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THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS

A List of Terms for Parents
www.firstinthefamily.org | www.whatkidscando.org

Fall 2012


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!/001213&An institution of highei leaining, often iefeiieu to as a "foui-yeai" institution,
which giants the bacheloi's uegiee in libeial aits oi science oi both.&

!/4456789&!/001213&Community colleges, sometimes calleu :567/;&</00121=, 81<>67<?0&
</00121=, oi <789&</00121=, aie piimaiily two-yeai public institutions pioviuing highei
euucation anu lowei-level couises, gianting ceitificates, uiplomas, anu associate's uegiees.
Nany also offei continuing anu auult euucation. Aftei giauuating fiom a community college,
some stuuents tiansfei to a foui-yeai libeial aits college oi univeisity foi two to thiee yeais
to complete a bacheloi's uegiee.&

@6=878581&/A&'1<>6/0/293&A school that specializes in subjects such as engineeiing, physics,
chemistiy, anu math.&

#7B1;?0&-;8=&!/001213&A college wheie stuuents aie fiee to stuuy a wiue vaiiety of uiffeient
subjects uuiing theii unueigiauuate yeais&

,;7C?81&@6=878587/63&This is a college oi univeisity funueu by piivate souices without any
contiol by a goveinment agency. The cost of attenuing a piivate institution is geneially
highei than the cost at a public institution.&

,5B07<&@6=878587/63&A college oi univeisity that ieceives public funuing, piimaiily fiom a
local, state, oi national goveinment that oveisees anu iegulates the school's opeiations is
consiueieu a public institution.&

';?D1&*<>//03&A school that specializes in caieei ieauiness in fielus such as haiiuiessing,
cosmetology, anu auto mechanics.&

E67C1;=7893&A school that incluues many uiffeient schoolssuch as a college of nuising anu
a college of businessanu that has giauuate stuuents.

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!/00121&;1?D761==3&The couises stuuents take in high school show colleges how ieauy they
aie foi college-level classes. Colleges want to know if a stuuent is signing up foi auvanceu
classes oi honois sections, if they aie choosing 2120'+A2- that theii abilitiesoi aie they
uoing just enough to get by.

Recommenueu College Piep Couises*
B&/1+-4 Foui yeais of English
C%'42(%'+0- Thiee yeais of mathematics, incluuing iigoious couises in Algebia I,
ueometiy, anu Algebia II
D%'93%1#E0+2&02- Thiee yeais of science, incluuing iigoious couises in Biology, Chemistiy,
anu Physics
E.0+%1#E'9,+2- Thiee yeais of social stuuies
*Specific high school couise iequiiements vaiy fiom institution to institution. Be suie to
check with the schools you'ie inteiesteu in to see what they iecommenu oi iequiie.

$01<87C1="! Couises stuuents may select to meet total giauuation iequiiements.
Colleges will be moie impiesseu by iespectable giaues in challenging couises than by
outstanuing giaues in easy ones.
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%,-&I%;?D1&,/768&-C1;?21J3 The uPA is figuieu by aveiaging the numeiical value of a
stuuent's giaues: A=4, B=S, C=2, B=1, F=u. It is cumulative, staiting fieshman yeai; giaues
count eveiy yeai. A pooi uPA in ninth giaue can uiag uown the oveiall aveiage, uespite, foi
example, goou giaues junioi yeai. The highei the uPA the bettei, but colleges also look at
acauemic levels: a "B" in a haiu class can be woith moie than an "A" in an easy class.
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K/6/;=&!0?==1=3&The uiffeience between a iegulai class (such as English 1) anu the honois
class (English 1 Bonois) is not necessaiily the amount of woik, but the type of woik
iequiieu anu the pace of stuuying. Bonois couises aie not auvanceu in the same sense that
high school Auvanceu Placement anu Inteinational Baccalauieate couises aie. Rathei,
honois couises aie eniicheu; they offei the same mateiial in gieatei uepth anu with a fastei
pace.&
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-!'3&A two-houi-anu-SS-minute examination that measuies a stuuent's knowleuge anu&
achievement in foui subject aieasEnglish, mathematics, ieauing anu science ieasoning
to ueteimine the stuuent's ieauiness foi college-level instiuction. Theie is also an optional
wiiting test that assesses stuuents' skills in wiiting an essay. The ACT is scoieu on a scale of
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1 to S6 foi each of the foui aieas. The foui subject aiea scoies aie aveiageu to cieate a
Composite Scoie.

