*Essential Terms are Starred

 

*ACT:

The ACT is an achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. The SAT is more of an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities. The ACT has up to 5 components: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test. Almost every college requires SAT or ACT scores for admission. Students take the ACT in high school.

 

Admissions Criteria:

Most colleges require SAT or ACT scores, High School GPA, High School Transcript, Letter/s of Recommendation, Essay/s

 

*Advanced Placement Class (AP):

A program which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities often grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations.

 

Associate Degree: An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, bachelor’s degree–granting colleges, and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years.

 

Bachelor’s Degree:

A bachelor’s degree is usually earned for an undergraduate course of study that normally requires four years of study.

 

College/4-year college:

Institutions that offer Bachelor's degrees

 

 

*College Essay:

Most colleges require students to write an essay as part of the application. The college essay matters. Your essay reveals something important about you that your grades and test scores can’t—your personality. It can give admission officers a sense of who you are, as well as showcasing your writing skills. Often, the application states the essay is optional, please treat it as a required essay!

 

College Grade Point Average (GPA):

A calculated average of the letter grades you earn in school following a 0 to 4.0 scale. Every semester, you’ll receive a GPA based on the grades you earned in all of your classes during that semester. Throughout college, you’ll also maintain a cumulative GPA, which is an ongoing average of all your semester  grades beginning with freshman year.

 

College Major:

A group of courses required by a college in order to receive a degree –– an area you specialize in, like Business or Chemistry. There are certain “core courses” in the specialization that everyone is required to take, along with several “elective courses” that you get to choose. Every college student must complete at least one major to graduate.

 

College Minors:

An academic minor is a college or university student’s declared secondary field of study or specialization during their undergraduate studies. It does not require as many courses as a major. Many colleges require students to complete a minor.

 

*College Transcript:

A transcript is a copy of a student’s permanent high school record, which usually includes all courses taken, all grades received, and the GPA and class rank of a student.

 

*Common Application:

The Common Application (informally known as the Common App) is an undergraduate college admission application that applicants may use to apply to any of 517 member colleges and universities in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

 

In North Carolina, the following schools accept the Common App: Davidson College, Duke University, Guilford College, High Point University, Meredith College, North Carolina State University, Salem College, University of North Carolina Asheville, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wake Forest University, Warren Wilson College

 

Community College/Junior College/2-year college:

A nonresidential junior college offering courses to people living in a particular area.

 

Cost of Attendance:

COA is the average cost to attend for one academic year (fall through spring). It includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and personal expenses. 

 

Early Action: A type of early admission process for admission to colleges and universities in the United States. Unlike the regular admissions process, early action usually requires students to submit an application by November 1 of their senior year of high school instead of January 1. Many schools give out scholarship money first come first serve, so Early Action is a good way to apply.

 

Early Decision: Early decision is a common early admission policy used in college admissions in the United States for admitting freshmen to undergraduate programs. It is used to indicate to the university or college that the candidate considers that institution to be his or her top choice. It is often BINDING which means if you apply early decision and are accepted, you have to attend that school.

 

*FAFSA:

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form is used to determine the amount of money a family is expected to contribute to the price of attending college. The results of the FAFSA are used in determining student grants, work study, and loan amounts.

 

Federal Work Study:

The Federal Work Study program is a federally funded program in the United States that assists students with the costs of college. The Federal Work Study Program helps students earn financial funding through a part-time work program.

 

Financial Aid:

Any grant or scholarship, loan, or paid employment offered to help a student meet his/her college expenses. Such aid is usually provided by various sources such as federal and state agencies, colleges, high schools, foundations, and corporations.

 

Graduation Rate:

The percentage of students who enter a college that graduate. About 59 percent of students who began seeking a bachelor’s degree at a 4-year institution in fall 2007 completed that degree within 6 years. When possible, students should seek out colleges with high graduation rates.

 

*High School Grade Point Average (GPA):

A calculated average of the letter grades you earn in school following a 0 to 5.0 scale. Every semester, you’ll receive a GPA based on the grades you earned in all of your classes during that semester. Throughout high school, you’ll also maintain a cumulative GPA, which is an ongoing average of all your semester grades beginning with freshman year. Colleges view your GPA as the single most important factor for admission.

 

UPDATE: Starting with the 2015-16 school year, all high school students, instead of just freshmen, will be on a 10-point grading scale in which scores between 90 and 100 earn an A. It will replace the seven-point grading scale in which scores between 93 and 100 earn an A.

 

In-State vs. Out of State College:

An in-state college is any college in North Carolina. An out-of-state college is any college outside of North Carolina. For public schools, in-state tuition is significantly lower than ouut-of-state tuition.

 

*Letter of Recommendation:

Many colleges require a letter of recommendation for admission. A letter of recommendation is a document in which the writer assesses the qualities of the student being recommended in terms of that individual’s ability to contribute to a college. Always ask someone who knows you to write your recommendation. It may be the teacher in the subject in which you excelled or even in the one in which you struggled, but eventually did well.

 

People to seek to write your letters of recommendations include:

• Core academic teachers that you have had in junior and senior years

• Academic teachers you have had for four years (band, foreign language, art, etc.)

• Elective teachers you have had for four years (student government, newspaper, physical education)

• Coaches who have known you for four years or less

• Advisers who have known you more than one year (clubs, activities, etc.)

• Community people who know you well (church or other community members)

•  

Liberal Arts:

In its broadest of terms, it’s an education that provides an overview of the arts, humanities, social sciences, mathematics and natural sciences. Basically you get to take classes on a wide range of subjects. With a liberal arts education, you learn the general skills needed to contribute meaningfully to society.

 

*Meets Demonstrated Financial Need:

Schools that meet 100 percent of need use a combination of loans, scholarships, grants and work-study to fill the gap between the cost of attendance – tuition, fees, room, board and other expenses – and what a family can pay.

 

*Needs Blind Admissions: A college admissions policy in which applicants are judged solely on their merits, regardless of their ability to pay for tuition.

 

Pell Grant:

Money the government provides for students who need it to pay for college. Grants, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid. Eligible students receive a specified amount each year under this program

 

Private College/University:

A private college is an independent school that sets its own policies and goals, and is privately funded. Private colleges are generally smaller than public or private universities. The average enrollment at private colleges is only 1,900 students. They generally have higher tuition.

 

Public College/University: A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a  government. These schools are generally bigger and have lower tuition.

 

*SAT:

The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge. It tests your knowledge of reading, writing and math — subjects that are taught every day in high school classrooms. Almost every college requires SAT or ACT scores for admission. Students take the SAT in high school.

 

 SAT Subject Test:

SAT Subject Tests are 20 multiple-choice standardized tests given by The College Board on individual subjects, usually taken to improve a student’s credentials for admission to colleges in the United States.

 

*Scholarship:

A grant or payment made to support a student’s education, awarded on the basis of academic or other achievement.

 

Selectivity:

The rate that a college accepts students. Some are much more difficult to get into then others.

 

Undergraduate: A student at a college or university who has not yet earned a bachelor’s or equivalent degree.

 

University: A group of schools for studies after secondary school. At least one of these schools is a college where students receive a bachelor’s degree.