Advanced Placement (AP)

College credit earned by students while still in high school. These are tests administered in May and can qualify students who score well for advanced standing when they enroll in college.  (Scores are on a scale of 1-5 for AP exams)

American College Test (ACT)

Test administered to high school juniors and seniors by the American College Testing Program. Although traditionally it has been used as an admissions criterion primarily by midwestern and western schools, the ACT is becoming more popular with eastern schools as well.

Arts and Sciences (also called Liberal Arts)

A broad term that encompasses most traditional courses of study including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, and foreign languages. A liberal arts college is also a college of arts and sciences.

Associate Degree (AA)

A degree granted by a college or university after the satisfactory completion of a 2 year full-time program of study, referred to as an AA degree. This can be transferred to a four-year school for credit towards a bachelor's degree.

Bachelors, or Baccalaureate, Degree (BA/BS)

The degree received after the satisfactory completion of what is normally a 4-5 year full time program at a college or university. The Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees are the most common and there is no difference between the degrees.

Candidate's Reply Date Agreement (CRDA)

The May 1 deadline, observed by most selective colleges, by which the applicant must respond to an offer of admissions, usually with a nonrefundable deposit of several hundred dollars. Colleges that require students to respond by May 1 in almost all cases notify acceptances on or before April 15.

Certification of Finances

College Board general form supplied to student from the college. This form certifies the international student's ability to pay and must be supported by a parent's statement and is commonly required for all foreign students.

The College Board (CEEB - College Entrance Examination Board)

The organization that sponsors SAT I, SAT II, Advanced Placement, and FAFH (Financial Aid Form). College Board admissions tests are developed and administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

Common Application

A form produced by a consortium of over 100 colleges (mainly selective liberal arts schools) that may be filled out and sent to member colleges in lieu of each school's individual application.

Community/Junior College

The majority of these two-year institutions are public. They award associate degrees at the completion of the prescribed programs. Students can transfer to four-year or upper-division schools.

Consortium

A group of colleges affiliated in some way. The extent of the association can vary widely. Some consortiums - usually located near one another - offer a range of joint programs that may include cross-registration, inter-library loan, residential exchanges, and coordinate social, cultural, and athletic events.

Cooperative Education

A college program in which a student alternates between periods of full-time study and full-time employment in a related field.

Core Curriculum

A group of courses all students in a college must take in order to graduate.

Cross Registration

The practice, through agreements between colleges, to allow students enrolled at one to enroll in courses at the other.

Deferral

A college's postponement of the decision to accept or reject an early action or early decision candidate. The applicant's file is entered in with those of Regular Action candidates and is reviewed once again, this time for a final decision.

Distribution Requirements

Rules that require students to take courses in a variety of broad subject areas in order to graduate. Typical categories include the humanities, social sciences, fine arts, natural sciences, foreign languages, and mathematics. Unlike a core curriculum, distribution requirements do not usually mandate specific courses that students must take

Early Action

A program that gives students early notification of a college's admission decision. Like early decision, a student can only apply early action to one school but unlike early decision, it does not require a prior commitment to enroll if accepted. Early action - far less common than early decision - is primarily associated with four Ivy League schools that offer it: Brown, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. Deadlines for early-action applications are usually in the late fall with notification in December through February.

Early Decision

A program under which a student receives early notification of a college's admissions decision if the student agrees in advance to enroll if accepted. Students may only apply early decision to only one college; it should be a clear first choice. Application deadlines for early decision are usually in November with decision letters mailed by mid-December. If accepted, the student is committed to enroll. This is a binding agreement.

External Degree

A system of study whereby a student earns credit toward a degree through independent study, college courses, proficiency examinations, and personal experience.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

The form used by U.S. citizens to apply for federal aid. There is no fee attached to application that must be filed after January 3 for aid for the following year.

Financial Aid Application (Foreign Student)

College Board form required of foreign students who are applying for financial aid. The college sends the form or it can be obtained in the Guidance Office. The form submitted directly to the college and can be used for all colleges.

Family Contribution

The amount of money that a family can "reasonably" be expected to pay toward a student's education as determined by a standardized needs analysis form.

Federal Perkins Loan

This program is supported by the U.S. government for U.S. citizens and provides for low-interest loans (currently 5%), which are obtained through the school rather than bank. They must be repaid.

Federal Plus Loan

Loans that can be taken out by parents for their child's college education banks or other lending institutions at varying interest rates of around 6%.

Federal Stafford Loan

Low-interest loans (interest rates vary from about 6-8%) made to students in which the lender is a bank or savings and loan association. These are guaranteed in each and through the federal government and are for U.S. citizens.
They must be repaid.

Fee Waiver

Permission, often granted upon request, for needy students to apply for admission without having to pay the application fee

Financial Aid Package

The combination of loans, grants, and a work/study job that a school puts together for student receiving financial aid.

Foreign Student

A student who is neither a U.S. citizen nor U.S. Permanent Resident. Also referred to as "international student.