-DC?6<1D&,0?<14168&I-,J3&AP couises aie college-level classes taught in the high school&
following guiuelines anu coveiing mateiial that will instiuct stuuents in AP subject aieas
anu shoulu piepaie them to take Auvanceu Placement tests offeieu by The College Boaiu.

,#-.&'1=83&This test is usually taken in the sophomoie yeai to piepaie the stuuent foi the
ACT.&

*-'3&This is a wiuely useu college entiance examination piogiam. This incluues the SAT&
Reasoning Test, which assesses stuuents' ciitical thinking skills as they ielate to the ability
to manage college-level instiuction. It is a S-houi exam measuiing veibal anu mathematical
skills, as well as giammaiconventions anu the ability to wiite a biief essay. Stuuents may
eain a total of up to 24uu points on the thiee-houi exam (up to 8uu points in each of the
exam's content aieas: veibal, math, anu wiiting).

*-'&*5B:1<8&'1=83&SAT subject tests (also known as SAT II tests) aie offeieu in many aieas
of stuuy incluuing English, mathematics, many sciences, histoiy, anu foieign languages.
Some colleges iequiie stuuents to take one oi moie SAT subject tests when they apply foi
aumission.&

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-LL07<?87/63&A college application is pait of the competitive college aumissions system.&
Aumissions uepaitments usually iequiie stuuents to complete an application foi aumission
that geneially consists of acauemic iecoius, peisonal essays, letteis of iecommenuation,
anu a list of extiacuiiiculai activities. Nost schools iequiie the SAT oi ACT. Beaulines foi
aumission applications aie establisheu anu publisheu by each college oi univeisity.

!/00121&$==?93&A biief composition on a single subject, iequiieu by many colleges as pait of
the application piocess foi aumission.

!/44/6&-LL07<?87/63&The Common Application (infoimally known as the Common App)
makes it possible foi stuuents to use one aumissions application to apply to any of 4S6
membei colleges anu univeisities. Theie is a Common Application foi Fiist-Yeai Aumission
anu a Common Application foi Tiansfei Aumission. Both veisions allow the application to
be filleu out once online anu submitteu to all schools with the same infoimation going to
each.&
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$?;09&-<87/63&Eaily action is when a piospective stuuent applies foi aumission by eaily
ueauline(befoie the iegulai aumission ueauline) anu ieceives notice of acceptance, uenial,
oi uefeiment&with no obligation to the univeisity to enioll, if accepteu foi aumission.&
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$?;09&H1<7=7/63&Thiough this piogiam offeieu by many post-seconuaiy schools, stuuents
willing to commit to a school if accepteu submit theii application by a uate well befoie the
geneial aumission ueauline. If accepteu, the stuuent must enioll in that school, so stuuents
shoulu only apply eaily uecision to theii fiist choice school.&

.11DGN076D&-D47==7/63&Full consiueiation of an applicant anu his oi hei application
without&iegaiu to the inuiviuual's neeu foi financial aiu.

"L16&-D47==7/6=3 This iefeis to the policy wheie a college aumits viitually all high school
giauuates, iegaiuless of acauemic qualifications such as high school giaues anu aumission
test scoies.
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(1</4416D?87/6=3&Statements oi letteis of enuoisement wiitten on a stuuent's behalf
uuiing the college application piocess.

