student loan programs are available through the federal government and private lenders.
Subsidized Loan — Student loans on which borrowers do not have to pay interest until after their grace period expires, usually within six months of completion of a terminal degree.
Work-Study — Financial aid given in exchange for work (typically at a job on campus). Pay is usually minimum wage or slightly above for approximately 10-15 hours per week. The earnings from the job are used as part of a financial aid plan to help pay for tuition and other college expenses.To qualify for the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, you must complete the FAFSA.


 
COLLEGE LIFE

Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B.) — A traditional degree awarded by a liberal arts college or university following successful completion of a course of study. These degrees may be granted in any number of fields in the humanities, social studies, natural sciences, or fine/performing arts. Some colleges award an A.B., which is simply the Latin abbreviation (Arts Baccalarius) for a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) — Degree offered by fine arts, design, theater, dance, and other visual and performing arts programs. Frequently admission to B.F.A. programs can be based to a large extent upon artistic talent, determined through an audition or portfolio degree, and to a lesser extent upon standardized testing and academic performance in traditional curriculums.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) — Degree usually awarded for successful completion of requirements in the natural and physical sciences, or for more professionally-oriented programs, such as education engineering, or business. Note that many colleges award B.A.s for similar degrees. Some universities may offer both degrees in a particular academic discipline; generally, the B.S. degree may require additional work in the major for graduation.
Core Curriculum — Required college courses necessary for graduation, consisting of a comprehensive selection from such fields as the humanities, social studies, natural and physical sciences, quantitative fields, and English and foreign language proficiency. Core Curriculums can range from a handful of courses to well over half the required courses necessary for graduation.
Credit Hour — Measure of the degree of difficulty of courses, frequently proportionate to the number of hours of weekly classroom instruction. For example, a four-credit hour course will generally require more work and be more demanding than a three-hour course. Most colleges require students to meet a certain threshold of credit hours in order to graduate.
Major — Concentrated field of collegiate study in one academic discipline, requiring a set number of required courses for completion beyond any required core curriculum requirements. Students concentrate in two academic fields by ‘double-majoring”.
Matriculate — Academic term to “enroll” or “attend” a college or university.
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) — A national organization which supervises and regulates most intercollegiate athletic programs. Based upon the size of institution and level of competition, these programs are divided into three divisions: Division I, II, and III. The first two Divisions generally award athletic scholarships; Division III athletic programs do not.

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Mark Penticuff  

 c o l l e g e      g u i d a n c e      c o u n s e l i n g

Mark Penticuff  

 c o l l e g e      g u i d a n c e      c o u n s e l i n g

Mark Penticuff  

 c o l l e g e      g u i d a n c e      c o u n s e l i n g