Four-One-Four

An academic calendar consisting of two regular four-month semesters with a short "January" term in between.

Four-Year/Liberal Arts Colleges

These colleges award a bachelor's degree upon completion of 4 years of full-time study and are also sometimes known as colleges of arts and sciences. The study of liberal arts is intended to develop general knowledge and reasoning ability as opposed to specific preparation for a career. They do not offer as many majors in technical or scientific disciplines as comprehensive colleges or universities.

Freshmen Fifteen

A reference to the number of pounds students often gain during the freshman year that is usually caused by a combination of too little exercise, unlimited helpings in the dining hall, too many late-night pizzas, and over-consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Grant

Money that is awarded to a student that does not have to be repaid.

Greek System
The social fraternities and sororities on a campus

Humanities

Subjects in which the primary focus is on human culture. Examples include history, philosophy, language, and literature.

Independent Study

A course, usually in a student's major field, in which he/she studies one-on-one with a professor on a topic of their choosing.

Interdisciplinary Major

A major that combines two complementary subjects from different fields: i.e., biology ad psychology. Students completing these majors take courses in each area as well courses that explicitly join the two.

Language Requirement

A stipulation that students must study a foreign language before graduation usually including two years of study of the same language.

Legacy

An applicant for admission whose mother or father is an alumna or alumnus of that particular school. Students with legacy status are often given preferential treatment admissions.

Merit Scholarship

A financial grant usually awarded for academic achievement or special skill in an extracurricular activity and not based upon need.

Need-Based Aid

Money awarded solely on the basis of need. Some schools agree to pay the difference between their total fees and the expected family contribution; others pay only part, leaving some "unmet" need. Most financial aid packages consist of combination of three components: grants, loan, and work-study.

Need-Blind Admissions

A policy in which the applicant's ability to pay does not affect the college's consideration of the application.

Office Hours

A period during which a professor agrees to be available in his/her office for the purpose of talking with students about their course work.

Open Admissions

A policy under which any applicant with a high school diploma is accepted. At universities that have this policy, open admission is usually limited to state residents.

Pass/Fail or CR/F

An option offered by some schools for some classes. A student may enroll in a class and simply receive credit or failure of the transcript instead of a specific grade.

Private

Non-profit institutions that are accredited and receive some government aid. Tuition and fees are generally higher than at public schools.

Quad

An abbreviation for "quadrangle"; many dorm complexes are built in squares (quadrangles) with a courtyard in the middle. Quad can also refer to a suite of dorm rooms in which four students live together.

Quarter System

An academic calendar under which the school year is divided into four quarters, three of which constitute a full academic year.

Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)

Programs conducted by certain colleges in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy.

Resident Advisor (RA)

A student, usually an upperclassman, who lives in a dorm and helps to maintain regulations and enforce school policy as well as offering advice and support to dorm residents. RA's receive compensation from the school for their services, usually in the form of free room and board.

Rolling Admissions

A policy under which a college considers applications almost immediately after receiving them. Decision letters are mailed with a month after the application is filed. Colleges with rolling admissions continue to accept applicants only until the class is filled so it is best to apply early.

SAT I

Test administered to high school juniors and seniors by the College Board with verbal and math sections to measure reasoning ability. It is used as an admission criterion at most colleges.

SAT II

Multiple choice subject tests used to measure knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge. Up to three subject tests can be required and are used for placement purposes as well as admission.

Semester

An academic calendar that divides the year into two equal semesters with a shorter summer term. Two semesters constitute an academic year.

Social Sciences

Subjects that deal systematically with institutions of human society, most notably economics and political sciences. The behavioral sciences, which include psychology, sociology, and anthropology, are often included in this group as well.

Teaching Assistant (TA)

A graduate student who assists a professor in the presentation of a course. Usually the professor gives 2-4 lectures a week for all of the students in the class and the TA holds smaller weekly discussions sessions

Three-Two Program

A program in which students can study three years at one school followed by two at another, more specialized school (very common for combining liberal arts with engineering).

Trimester

An academic calendar that divides the school year into three terms of approximately equal length. Schools on the trimester system generally have one term before the winter break and two after.

Tutorial Major (a.k.a. Self-Designed or Special Major)

A program offered by many schools in which students can plan their own majors, combining the offerings of two or more traditional majors.

Undergraduate Programs

Programs that can be entered directly from high school. These are the programs that lead to Associate and/or Bachelor's degrees

University

Generally offers a broad range of both undergraduate and graduate degree programs and can vary considerably in size and in the diversity of the programs they offer. Universities are generally larger than other types of colleges.

Upper-Division College

These schools generally offer the last two years of undergraduate study, usually in specialized programs leading to the bachelor's degree.

Wait List

A list of students who are not initially accepted but who may be depending upon the number of accepted students who enroll. Most colleges ultimately accept only fraction of the students on this list and they are notified during the summer.

Work-Study

On-campus jobs that can be subsidized by the federal government but can also be open for non-U.S. citizens. Students typically work 10-20 hours per week to help finance their education.