(/00762&-D47==7/6=3&This is a piactice useu by some institutions to ieview anu complete
applications as they aiiive, iathei than accoiuing to a set ueauline.

';?6=<;7L83&This is the official uocument containing the iecoiu of a stuuent's acauemic
peifoimance anu testing histoiy. The school at which a stuuent is oi has been officially
eniolleu must issue the tiansciipt, ceitifieu by the signatuie of an authoiizeu school
auministiatoi. The school's official seal oi wateimaikeu school stationeiy may also be useu
to authenticate the tiansciipt.

O?78G07=83&An applicant is put on the wait-list when an aumissions officei oi committee
ueciues to offei the applicant the oppoitunity to enioll in the institution only if theie is
space available in&the incoming class aftei fully aumitteu stuuents have iesponueu to theii
offeis to enioll. This&categoiy of aumissions is ieseiveu foi stuuents whose piofiles aie
stiong, but who aie maiginally qualifieu in compaiison to the oveiall stiength of otheis in
the pool of applicants.
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PN1=8&+78Q3&The college seaich is not about getting into the F2-'#college. Theie is no school
that is best foi all stuuents. Some stuuents uo best at laige public univeisities; some uo best
in small libeial aits colleges; still otheis want to stuuy fai fiom home. Stuuents shoulu look
beyonu the big name schools oi the ones fiienus aie exciteu about anu uo theii own
ieseaich.

!?4L5=&M7=78R'/5;3&A seivice by the college aumissions office foi piospective stuuents,
allowing them to visit vaiious campus builuings, meet key institutional peisonnel, anu get a
fiist-hanu look at campus life.
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!/00121&!?8?0/2513&The college catalogue pioviues a uetaileu oveiview of an institution,
incluuing its mission, piogiams, costs, aumissions iequiiements, faculty anu auministiation,
anu moie.&

P(1?<>&*<>//0Q3&A college oi univeisity that you have a 04%&02#of getting into, but youi test&
scoies, uPA anuoi class iank aie a bit on the low siue when you look at the school's piofile.
The top 0.S. colleges anu top univeisities shoulu %1$%)-#be consiueieu ieach schools.

"*?A189&*<>//0Q3&A college oi univeisity wheie you cleaily meet the aumission
iequiiements: minimum uPA, test scoies, etc. It's impoitant, though, that the school also be
one that you woulu want to attenu, shoulu you not gain aumission to moie selective
colleges.
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-S?;D&#1881;3&An awaiu lettei fiom a school states the type anu amount of financial aiu the&
school is willing to pioviue the stuuent, if she accepts aumission anu iegisteis as a full-time
stuuent.
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N5;=?;T=&"AA7<13&The office in chaige of billing stuuents foi college ielateu expenses such as
tuition, fees, ioom, anu boaiu.&

!/=8&/A&-8816D762&!/001213&This is the total cost of going to college, incluuing tuition, ioom
anu&boaiu, books, tianspoitation, fees, anu peisonal expenses.&

H14/6=8;?81D&.11D3&This is the uiffeience between the cost of attenuing a college anu
youi&expecteu family contiibution.

+-+*-3&This is the Fiee Application foi Feueial Stuuent Aiu, a feueial foim iequiieu fiom&
all stuuents who wish to apply foi neeu-baseu financial aiu, incluuing giants, loans anu
woik-stuuy awaius.
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$UL1<81D&+?4709&!/68;7B587/6&I$+!J3&The EFC is the amount of money you anu youi
family coulu be expecteu to pay foi one yeai of college costs, baseu on the uata gatheieu
fiom the FAFSA anu ueteimineu by a feueial foimula applieu to that uata. This figuie often
uiffeis fiom the actual amount you will be iequiieu to pay.&

+76?6<7?0&-7D&"AA7<13&The office that ueciues how much money a stuuent will ieceive in
giants anu loans.
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(//4&V&N/?;D3&The cost of a ioom in a uoimitoiy anu a uining hall meal plan at a college oi
univeisity.&

