Acceptance Letter: This form documents the student's receipt of an award letter. The form usually includes a space to indicate acceptance of offered aid, declination of all or part of the package, and some means for requesting an appeal to modify the award. Acceptance letters and award letters are frequently combined into a single document.
Accreditation: Schools submit to accreditation by an authorized agency in order to be recognized as having a meaningful and rigor learning program. In order for students to qualify for government financial aid programs, the school of choice must be accredited. Also, many employers will not recognize degrees from non-accredited schools.
Admit-Deny: Some schools will admit marginal students, but not award them any financial aid. Very few schools use admit-deny.
Advanced Placement (AP):It is possible for you to obtain credits toward a college or university program while you are still in high school. The AP program is a series of internationally recognized exams that allow you obtain credit or exemption for many subjects. Advanced Placement exams are offered for many subjects including English, Calculus, History, Psychology, some foreign languages, Studio Art and more. The College Board oversees the Advanced Placement program and exams.
Application Packet: The entire packet being submitted for review by admissions representatives at a school. Applications can include the actual application form, transcripts, letters of recommendation, test scores, essays, and so forth. There is a fine line between working to impress and piling on in a packet. Admissions officials often say, “The heavier the packet, the quicker it falls to the bottom.” The moral being, give support without being repetitive and wasting reviewers’ time.
Associate Degree: A degree that is granted to a student who has completed a two-year program (approximately 60 units). An Associate degree can be referred to as any of the following: AA, AS, AAS. These are the degrees most often conferred by community colleges.
Award Letter: This is the notification of what financial aid is being offered. The award letter usually provides information about the types and amounts of aid offered, as well as specific program information, student responsibilities, and the conditions of the award. The Award Letter often includes an Acceptance Form that must be completed.
Bachelors Degree: This is the degree that is referred to as an ‘undergraduate degree’. There are a variety of options such as a BA, BS, and so forth. Typically the units required vary by school and program but range between 120-130 semester units.
Campus-based Programs: The term commonly applied to those U.S. Department of Education federal student aid programs administered directly by institutions of postsecondary education. Includes: Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Federal Work-Study (FWS) programs.
Catalog: Colleges and universities post all their programs, policies, course descriptions and such in the catalog. You will want to get a copy of this catalog and refer to it regularly once you have decided on the school you will be attending. While you are in the search and choice phase, you will be able to use the online versions to get the information you need. Typically, catalogs get updated every 1-2 years, but you are held to the catalog that was in force when you enrolled.
Common Application: This application is a form of universal application that many schools across the country use as their admissions application in an effort to streamline the application process. Some schools will specify that only the common application is accepted, while other schools give applicants the choice as to submitting the common or school application. Do not submit both for any one school. It is not universally beneficial to use either application, so the decision is on a case-by-case basis as to which form of application is best.
Commuter Student: A student who does not live on campus; typically 'commuter' refers to a student living at home with his or her parents, but can also mean any student who lives off-campus.
Concurrent Enrollment: A student is enrolled in more than one school at a time. This is an option for students in high school as well as college. Many community colleges allow high school students to enroll in classes on campus with counselor approval. These programs usually do not allow for double credit (high school and college), but credit earned for college can provide advanced standing in the same way AP credit does. This is an excellent option when high school AP programs are lacking.
Credit Hour: The unit of measurement some institutions give for fulfilling course requirements. A credit in a school or college, usually representing one hour of class per week for one term. Also referred to as unit.
Community College is a U.S. public nonresidential junior college offering a two-year curriculum leading to an associate in arts degree or to transfer to a four-year college. It is often funded by the government and prepares students for direct entry into an occupation and, because of the low tuition, local setting, and relatively easy entry requirements, has been a major force in the expansion of educational opportunities since World War II.
Colleges: Colleges are smaller schools that offer a wide variety of programs. Colleges are very similar to universities in that they also offer a large number of programs. Many colleges grant diplomas or certificates, rather than degrees.
Deposit: Once you have received acceptances and award letters, you will need to formally accept the award of admission and financial aid. Typical when an offer is accepted you will be required to submit a deposit on your tuition. Do not assume your financial aid award will cover the deposit. This deposit is different from any housing deposit that may be required.
Diploma Mill: Term used to describe institutions that claim to give credit based on life experiences. Typically, an applicant pays a fee, waits a period of time for a review process, and then is granted a degree without coursework (or very little coursework). Student are then conferred a degree after another fee is paid. These programs have no credibility can could potentially cause you to lose employment opportunities.
