Here's a helpful list of terms I found on the
College Board's College Admission Glossary: Learn the Lingo
What’s
a transcript? What's the difference between early action and early
decision? When applying to college, you are bound to come across
unfamiliar terms. This glossary can help you make sense of all the
information you’re sorting through.
ACT
A standardized college admission test. It features four main
sections: English, math, reading and science — and an optional essay
section.
Admission Tests
Also known as college entrance exams, these are tests designed to
measure students’ skills and help colleges evaluate how ready students
are for college-level work. The ACT and the College Board’s SAT are two
standardized admission tests used in the United States. The word
"standardized" means that the test measures the same thing in the same
way for everyone who takes it. Read more about
admission tests.
Articulation Agreement
An agreement between two-year and four-year colleges that makes it
easier to transfer credits between them. It spells out which courses
count for degree credit and the grades you need to earn to get credit.
Candidates Reply Date Agreement (CRDA)
An agreement many colleges follow that gives applicants until May 1
to accept or decline offers of admission. This agreement gives students
time to get responses from most of the colleges they have applied to
before deciding on one.
Class Rank
A measurement of how your academic achievement compares with that of
other students in your grade. This number is usually determined by using
a weighted GPA that takes into account both your grades and the
difficulty of the courses you’ve taken.
College Application Essay
An essay that a college requires students to write and submit as part
of their application. Some colleges offer applicants specific questions
to answer, while others simply ask applicants to write about
themselves. Colleges may refer to this as a “personal statement.” Learn
more about
college application essays.
College Credit
What you get when you successfully complete a college-level course.
You need a certain number of credits to graduate with a degree. Colleges
may also grant credit for scores on exams, such as those offered by
College Board’s AP Program® and CLEP. Learn more about
AP and
CLEP.
Common Application
A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are members
of the Common Application association. You can fill out this
application once and submit it to any one — or several — of the 475-plus
colleges that accept it. Go to the
Common Application.
Deferred Admission
Permission from a college that has accepted you to postpone enrolling
in the college. The postponement is usually for up to one year.
Early Action (EA)
An option to submit your applications before the regular deadlines.
When you apply early action, you get admission decisions from colleges
earlier than usual. Early action plans are not binding, which means that
you do not have to enroll in a college if you are accepted early
action. Some colleges have an early action option called EA II, which
has a later application deadline than their regular EA plan. Learn more
about
applying early.
Early Decision (ED)
An option to submit an application to your first-choice college
before the regular deadline. When you apply early decision, you get an
admission decision earlier than usual. Early decision plans are binding.
You agree to enroll in the college immediately if admitted and offered a
financial aid package that meets your needs. Some colleges have an
early decision option called ED II, which has a later application
deadline than their regular ED plan. Learn more about
applying early.
Financial Aid
Money given or loaned to you to help pay for college. Financial aid
can come from federal and state governments, colleges, and private
organizations. Learn more about
financial aid.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
A number that shows overall academic performance. It’s computed by
assigning a point value to each grade you earn. See also Weighted Grade
Point Average.
Legacy Applicant
A college applicant with a relative (usually a parent or grandparent)
who graduated from that college. Some colleges give preference to
legacy applicants (also called “legacies”).
Need-Blind Admission
A policy of making admission decisions without considering the
financial circumstances of applicants. Colleges that use this policy may
not offer enough financial aid to meet a student’s full need.
Open Admission
A policy of accepting any high school graduate, no matter what his or
her grades are, until all spaces in the incoming class are filled.
Almost all two-year community colleges have an open-admission policy.
However, a college with a general open-admission policy may have
admission requirements for certain programs.
Placement Tests
Tests that measure the academic skills needed for college-level work.
They cover reading, writing, math and sometimes other subjects.
Placement test results help determine what courses you are ready for and
whether you would benefit from remedial classes. Read more about
placement tests.
Priority Date or Deadline
The date by which your application — whether it’s for college
admission, student housing or financial aid — must be received to be
given the strongest consideration.
Registrar
The college official who registers students. The registrar may also
be responsible for keeping permanent records and maintaining your
student file.
Rolling Admission
An admission policy of considering each application as soon as all
required information (such as high school records and test scores) has
been received, rather than setting an application deadline and reviewing
applications in a batch. Colleges that use a rolling admission policy
usually notify applicants of admission decisions quickly.
SAT
The College Board’s standardized college admission test. It features
three main sections: math, reading and writing, which includes a written
essay. Learn more about the
SAT.
SAT Subject Tests
Hour-long, content-based college admission tests that allow you to
showcase achievement in specific subject areas: English, history, math,
science and languages. Some colleges use Subject Tests to place students
into the appropriate courses as well as in admission decisions. Based
on your performance on the test(s), you could potentially fulfill basic
requirements or earn credit for introductory-level courses. Read about
SAT Subject Tests.
Sophomore Standing
The status of a second-year student. A college may grant sophomore
standing to an incoming freshman if he or she has earned college credits
through courses, exams or other programs.
Transcript
The official record of your course work at a school or college. Your
high school transcript is usually required for college admission and for
some financial aid packages.
Transfer Student
A student who enrolls in a college after having attended another college.
Undergraduate
A college student who is working toward an associate or a bachelor's degree.
Universal College Application
A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are
Universal College Application members. You can fill out this application
once and submit it to any one — or several — of the 44 colleges that
accept it. Go to the
Universal College Application.
Waiting List
The list of applicants who may be admitted to a college if space
becomes available. Colleges wait to hear if all the students they
accepted decide to attend. If students don’t enroll and there are empty
spots, a college may fill them with students who are on the waiting
list. Learn more about
waiting lists.
Weighted Grade Point Average (GPA)
A grade point average that’s calculated using a system that assigns a
higher point value to grades in more-difficult classes. For example,
some high schools assign the value of 5.0 (instead of the standard 4.0)
for an A earned in an AP class. See how to
convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale.