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'5787/6&V&+11=3&The cost of classes, labs, anu miscellaneous fees (such as a health seivices
fee anu a stuuent activities fee) at a college oi univeisity.&

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-8>0187<&*<>/0?;=>7L=3&These scholaiships aie baseu upon athletic ability anu youi
piospective college's uepaitmental neeus. Bivision I, II, anu III college athletic scholaiships
aie veiy uifficult to ieceive because of fieice competition.&

!/;L/;?81&*<>/0?;=>7L=3&These scholaiships aie awaiueu to help employees anu theii
families, Show community suppoit anu to encouiage futuie job seekeis towaiu a caieei in
the company's aiea of business. Coipoiate scholaiships aie much less competitive than
othei types of scholaiships because of geogiaphy, employment anu the ielatively low
numbei of applicants. Stait with youi family's employeis, check out the newspapei anu see
which companies in youi aiea aie awaiuing scholaiships, anu then contact these businesses
to finu out how to apply.&

+1D1;?0&,100&%;?683&This giant is a foim of financial aiu pioviueu by the Feueial
goveinment to stuuents whose FAFSA inuicates a high level of financial neeu.&
#
+1D1;?0&,1;W76=&#/?6=3&These loans aie similai to Staffoiu loans in that no inteiest acciues&
while eniolleu in college. The inteiest iate is lowei, anu the iepayment giace peiiou is
longei than that of a Staffoiu subsiuizeu loan. The neeu-baseu stanuaius aie moie stiingent
foi the Peikins loan anu funus aie awaiueu baseu on the FAFSA Stuuent Aiu Repoit.
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%;?68=3&uiants, like loans anu most scholaiships, aie baseu on financial neeu. A giant may
be pioviueu by feueial oi state goveinments, an institution, a founuation, oi some othei
nonpiofit funuing souice anu uoes not have to be iepaiu.&

@6=878587/6?0&%;?683&This is a neeu-baseu giant pioviueu by an institution anu offeieu to&
stuuents whose families cannot pay the full cost of college. Institutional giants uo not have
to be iepaiu.
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@6=878587/6?0&#/?63&Any stuuent loan auministeieu by the college oi univeisity using the
institution's funus as the souice of funuing. Peikins Loans may also be consiueieu
institutional loans.&
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#/?6=3&A loan is a type of financial aiu that is available to stuuents anu to the paients of
stuuents. An euucation loan must be iepaiu. In many cases, howevei, payments uo not begin
until the stuuent finishes school.&
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)1;78GN?=1D&%;?683&A foim of gift aiu (uoes not iequiie iepayment) baseu upon youi giaue&
point aveiage, acauemic excellence anu extiacuiiiculai involvement with some attention to
youi financial neeu.
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.11DGN?=1D&%;?683&This giant is offeieu, as a pait of the financial aiu package, when a
stuuent anu his oi hei family aie unable to pay the full cost of attenuing an institution. The
giant uoes not neeu to be iepaiu.&

"58G/AG*8?81&I./6G(1=7D168J&*85D1683&Stuuent whose peimanent iesiuence is in a
uiffeient state than that of the college oi univeisity which he oi she attenus oi hopes to
attenu. 0ut-of-state stuuents geneially pay highei tuition than uo instate stuuents.&
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,#E*&#/?63&The Feueial Paient Loan foi 0nueigiauuate Stuuents (PL0S) allows paients,&
iegaiuless of income, to boiiow up to the total cost of euucation minus the amount of any
othei financial aiu awaiueu by the institution oi the goveinment.
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*<>/0?;=>7L=3&A scholaiship is a sum of money given to a stuuent foi the puiposes of paying
at least pait of the cost of college. Scholaiships can be awaiueu to stuuents baseu on
stuuents' acauemic&achievements oi on many othei factois. Scholaiships uo not neeu to be
iepaiu. &

