Glossary of Terms

ACADEMIC SUBJECTS/CORE COURSES - Basic, general areas of study taken in high school which are used as a predictor of success in college. Generally, subjects considered under this category include English, mathematics, science, social studies/history, and foreign languages.

AMERICAN COLLEGE TESTING PROGRAM (ACT) - A standardized college entrance test consisting of four parts: English, math, reading and science reasoning. Most colleges accept either the ACT or SAT I.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) - Courses offered in high school which may allow a student to receive college credit upon successfully completing an end-of-the-year, comprehensive examination

ASSOCIATE DEGREE - A college credential granted usually after two years or approximately 60 hours of college credit of specified study at either a junior college or community college. Some four-year colleges also offer Associate Degree programs.

BACHELOR DEGREE - A college credential granted after completing a specified program of study usually taking approximately four years of full-time study to complete.

CANDIDATE'S REPLY DATE - May 1 of each year is a nationally recognized date by which students will notify colleges and universities to which they have been admitted about their enrollment decision. Colleges and universities usually do not require students to make a final decision prior to this date. (Some exceptions do exist to this rule)

COLLEGE - An educational institution that offers instruction beyond the high school level in two or four year programs only, or an academic division of a university such as the College of Arts and Sciences.

COLLEGE BOARD - A nonprofit organization governed by college and secondary school members offering services such as standardized admission and financial aid procedures, guidelines for admission policies, and numerous publications for members and the public regarding colleges and universities.

COLLEGE DAY/NIGHT/FAIR PROGRAM - Programs hosted most often by high schools or civic organizations where representatives from numerous colleges and universities gather in one place for a specific time to discuss their individual institutions with prospective students.

COMMON APPLICATION - An application form which allows students to fill out one application for many colleges at once.

CREDITS - The unit used for measuring educational accomplishment based on a given number of classroom periods per class, per week, throughout a term. Most undergraduate programs require an accumulation of at least 120 credit hours to graduate with a Bachelors degree.

DEPOSIT - An amount of money that a student must submit to a college or university to reserve their spot in the class at the school of their choosing. Submitting a deposit indicates that a student will enroll at that college.

EARLY ACTION - An admission process utilized primarily by selective colleges to allow students to file for admission by an early deadline and learn of their admission decision earlier than regular admission candidates. Students who apply Early Action ARE NOT required to make a college choice prior to the May 1 national reply date.

EARLY ADMISSION - A practice by which some colleges allow students to enter college prior to completing their high school diploma.

EARLY DECISION - An admission process utilized primarily by selective colleges which allows students to file for admission by an early deadline and learn of their admission decision early. Students who apply Early Decision MUST withdraw all applications to other colleges and universities and make an admission decision within a set timeframe or they will lose their place in the class to which they have applied.

FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA) - A federal form utilized to determine a family's ability to contribute toward a student's educational expenses for schooling beyond secondary school. All colleges and universities will require this form before awarding need-based financial assistance. Some may require additional applications as well.

FINANCIAL AID PACKAGE/AWARD - The total amount of financial assistance given to a student to attend a particular college or university.

GRANT - Financial assistance that does not have to be repaid awarded to a student usually based on some evaluation of the student's family's ability to contribute toward the student's educational expenses.

GREEK LIFE - Fraternity and Sorority activities at a college or university.

HIGH SCHOOL VISIT - A visit by a particular college or university to a high school to meet with students from that high school who are interested in learning more about the said college or university.

LIBERAL ARTS - A program of academic study which provides a broad, general education. Its emphasis is on fostering critical thinking, communication skills, and an appreciation of diverse areas of study and reasoning.

LOANS - Financial assistance that does have to be repaid awarded to a student usually based on some evaluation of the student's family's ability to contribute toward the student's educational expenses.

MAJOR - An area of academic study in which a student chooses to specialize.

MINOR - An area of academic study in which a student chooses to focus but does not specialize in to the degree of a major.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE ADMISSION COUNSELORS - A professional organization of college admission and high school guidance counselors who set standards and goals by which admission professionals work.

OPEN ADMISSIONS - An admission policy of accepting students without regard to the academic record prior to attending that college or university.

PREREQUISITE - A course required to be taken prior to enrolling in another course.

REGULAR ADMISSION - An admission process that requires all admission application materials to be submitted by a set date and has a standard date by which students will receive a decision on their applications.

ROLLING ADMISSIONS - An admission process where student applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis as students submit completed applications for admission. Decisions are mailed immediately after the admission decisions are made.

SCHOLARSHIP - A financial award that does not have to be repaid awarded to a student usually based on the merit of the student in some particular area (i.e. either academic achievement or talent). In some instances, an evaluation of the student's family's ability to contribute toward the student's educational expenses will also be considered.

SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST (SAT I REASONING TEST) - A standardized college entrance test consisting of two parts: verbal skills and math skills. Most colleges accept either the ACT or SAT I.

SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST (SAT II SUBJECT TESTS) - A one hour standardized college entrance tests which attempt to measure the level of achievement in various academic subjects. These tests may be used as part of the admission decision process or for placement once a student has enrolled at a college or university.

SELECTIVE ADMISSION - An admission process by which students are evaluated on a variety of criteria for their potential "fit" and ability to succeed at a particular college and university.

TRANSCRIPTS -The official record of a students academic history including subjects attempted, grades received, the cumulative grade point average, class ranks and standardized testing results.

UNIVERSITY - An educational institution that offers instruction beyond the high school level and grants undergraduate (bachelors) and graduate (masters or doctorate) degrees in a variety of programs. Generally, universities are made up of numerous academic divisions referred to as colleges.

VIEWBOOK - A publication developed by a particular college or university to provide prospective students with the information they need to begin evaluating the school.

WAIT LIST OR ALTERNATE LIST - Those students who receive neither an admit or deny decision from a selective college but are rather deferred until the college or university receives responses from admitted students regarding their decision to enroll at the school.

WORK-STUDY - A financial assistance program which allows students to earn money while they attend a college or university. The federal government and colleges or universities jointly sponsor this program. Most jobs are on campus but some may be off campus as well.