College Admission Terminology Glossary
Undergraduate Admissions Terminology
Application Deadline: The date by which all application materials must be submitted. Deadlines vary by college and type of application (e.g., Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision)
Advanced Placement (AP): A program administered by the College Board that offers high school students college-level courses and exams in various subjects. Students can earn college credit, advanced placement, or both at many colleges and universities based on their performance on AP exams. Each course is designed to provide rigorous academic challenges and prepare students for higher education. Popular AP courses include AP Calculus, AP Biology, and AP English Literature. The exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with scores of 3 or higher often qualifying for college credit, depending on the institution’s policies.
Admissions Decision: The outcome of a college application process, communicated to the applicant by the college or university. Admissions decisions typically fall into one of several categories:
- Accepted/Admitted: The student is offered a place in the incoming class.
- Denied/Rejected: The student’s application has not been successful, and they are not offered admission.
- Waitlisted: The student is placed on a list of potential admits. They may be offered a spot if other admitted students decline their offers.
- Deferred: For early applicants (Early Action or Early Decision), the college postpones the decision to the Regular Decision round for further review.
Conditional Admission: Admission is granted contingent upon meeting specific requirements, such as completing additional coursework or achieving a particular GPA.
Rolling Admission Decision: For colleges with rolling admissions, decisions are communicated soon after the application is submitted and reviewed.
These decisions are usually shared via online portals, email, or physical letters.
Admissions Interview: A formal or informal conversation between a college applicant and a representative of the college, such as an admissions officer, alumnus, or current student. The purpose of the interview is to assess the applicant’s qualifications, interests, and fit for the institution, as well as to give the applicant an opportunity to learn more about the college.
Types of admissions interviews include:
- Evaluative Interviews: These are used as part of the admissions process to help the college assess the applicant. Performance during the interview may impact the admissions decision.
- Informational Interviews: These are non-evaluative and designed to allow applicants to ask questions and learn more about the college.
An admissions interview is an opportunity for applicants to make a personal impression, showcase their enthusiasm for the school, and provide context beyond their written application materials.
Early Action (EA): A non-binding application process where students apply earlier and receive decisions sooner. Students are not obligated to attend if admitted.
Restrictive Early Action or Single Choice Early Action (SCEA): A type of early application process offered by some highly selective colleges, such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Princeton. SCEA is ideal for students who have a clear first-choice college and a strong application ready early but want to keep their options open for other colleges.
Early Decision (ED): A binding application process where students commit to attending the college if admitted. Students may apply to only one college under ED.
Regular Decision: The standard application process with later deadlines, typically in January or February, with decisions announced in the spring.
Rolling Admissions: Applications are reviewed as they are submitted, with no firm deadline. Decisions are typically provided on a rolling basis.
Deferred Admission: A decision by the college to evaluate a student’s application in a later admission cycle, often moving it from Early Action or Early Decision to Regular Decision.
Waitlist: A list of applicants who may be offered admission if spaces become available after the initial enrollment decisions.
Supplemental Essay: Additional essays required by some colleges beyond the main personal statement. These often address specific questions about the college or the applicant’s goals.
Profile Building: The process of strategically developing a student’s academic, extracurricular, and personal achievements over time to present a strong, cohesive, and authentic application to colleges. This involves aligning a student’s experiences, skills, and passions with their goals and the expectations of competitive colleges.
Demonstrated Interest: Actions showing a student’s interest in a college, such as campus visits, attending informational sessions, or engaging with admissions staff.
Yield: The percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll at a college. At Brown last year, for example, the acceptance rate was 5.4% and the yield rate was 85%.
Test-Blind: An admissions policy where standardized test scores are not considered at all, even if submitted by the applicant.
Test-Optional: A policy that allows applicants to decide whether to submit standardized test scores, such as the SAT or ACT, as part of their application. Under this policy, students who choose not to submit test scores are not penalized, and their applications are evaluated based on other components, such as grades, essays, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation.
Admissions Portal: An online platform where applicants can track the status of their applications, view decisions, and upload additional materials.
Fee Waiver: A request to waive application fees based on financial need or special circumstances.
Rejection Letter: An official notice that an applicant has not been admitted to the college.
Transfer Application: An application process for students seeking to move from one college to another.
Admissions Counseling Terms
College List: A curated list of colleges a student is considering applying to, often categorized by safety, match, and reach schools.
Safety School: A college where a student’s academic credentials exceed the institution’s average requirements, making admission highly likely.