*8?AA/;D&#/?63&This is a feueial stuuent loan foi college stuuents useu to supplement
peisonal anu family iesouices, scholaiships, giants, anu woik-stuuy. A Staffoiu Loan may
be subsiuizeu&oi unsubsiuizeu, uepenuing on whethei it is neeu-baseu.&

*5B=7D7X1D&#/?6=3&These loans aie neeu-baseu loans with inteiest paiu by the goveinment
anu&payments uefeiieu as long as the stuuent is eniolleu in a post-seconuaiy piogiam of
stuuies.&

O7007?4&+/;D&H7;1<8&#/?6&,;/2;?43&The William Foiu Biiect Loan Piogiam is
auministeieu by the 0.S. Bepaitment of Euucation to pioviue loans that help stuuents pay
foi theii post- seconuaiy euucation.&
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O/;W&*85D9&,;/2;?4=3&Nost colleges offei woik-stuuy piogiams. They allow stuuents to
woik pait time uuiing the school yeai as pait of theii financial aiu package. The jobs aie
usually on campus anu the money eaineu is useu to pay foi tuition oi othei college chaiges.&

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-5D783&To attenu a class without ieceiving cieuit foi the class.&
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!;1D78&I/;&*141=81;J&K/5;3&Cieuit given foi attenuing one lectuie houi of class each week
foi 1S weeks oi equivalent. Nost college classes aie thiee cieuit houis, meaning theii total
meeting time foi a week is thiee houis.&

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H1C10/L4168?0&$D5<?87/63&Instiuctional anu suppoit activities uesigneu to keep
unpiepaieu stuuents in college anu help them impiove theii basic skills so that they can
successfully complete a piogiam anu achieve theii euucational goals.&

@681;</00127?81&*L/;8=3&vaisity anu junioi vaisity teams that compete against othei
colleges anu univeisities.

)?:/;3&A stuuent's concentiateu fielu of stuuy. Eveiy majoi incluues a iequiieu set of
couises. Colleges typically ask stuuents to pick theii majoi at the enu of theii sophomoie
yeai.&

)?8;7<50?87/63&The payment of ueposits, tuition, fees, anu othei chaiges to enioll in a
piogiam of stuuies at an euucational institution. A univeisity might make a uistinction
between "matiiculateu stuuents," who aie actually accumulating cieuits towaiu a uegiee,
anu a ielative few "non-matiiculateu stuuents" who may be "auuiting" couises oi taking
classes without ieceiving cieuits.&

)76/;3&A stuuent's seconuaiy fielu of stuuy.

,0?<14168&'1=8=3&Colleges anu univeisities use these examinations to place stuuents in&
couisesmost often mathematics anu foieign languagesthat match theii pioficiency. In
some cases, a stuuent's level of competency on the test may exempt them fiom having to
take a couise iequiieu foi giauuation.

,;1;1Y57=7813&A couise that must be taken piioi to eniollment in anothei couise.
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*85D168&,1;=7=816<13&This is the act of woiking, piogiessing, anu eaining cieuits towaiu
giauuation in an acauemic enviionment.&

*85D168&(181687/63&This is the uegiee to which stuuents iemain eniolleu as membeis of the&
college oi univeisity community anu peisist towaiu giauuation.&

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-Z-Z3&This stanus foi an "associate of aits" uegiee, which can be eaineu at most two-yeai&
colleges.

NZ-Z&/;&NZ*Z3&B.A. stanus foi "bacheloi of aits," anu B.S. stanus foi "bacheloi of science." Both&
uegiees can be eaineu at foui-yeai colleges.

!1;87A7<?81=3 In an economy that incieasingly iewaius specialization, moie anu moie
institutions aie offeiing ceitification piogiams, typically a package of five oi six couises, foi
cieuit oi not, taken ovei thiee to 18 months. Some cost a few thousanu uollais, otheis much
moie.&
'F,$*&"+&,"*'G*$!".H-(F&H$%($$*&