ACT - The American College Testing Program's for high school students, used by colleges and universities for admissions. It consists of four parts: English, math, reading, and science reasoning.
Advanced Placement (AP)- The Advanced Placement program offers more than 30 college level courses at high schools across the USA and Canada. Through AP college-level courses and exams, students can often earn college
credit and advanced placement.
Arts & Sciences - The liberal arts division of the
college (usually the largest division). Liberal arts are not
engineering, business, pharmacy, or nursing. They consist of the
humanities; physical, life, and natural sciences; math; and social
science disciplines. Many students apply to the arts and sciences
division.
California Scholarship Federation (CSF) -
Membership in California Scholarship Federation (CSF) is based on
grades earned the previous semester (A=3 points, B=1, AP B=2). To
qualify, students must earn 10 points from specific courses and return
an application (which can be obtained from the high school counseling
office), copy of the report card, and $2 to the counseling office
within the first two weeks of each semester. If the student is a member
of CSF four times, including once in the senior year, he/she will be
recognized as a Gold Seal Bearer at graduation. It is important to
adhere to deadlines as retroactive applications will not be accepted.
Candidate's Reply Date - May l has been designated as
the date by which all students must make a commitment to the SINGLE
college he or she will attend in the fall.
CEEB - The six-digit high school code most colleges
may ask for is called a CEEB (College Entrance Examination Board) code.
Your high school counselor will have this information.
College Board- The agency that administers the SAT, SAT Subject tests, and AP exams.
College Representative or Admission Officer - Many
colleges send admission officers to high schools to promote their
schools and introduce their programs to prospective students. Make sure
you attend the visit when the representative comes to your high school.
College Scholarship Service (CSS) - The division of
the College Board responsible for the PROFILE and the needs analysis
that determines the family's contribution toward payment of a student's
education.
Common Application - The Common Application is a form
that can be used to apply to over 200 private colleges; college
applicants need to fill out only one form. Duplicates of the form serve
as applications to participating colleges.
Consortium- An arrangement between two or more schools for the sharing of faculties, facilities, and/or programs. Example Claremont colleges: Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Pitzer, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer.
Cross-registration- A system whereby students enrolled at one institution may take courses at another institution without having to apply to that school.
CSS Profile- A financial aid form administered by the College Board (required by many private schools.
Deferred Admission - A process by which seniors
apply for and are accepted for admission to colleges during their
senior year of high school, but choose to enter as freshmen after a
one-year absence from school. A deferred admission is a commitment on
the part of the college to take the student; a deferred acceptance is a
commitment on the part of the student to attend after one year. Check
with the college for specifics on deferring your enrollment.
Deposit - An amount of money that a student must send
to the college once he or she has been accepted. The deposit indicates
that the student accepts the college's offer and will enroll.
Distance Learning- A program of study in which a student takes college courses by correspondence, electronically by computer link or by video link with a traditional classroom.
Dual Degree- A program of study in which a student receives two degrees from the same institution.
Early Action - This is a decision plan allowing
students to apply to college early in the fall. The college responds
with an admission decision usually by mid-December. It differs from
Early Decision because Early Action is non-binding. Check with the
schools to which you are applying to see which decision plans they
offer.
Early Decision (ED) - This is an early application
process that involves a binding agreement on the part of the student.
If a student is admitted under ED, he or she agrees to enroll at a
particular college and to withdraw all other applications in process at
other schools.
ELC (Eligibility in the Local Context)- One of three paths to freshman eligibility at the University of California. Under ELC, the top 4 percent of students in each California high school class are designated UC-eligible based on completion of high school coursework.
EOP (Educational Opportunity Program)- An academic and economic support program for applicants not normally admissible due to academic or economic disadvantages.
ETS - The Educational Testing Service is a nonprofit agency employed by the CEEB to produce the SAT and SAT subject tests.
FAFSA - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, which is available online, must be submitted for a student to receive federal financial aid.
4-4-1 System- An academic calendar consisting of two semesters plus a short session for nontratditional study programs. The short session may be called a May Term.
4-1-4 System- An academic calendar consisting of two semesters separated by a short intersession (usually in January).
GPA (Grade Point Average)- The translation of a student's letter grades into a numberic system. Most commonly, A=4, B=3, C=2. D=1. Weighted grades for AP's, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=1.
Grant - An amount of money given (rather than loaned or earned) to a student for a specified time of study or research. Certain grants are based on need, as are the federal Pell Grant and state grants.
Guaranteed Tuition- A program that guarantees to qualified students that their tuition for each succeeding year of college will not increase above their first-year rate.
