Terms: 0-10 A-C D-F G-M N-R S-Z
2+2 Program: A program in which a community college and a four-year college or university form a partnership to allow a student to complete an associate’s degree at the community college and then complete a bachelor's degree at four-year college in another two years.
3-2 Program: A formal, double-degree, undergraduate program that is run by two separate colleges or universities that have formed a partnership program in the designated area(s). The student studies for three years at one school followed by two years at the other school. At the end of the five-year period, the student is awarded two different bachelor's degrees, one from each school.
Acceptance Letter: After the review of submitted credentials, colleges issue acceptance letters to students offering them the opportunity to enroll in the class for the next school year. These letters are ALL conditional, meaning final acceptance depends on the submission of the end-of-the-year transcript that exhibits an academic performance commensurate with that exhibited at the time the original application materials were submitted. Colleges also expect that there will be no significant changes in the extracurricular and behavioral records of the applicant.
Accreditation: Official recognition that the education provided by a college or university meets acceptable levels of quality. In the United States, accreditation involves non-governmental entities as well as governmental agencies.
ACT® Test: A standardized test administered by ACT that measures proficiency in English, mathematics, social studies and the natural sciences. Scores range from 1 to 36, with 36 as the highest. Most colleges accept scores from either the ACT® or SAT®.
Additional Score Report (ASR): A report that allows a student to send a standardized test score to colleges, universities and scholarship agencies in addition to any schools selected to receive test scores that the student may have designated when he or she registered for the test. There is typically a fee involved.
Advanced Placement Program® (AP®): Gives high school students the opportunity to take college-level courses in a high school setting. Many colleges award credit or advanced placement to students with a qualifying grade on AP Exams, which are administered by The College Board. AP Exams are graded 1 to 5, with 5 as the highest.
Alternative Assessment/Holistic Assessment: A more personalized admissions process used by some colleges and universities which offers students an opportunity to be viewed more individually and holistically. More emphasis is placed on portfolios, recommendations, interviews and essays rather than standardized test scores or GPAs.
Application Fee: Some colleges and universities require applicants to pay a non-refundable fee in order to apply to their school. Under certain circumstances, students may be able to have the fee waived. Students who feel they may qualify for an application fee waiver should discuss this with their counselor/advisor.
Appeal: If a student is denied admission to a college or university, he or she can ask for the admissions committee to review his or her application again. Some schools will allow applicants who have been denied admission to provide new and compelling information that could improve their chances of getting in, like updated grades, new standardized test scores, additional achievements/accomplishments or additional, significant references. The appeals process will vary from school to school, so contact the admissions office to find out what their process entails.
Associate Degree: A degree granted by a college or university to students who have completed a two-year program and is equivalent to the first two years of study for a Bachelor degree. Types of Associate degrees include Associate of Arts (AA), which is granted to students who have completed a two-year program in liberal arts, Associate of Science (AS), which is granted to students who have completed a two-year program in the sciences and Associate of Applied Science (AAS), which is granted to students who have completed a technical or vocational program.
Award Letter: Notifies a student that financial aid is being offered from a college or university. The award letter typically provides information about the types and amounts of financial aid being offered, as well as specific program information, student responsibilities and the conditions that govern the award. The student is required to accept, decline or request an appeal to modify the financial aid award.
Bachelor or Baccalaureate Degree: A degree granted by a college or university to students who have completed a four-year program. Types of Bachelor degree programs include the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Sciences (BS).
Candidates Reply Date Agreement: Allows students to defer commitment to enroll decisions at participating colleges until May 1, giving them time to get responses regarding admissions and aid awards from schools they have applied to before making a final decision.
College Fair: A gathering of representatives of post-secondary institutions that allows students to interact with admissions officers to discuss course offerings, admission and financial aid requirements, general college life, and other information pertinent to the college selection, application, admissions and financial aid processes.
College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP): A standardized proficiency test administered by The College Board that gives students the opportunity to receive college credit by earning qualifying scores on any of 34 examinations.
College Representative: A delegate from a college or university whose job it is to meet with prospective students to provide information and answer questions about the school.
Common Application and Universal College Applications: College applications that students can complete and submit to any college or university that will accept them. The schools that accept these applications weigh them equally with their own application forms. Some schools may ask the student to fill out a supplementary form and students who elect to use the Common Application or Universal College Application should be careful to check for those required supplements.
Commuter Student: Any student who does not live on campus, whether they live at home with their parents or in their own apartment/home.
Co-Operative Education (Co-Op): In cooperative education programs, students spend time working in a job related to their major in addition to regular classroom study. Eligibility requirements for co-op programs vary from school to school.
Cost of Attendance: The figure established by a college or university that represents the true cost for a student for one academic year—includes tuition, room, board, books, fees, and living/transportation costs. Room, board, books, fees, living/transportation costs can vary depending on specific student programs, etc.
Credit Hour: The value assigned to a college course. Generally, one credit hour equals one hour of class per week.
Cross-Registration: The practice in which students enrolled at one college or university are allowed to enroll in courses at another college or university without formally applying for admission to the second school.
CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®: A supplemental financial aid form, processed by The College Board, which is used by some colleges, universities and scholarship programs to determine eligibility for nonfederal financial aid.
Defer: The student will not receive his or her final decision until a later decision date. It isn’t a “No”—it will later become an “Admit,” “Deny” or “Wait List.”
Demonstrated Need: The difference between the calculated EFC (expected family contribution) and the cost of attendance is called demonstrated need. This is calculated one year at a time and it is based on an assessment of all financial data required by a given college as a student/family applies for financial aid for an academic year. Schools will be able to tell students what portion of demonstrated need they are able to meet in any given year.
Deny: The college or university has decided not to grant the student admission to the school.
Dependent Student: A student who relies on financial support from his or her parents or guardians. When filing for federal student aid, dependent students must report their parents' or guardians’ yearly income and assets on their aid application. For more information on how the federal government defines dependency status, go here.
Dual Enrollment: Dual enrollment allows a student to earn college credits while still in high school. These course credits can be transferred to a degree-granting institution, depending on the policy of the college or university.
Early Action: Early Action has earlier application deadlines and earlier notification dates than the regular admissions process. It does not require that the student commit to attending the school if accepted.
Early Decision: If a student meets all entrance requirements and is certain of the college he or she wishes to attend, he or she could apply Early Decision. The decision regarding admission is made generally by mid-December of the student's senior year in high school, as opposed to the regular admissions notification of late March/mid-April. The decision is considered binding. If admitted, the student has agreed to attend the college offering the Early Decision admission. Only some colleges have an Early Decision option.
Early Decision II: Early Decision II is essentially the same as Early Decision except it has a later application deadline and admissions decision date.
English as a Second Language (ESL): the use or study of English by speakers with a different native language.
Essay: See Personal Statement
Expected Family Contribution (EFC): The amount of money that a family is expected to be able to contribute toward the student’s education for the next school year. This amount is determined by applying the ‘federal methodology needs analysis’ (based on information submitted on the FAFSA form) as determined by Congress. This amount could vary from year to year depending on the family’s financial circumstances.