Match School: A college where a student’s academic credentials align closely with the institution’s average requirements.
Reach School: A college where a student’s academic credentials fall below the institution’s average requirements, making admission less likely but still possible.
Personal Statement: A narrative essay required in college applications, often part of the Common Application or Coalition Application. It allows students to highlight their personality, experiences, and goals.
Recommendation Letter (Rec Letter): A letter written by a teacher, counselor, or mentor highlighting a student’s strengths, character, and accomplishments.
Extracurriculars: Activities outside the classroom, such as sports, clubs, or volunteering, that reflect a student’s interests, skills, and commitments.
Holistic Review: An admissions process that evaluates the whole applicant, including academics, extracurriculars, essays, and personal background.
Counselor Report: A form completed by a high school counselor providing context about a student’s academic performance and school environment.
Academic Rigor: The level of challenge presented by a student’s high school courses, such as AP, IB, or honors classes.
Gap Year: A year taken off between high school and college for personal growth, travel, work, or other experiences.
Common Application: A standardized college application platform used by many colleges to streamline the process.
Coalition Application: An alternative to the Common Application that offers a platform for applying to colleges.
Admissions Strategy: A plan developed by students and counselors to maximize chances of admission, considering application timing, college list, and essay focus.
College/University Terminology
Bachelor’s Degree: An undergraduate degree typically requiring four years of study, awarded upon completion of a specific number of credits.
Associate’s Degree: A two-year degree often earned at community colleges, preparing students for the workforce or further education.
Undergraduate Student: A student pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
Graduate Student: A student pursuing advanced degrees like master’s or doctoral programs.
Major: A student’s primary field of study, often requiring a specific number of courses or credits.
Minor: A secondary concentration of courses, requiring fewer credits than a major.
Liberal Arts College: A college focused on undergraduate education in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences.
Research University: A university emphasizing graduate programs and research opportunities.
Residency Requirement: The number of credits that must be earned directly from a college to graduate.
Registrar: The office responsible for maintaining student academic records and managing course registration.
Credit Hour: A unit of measurement for coursework, typically representing one hour of instruction per week over a semester.
Core Curriculum: A set of required courses that all students must take, regardless of their major.
Elective: A course that is not required but chosen by the student to meet graduation credit requirements.
Campus Housing: On-campus accommodations provided for students, often including dormitories or apartments.
Study Abroad: Programs allowing students to study at institutions in other countries for a semester or year.
Commencement: The graduation ceremony where degrees are conferred.
Office Hours: Designated times when professors are available to meet with students for assistance or discussion.
Alumni Network: A group of graduates who maintain connections with their alma mater and each other.
Academic Probation: A status given to students whose academic performance falls below a certain threshold.
Honors Program: A program for high-achieving students offering advanced coursework and opportunities.
Financial Aid Terminology
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): The form students fill out to apply for federal and state financial aid, as well as some institutional aid.
CSS Profile: An application required by certain colleges to determine eligibility for non-federal financial aid.
Grants: Need-based financial aid that does not need to be repaid (e.g., Pell Grant).
Scholarships: Merit-based or need-based awards that do not need to be repaid.
Loans: Borrowed money that must be repaid with interest, including federal and private loan options.
Work-Study: A federal program that provides part-time employment opportunities to students with financial need.
EFC (Expected Family Contribution): The amount a family is expected to contribute to the cost of education, calculated after submitting the FAFSA.
COA (Cost of Attendance): The total cost of attending college, including tuition, room and board, books, and other expenses.
Need-Based Aid: Financial aid awarded based on a family’s financial situation.
Merit-Based Aid: Financial aid awarded for academic, athletic, or artistic achievements, regardless of financial need.
Award Letter: A document from a college outlining the financial aid package offered to a student.
Net Price Calculator: An online tool that estimates the actual cost of attending a college after financial aid.
Subsidized Loans: Federal loans where the government pays the interest while the student is in school.
Unsubsidized Loans: Federal loans where interest accrues while the student is in school.
Parent PLUS Loan: A federal loan that parents of dependent students can take out to help pay for college.
Loan Servicer: The company responsible for managing loan repayment.
Dependency Status: Determines whether a student is considered independent or dependent on their parents for financial aid purposes.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): The academic standards students must meet to continue receiving financial aid.
Disbursement: The process of financial aid funds being sent to the college.
Institutional Aid: Financial aid provided directly by a college or university.
State Grants: Financial aid programs offered by individual states, often requiring a separate application.