Loans - The most commonly used loans are: Federal
Stafford Loan- Obtained from a local bank, with the interest paid by
the federal government while the student attends college. Repayment
begins six months after completing (or leaving) college. Federal
Perkins Loan- Carries the lowest interest rates and is offered through
the college as part of a financial aid package. Parent Loan Program
(PLUS)- Parents borrow from participating banks; repayment begins 60
days after inception of the loan.
Major - A subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
Merit Scholarships - Money given to students to cover
college expenses without regard for financial need, such as athletic
scholarships, academic scholarships, music scholarships, etc.
NACAC - The National Association for College
Admission Counseling is a professional organization of college
admission counselors and high school guidance counselors who set
standards and goals by which admission professionals work.
National Merit Scholarship Program - This program
offers qualified students scholarships on the basis of PSAT scores,
course work, grades, leadership, interests, goals, and school
recommendations.
NCAA Clearinghouse - This agency certifies that
athletes hoping to play Division I or II sports in college have met
minimal academic requirements. It's suggested that student-athletes
register with the NCAA in September of the senior year.
Need-Based Aid- College-funded or college-administered award from institutional, state, federal, or other sources for which a student must have financial need to qualify.
Need-Blind Admission- An admission process that does not consider an applicant's ability to pay as a factor in the admissions decision.
NMSQT - The National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
is the PSAT (Preliminary Student Aptitude Test). Scores on the PSAT are
used by the National Merit Scholarship Program, in combination with
other student attributes, to determine scholarship recipients.
PROFILE - The form used by the College Scholarship
Service (CSS) to assess a family's ability to pay for a college
education. After information is analyzed, a complete report is sent to
institutions designated by the student. Need-based financial aid is
awarded according to the results. You must register with CSS (online)
to begin the PROFILE registration process.
PSAT - Preliminary SAT, the qualifying test for National Merit Scholarship consideration when taken in October of the junior year.
Regular Decision - This is the most common
admission program. Applications for admission are due sometime between
October l and January l5 at most colleges; applicants are notified of
their admission status between February 1 and April l5.
Rolling Admission - With many state universities that
operate with Rolling Admission, the earlier you apply, the better the
chance for acceptance. As soon as applications arrive at a college, the
admission office starts reading them and making decisions--often within
three or four weeks. Usually, if you are accepted under this plan, you
will not have to commit until May l.
SAT - The abbreviation for the standardized college entrance test offered by the College Board.
SAT Subject Tests - A series of l6 subject-area exams
sponsored by the College Board and administered by the Educational
Testing Service. Students may take one, two, or three exams on any test
date. Test subjects include areas such as English Literature, American
History, World History, Math I or II, Latin, Foreign Language, Biology,
Chemistry, and Physics. Tests are scored on a scale of 200-800.
Information about these tests can be obtained from the high school
guidance office or online at www.collegeboard.org.
Scholarship - Money given to students demonstrating
high academic achievement, outstanding leadership, or special interests
or talents. This money may be used for payment of all or part of
college expenses and is not required to be paid back.
Single Choice Early Action - This is a decision plan
allowing students to apply to ONE college early in the fall. The
college responds with an admission decision usually by mid-December. It
differs from Early Decision because Early Action is non-binding. Check
with the schools to which you are applying to see which decision plans
they offer.
Student Aid Report (SAR) - The form sent to families
after submission of the FAFSA. The SAR will include the government's
calculation of the Expected Family Contribution, a figure that will be
sent to each college for determination of aid.
3-2 Program- A cooperative academic program whereby a student attends one institution for three years and another for two, and is granted two degrees.
TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language,
which is offered to assess knowledge of written and spoken English for
students whose native language is not English.
Transcript - The official record from a school showing
the student's grade records, list of courses taken, and cumulative
Grade Point Average. An official transcript, sent directly from the
high school to the college admission office, is always required for a
student to be admitted.
Trimester System- A calendar in which the academic year is divided into three units. Sometimes called the quarter system.
Wait List - The number of qualified candidates at a
selective college who initially receive neither a letter of acceptance
nor a letter of denial, but who may be offered a place in the freshman
class after the Candidates' Reply Date, if the class is nor filled by
those initially offered admission. Some colleges may go to the Wait
List as late as July or even August. Students who receive a Wait List
letter may be asked if they want to remain on it.
Work-Study - A special federally sponsored college
program combining class hours and work hours on the campus. Pay is
usually minimum wage or slightly above for approximately l0-l5 hours
per week. The earnings from the job are used as part of a financial aid
plan to help pay for tuition and other college expenses.