Distance Education: If you do not want to attend a school in person or if you do not live near an institution, it is still possible for you to complete a program. Many universities and colleges offer distance education programs. A growing movement is towards online courses through the Internet using the Web and E-mail. If you are interested in a distance education program, search the school website and/or contact the school's admissions or distance education office for details. Also known as Distributed Learning.
Early Action: An early action program has earlier deadlines and earlier notification dates than the regular admissions process. Unlike the Early Decision program, the early action program does not require that a student commit to attending the school if admitted. Some programs have limits and restrictions and are therefore termed Restricted Early Action. The restrictions in these cases will be explained in the application packet and can be explained by admissions representatives if questions remain.
Early Admission: Procedure used by colleges that allows gifted high-school juniors to skip their senior year and enroll instead in college. Students finish the last of their high school requirements while concurrently working on entry-level college work. Not to be confused with Early Action and Early Decision programs.
Early Decision: Some colleges offer the option of an early decision to students who meet all entrance requirements, who are certain they want to attend that school in particular, and who are likely to be accepted by that college. Students must indicate their desire for Early Decision by properly completing the applicable section of the application. Admissions decisions are then made by mid-December of the student's senior year in high school, rather than April.
It is critical that students understand that participating in an Early Decision program means that they are making a commitment to attend that school if accepted, and they need to commit to a school before they find out about the financial aid packet. A student can apply early decision to only one school.
Employer Assistance: While there are a variety of forms of employer assistance, reimbursement is the most common type. An employee enrolls in a course that is relevant to their position, and completes the class. When the grades are posted the employer reimburses the employee for the course cost, often based on the grade earned.
Exchange Program: Student exchange programs are usually thought of as foreign study programs where students live and study in another country for a specific time, but exchange programs exist between universities and colleges within the country as well. For example, Muir College at UCSD has an exchange with Dartmouth. The length of program can vary from a few weeks to a full year. If you are interested in such programs, contact student development or student life on campus for specific information.
Entrance Exams: Both the SAT and ACT tests are traditionally viewed as the college entrance exams. The ETS runs the SAT program, including SAT I, which is the math, language, and writing exam, as well as the SAT II which is the subject area exams. The ACT covers English, Reading, Writing, Math, and Science. Many schools accept either exam, but you need to consult each school for specifics.
FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form used by the U.S. Department of Education to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) by conducting a “need analysis” based on financial information, such as income, assets and other household information, which you (and your parents if you are a dependent student) will be asked to provide.
Full Time Student is any student who is enrolled in 3-4 classes, depending on specific school policy.
GED: General Education Diploma, also referred to as high school equivalency. Traditionally viewed negatively, more and more students are getting their GED in order to begin college work early.
Guaranteed Admission: Admission policy that ensures that any high school graduate is given admission into the institution. Also known as Open Admission or Open Enrollment.
Graduate School: A school in a university offering study leading to degrees beyond the bachelor's degree. Degrees include, but are not limited to: MA, MS, MBA, M.Ed, PhD, etc.
Grant: Financial assistance that is often viewed as “free money” because repayment of funds is not required. Students must still complete the conditions of the grant in order to retain funds, so it is a little misleading to think of grants as completely free money.
Homeschooling: When a student completes academic work outside of the traditional classroom setting. Once viewed negatively, homeschooling as regained favor in the last decade, and many colleges have taken these situations into account in admissions. If you are homeschooled, you need to contact the admissions representative to understand what documentation considerations you need to be aware of before applying.
Honor Point: Often schools will add a point to the grade earned by students in honors and AP courses to help compensate for the added rigor of such courses. This is the primary reason a student could potentially have more than a 4.0 GPA.
Internship: A position that give students real-world experience in a field. Internships can be paid or unpaid and cover a defined period or continue indefinitely. Some internships allow the student to be granted credit towards degree requirements, see your college advisor for specifics.
Law School: A graduate school offering study leading to a law degree (JD). Admission typically requires the LSAT after undergraduate work is complete.
Load: Total number of units a student is enrolled in during a given term.
Major: The program a student chooses to focus on for their upper level bachelors coursework.
Masters Degree: The initial graduate degree beyond Bachelor degrees. For some schools, Masters degrees are offered individually. Many larger, research universities do not have specific masters programs. Master degrees are then offered to those who complete the initial level of a doctoral program, but do not progress to the dissertation phase.
May 1st: Often referred to as “Decision Day”, it is the universal deadline for students to make their admissions decisions.
Medical School: A graduate school offering study leading to a medical degree (MD). Admission requires the MCAT exam once you have completed undergraduate work.
