College Admissions Vocabulary
academic concentration - See major.
accreditation - Certification that a school or an instructional program meets
standards set by an outside reviewing organization. Many forms of financial
aid are available only to
students attending accredited institutions.
admission - Approval for a student to attend an educational institution. The
admission
process usually involves an application form and may require transcripts or
other
supporting documents.
assessment - A method of determining a student�s knowledge or skill level,
often taken to find his or her best placement or starting level in a series
of courses in English,
foreign languages, math, or science.
associate's degree - A degree granted by a college or university for a
program that requires two years of full-time study. An Associate of Arts and
Associate of Science degrees enable students to transfer to four-year
colleges and universities.
baccalaureate or bachelor's degree - A college degree which can often be
earned by following a four-year instructional program at a college or
university.
campus - The land and buildings that a college or university uses for
instruction or student
services.
community college - A two-year traditional school, offering programs leading
to the Associate's degree Also called junior college.
EFC (Expected Family Contribution)- The amount of money a student and his/her
family are expected to contribute toward school costs. This amount is
calculated based on such items as income and assets as reported by the
family.
elective - A course that is not required for a particular instructional
program. Many
programs require a certain number of elective credits, and many recommend
certain electives for students to choose from.
financial aid - Money available from various sources to help students pay
college expenses.
These funds come as loans, grants, or scholarships from the state or federal
government or other organizations. Work-study is also a form of financial
aid.
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) - The application required
for students to be considered for federal student financial aid. The FAFSA is
processed free of charge and is used by most state agencies and colleges.
There is a form for each academic year. FAFSA forms are available from
colleges, high schools and on the website www.fafsa.ed.gov.
grant -A type of financial aid that does not have to be paid back after the
student leaves
school. Grants are available through the federal government, state agencies,
and
educational institutions.
internship - A supervised short-term apprenticeship or temporary job in a
real-world setting
closely related to a student's field of study. The student may or may not be
paid
but earns college credit for the work experience. See also practicum.
loans - A type of financial aid that must be repaid to the government agency
or other
lending organization when the student leaves school.
major -Specialization in one academic discipline or field of study.
master�s degree � The master's degree is awarded upon completion of one to
two years of advanced graduate study beyond the bachelor's degree, with the
length depending on the field of study and the conferring institution
open admissions - The policy of some colleges to admit nearly all applicants,
regardless of high school grades and admission test scores. It means
different things at different
schools. Community and technical colleges in Montana admit anyone who is over
18 or has a high school diploma or GED.
postsecondary - Refers to all educational programs for students past high-
school age; it includes community and technical colleges and job training
programs as well as
baccalaureate colleges and universities.
prerequisite -A course that must be completed (often with a certain minimum
grade) or a skill that must be demonstrated before a student can enroll in a
more advanced
course (for example, Anatomy and Physiology I is a prerequisite for Anatomy
and
Physiology II).
requirements - Minimum standards defined by the college for example for
admission or
graduation. See also prerequisite; distribution requirements.
scholarship - a form of financial assistance which does not require repayment
and is usually made to a student who shows potential for distinction, usually
in academic performance.
tuition - The cost of instruction charged by a school; tuition does not
include fees, books, room, meals or other charges.
undergraduate - A student who has not yet earned a bachelor's degree; also
refers to the coursesand instructional programs such a student enrolls in.
unmet need - The difference between the cost of education, the total
financial aid award + expected family contribution.
wait list � A term used my colleges to describe the process in which they
delay offering admission but extend the possibility of admission in the
future.
work-study - A type of financial aid which pays students to work part-time,
often on campus, during the academic year.
Taken from:
Lexington High School Post Secondary Guide
http://lhs.lexingtonma.org/Dept/Guidance/post_sec_guide/vocabulary.html
Missouri State University College Vocabulary Handbook
http://www.msugf.edu/studentlife/CollegeSurvivalVocab.pdf.
Northeast Texas Consortium Distance Learning
http://www.netnet.org/students/student%20glossary.htm
