| Word |
Definition |
| Accreditation |
Recognition of a
college or university by any of the
regional or national accrediting
bodies, indicating that the institution as a whole has been
judged to be meeting its objectives. |
| Admissions Index |
This index uses a formula to combine a student's grade point average with his or her standardized pre-college test scores (ACT or SAT) into a single score or index. Typically, large public universities utilize these to manage a large number of applications. The CSU system uses an index system. |
| Admit or Acceptance Rate |
This is the percentage of students who are accepted out of the total number of students who applied to that college or university. |
| Advanced placement |
Granting of credit and/or
assignment to an advanced college course on the basis of
evidence that the student has mastered the equivalent of
an introductory course. |
| Aid package |
A combination of aid (possibly including a
scholarship, grant, loan and work) determined by a
college financial aid office. |
| Balanced Apply List |
This is a list that has an effective balance of colleges categorized by your individual chances of admission or within Safety (high chance), Target (medium chance), or Reach (low chance) categories. |
| Candidate Notification Date or Common Reply Date |
The date by which a college notifies a student of their
decision, usually April 15. |
| Candidate Reply Date |
The date by which a student
must notify the college of his/her enrollment intentions.
Failure to reply means acceptance will be withdrawn by
the college. (The date is usually May 1.) |
| College |
is an institution of higher learning, especially one providing a general or liberal arts education, usually leading to a bachelor's degree |
| College calendar |
Common systems of instruction time
_ Traditional: two approximately equal semesters
_ Quarter: three equal terms of about 12 weeks
_ Trimester: calendar year divided into three equal
semesters, the third replaces summer session
_ 4-1-4: two equal terms of about 16 weeks ea., with
a 4-week interim term |
| Comprehensive Review |
This considers each individual application, including grades, test scores, number of and performance in honors and AP courses, quality of senior year courses, outstanding work in an academic field, quality of performance in light of opportunities offered at your high school, recent and marked improvement in academic performance, special talents, awards, and achievements, special interests, leadership, community service, academic achievements in light of your life's experiences and special circum |
| Cooperative Education |
A combination of classroom
study and work experience directly related to the
classroom study. |
| Credit hour |
A unit of academic credit that often
represents one hours of class time per week for a period
of study (semester, quarter, etc.). |
| Deferment |
A policy by which a college allows a student
to defer enrollment for one year, if notification is given, a
space is reserved with a tuition deposit, and the year is
not used for academic study elsewhere. |
| Deferral |
A term used by the college to handle earlydecision
candidates who were not accepted in December
but will still be considered for regular admissions. |
| Early Action |
This is a non-restrictive application. Students apply to an institution and receive their admission decision ahead of those applying through regular decision. Students are not obligated to accept the offer and may apply to other colleges. |
| Early Admission |
A program in which a college accepts
high school students to enroll before they graduate from
high school. Admissions standards are more stringent for
early admissions. |
| Early Decision |
An application process in which a
commitment is made by the student to the institution that,
if admitted, the student will enroll. Only a student who
can make a deliberate and well-reasoned first choice
decision should apply under an Early Decision plan
because the institution will require a nonrefundable
deposit well before financial aid packages are calculated |
| Early Notification |
A program in which applicants must
submit applications by December 1 in order to receive an
admission decision by February 1. |
| Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) |
The application required for students to be considered for
federal student financial aid. The FAFSA is an online
process, free of charge, and it is used by most state
agencies and colleges. |
| Grade point average |
An indicator of the student's
overall scholastic performance. The GPA is computed by
multiplying the number of grade points earned in each
course (generally, A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, E/F=0) times the
number of course hours/credit hours, then dividing the
sum by the total number of course hours/credit hours
carried. |
| Graduation Rate |
This is the percentage of students who graduate within the stated number of years: usually reported for 4 or 6 years. |
| Grants |
Awards based on financial need that do not
require repayment. Grants are available through the
federal government, state agencies, and educational
institutions. |
| Honors programs |
Any program offering opportunity for
superior students to enrich their educational experience
through independent, advanced, or accelerated study |
| Impaction |
This is when a college, University, department or major has more students apply than spots available |