Minor: A limited program of study in an area outside of the major. Often minors require 18-24 additional units for completion and notation on degrees/transcripts.
Open Admissions: Students are admitted regardless of academic qualifications. A probationary period may be required to allow continued enrollment. Also known as Open Enrollment or Guaranteed Admission.
Open Enrollment: Policy of admitting any high school graduate to college. Also known as Open Admission or Guaranteed Admission.
Online Learning: A specific type of distance learning that is primarily completed via Internet technology. The courses can include traditional reading and writing exercises in addition to discussions, chats, conference calls, and so forth. Online course should not be view as easy, as the course demand are not eased because of the virtual format. Online learning requires that students be more self-directed and focused than traditional classroom formats.
Out-of-State Student: This term applies to students applying to a public college or university. Tuition rates are lower for in-state residents; out-of-state students must pay a higher rate of tuition until they have met the legal residency requirements for the state. The requirement may vary, but the norm is 2 years.
Part Time Student: A student enrolled in 1 or 2 classes per semester.
Part Time Employee is any employee who works for at least 1 hour per week but traditionally less than 40 hours per week (though some companies consider fewer hours – such as 32 - for fulltime classification).
PSAT & NMSQT: A test administered by the College Board that provides practice and feedback for the SAT I (Reasoning) exam. Achieving at the highest levels during the 11th grade year can make a student eligible to continue in the National Merit Scholarship competition.
Quarter Units: Schools on the quarter or other non-traditional schedule will award quarter units for credit. Many programs will request that quarter units get converted to semester units. The conversion rate is to multiply quarter units by 2/3 (.67) to get the semester equivalent.
Remediation: Students who are not fully prepared for college academically are often required to complete remedial classes. The courses are designed to bring the student up to the level required for satisfactory college-level performances. Such courses are usually not granted credit towards graduation. The most common forms of remediation are in English/writing and math skills.
Rolling Admissions: Students' applications are considered when all required documents are received. There is either no deadline or a very late deadline, and qualified students are accepted until classes are filled. Applicants are notified of admission throughout the enrollment period.
Selective Admissions: Procedure used by colleges and universities who admit a set percentage of their applicants for admission. Minimum academic qualifications are required along with other qualitative standards.
Service Learning: Can be a one-time event or a specific set of duties provided on a volunteer basis to improve the community in one way or another. Some high schools require service learning as a graduation requirement, but any form of community service can be considered service learning.
Scholarship: Similar and often used interchangeably with the term grant. It is an award that does not require repayment, but is less likely to be available on a continuing basis as compared to a grant. Scholarships do not have to be repaid as long as students abide by the requirements.
Slam-Dunk School: A college or university view to be a “sure thing” based on admissions policies or the strength of the student’s record.
Stretch School: A school that may or may not accept a given student because of competition or the strength of the student’s record. Also referred to as a dream school.
Student Loans: Government student loan programs typically have annual (yearly) and aggregate (overall total) limits for undergraduate and graduate borrowers. The Stafford program includes loans in the student name and is broken into two categories: subsidized and unsubsidized. A subsidized loan is a loan where you do not have to pay interest while attending school; unsubsidized loans begin to accrue interest as so as they are disbursed. For that reason, subsidized loans are viewed as ‘better’. There are also parent PLUS loans, not in the student name, and private loans (the least favorable option of all).
Trade and Technical Schools: Trade schools small institutions and offer training in a specific trade or vocation. Classes at these schools are typically small and programs can usually be completed in two years or less. Often there are no degree possibilities because the programs end with certificates. However, these schools often help with placement assistance upon program completion.
Transcripts: The record of courses taken and grades earned. Official transcripts are in the form of sealed envelopes and are often printed on special paper to prevent counterfeiting. The official status ends upon opening. Unofficial transcripts include any form of printout that is not on official paper and sealed. Many institutions require that transcripts be mailed directly from the issuing school. After your graduate status as posted to your high school transcript, you will be required to send an official transcript to the school you are attending to verify graduation.
Universities: Institutions of higher education. Universities are larger than colleges, have wider program options, are involved in research, and grant graduate and professional degrees as well as undergraduate degrees.
Weighted Grade Point Average: A weighted GPA counts the honors points earned by a student in AP and honors courses. Usually, high school transcripts will include GPAs for 9-12, 9-12 weighted, 10-12, and 10-12 weighted. Many schools will specify which GPA is to be reported on the application form.
Work Study: A form of financial aid that requires the student work in a given capacity to get funds. Typically, students will work in food services or housing on the university campus while attending classes.
