- AP/IB Courses
- Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) are college-level courses offered in high school. Strong grades and exam scores can earn college credit and show admissions officers you sought out rigor.
- Class Rank
- A student's academic standing relative to their graduating class, often reported as a number (i.e. 12th of 340) or a percentile. Many high schools no longer calculate or report it.
- Coalition App
- A standardized college application platform, similar to the Common App, used by a smaller set of member colleges. Some students end up using both, depending on where they apply.
- Common App
- A standardized college application platform used by hundreds of colleges and universities. Students complete one application and submit it to multiple schools.
- Cost of Attendance (COA)
- A college's total estimated yearly cost — tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses. Financial aid offers are built around closing the gap between COA and what a family can pay.
- CSS Profile
- A financial aid application form (run by the College Board) used by some colleges to determine financial aid eligibility. It asks detailed questions about family finances.
- Deferral
- A decision made by a college to postpone a final admission decision until a later date. Early applicants may be deferred to the regular decision pool.
- Deferred Enrollment
- An arrangement where an admitted student delays starting college by a semester or year, often to take a gap year. Not all colleges offer this, and it usually requires approval after acceptance.
- Demonstrated Interest
- Actions showing genuine interest in a college, such as attending campus visits, reaching out to admissions counselors, or attending information sessions. Some colleges consider this in admissions decisions.
- Early Action
- A non-binding early application option, usually with a November deadline. You hear back early, but you are free to compare offers from other colleges before deciding.
- Early Decision
- A binding early application option. If you are accepted through early decision, you commit to attending that college and must withdraw applications from other schools.
- Early Decision II (ED II)
- A second binding early application round with a later deadline (often January). It works like Early Decision but suits students who need more time to strengthen an application or explore other options first.
- Enrollment Deposit
- A non-refundable payment (often a few hundred dollars) that confirms a student's spot at a college after acceptance. Depositing at more than one college for the same term is considered unethical and can result in a rescinded offer.
- FAFSA
- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This free form determines your eligibility for federal grants, loans, and work-study, and most colleges use it to award need-based aid.
- First-Generation Student
- A student whose parents did not complete a four-year college degree. Many colleges consider this status in admissions and offer dedicated support programs.
- Gap Year
- A year off between high school graduation and starting college, often used for work, travel, or service. Some students apply and defer enrollment; others apply during or after the gap year.
- Holistic Review
- An admissions approach where colleges evaluate the whole student—academics, essays, activities, background, and personal qualities—rather than relying on test scores or GPA alone.
- Legacy Admission
- A preference some colleges give to applicants with a parent (or sometimes another close relative) who attended the same school. Its use has been declining and is now banned outright at some colleges and in some states.
- Letters of Recommendation
- Written endorsements from teachers or counselors describing a student's character and abilities. Most colleges require one to three, and admissions officers read them for insight beyond grades and scores.
- Match School
- A college where your academic profile aligns well with the typical admitted student profile. You have a reasonable chance of admission based on recent admitted-student data.
- Matriculation
- The formal process of enrolling in a college after accepting an offer of admission, usually finalized by submitting a deposit and required paperwork.
- Merit Aid
- Financial aid awarded based on academic achievement, talent (art, music, athletics), or other qualities—not based on financial need. Merit aid may not cover the full cost of attendance.
- Need-Aware
- An admissions policy where a student's ability to pay can factor into the admission decision, typically for a smaller group of borderline applicants. Contrast with need-blind.
- Need-Based Aid
- Financial aid awarded based on demonstrated financial need. This includes grants (free money), loans, and work-study opportunities to help bridge the gap between cost and family resources.
- Need-Blind
- An admissions policy where a college evaluates applicants without knowing or considering their ability to pay. Need-blind schools still require financial aid applications to award aid after admission.
- Net Price
- The actual out-of-pocket cost to attend a college after subtracting grants and scholarships from the sticker price. This varies by student based on financial aid offered.
- Reach School
- A college where your academic profile is below typical admitted-student ranges. Admission is less likely based on recent admitted-student profiles, though not impossible.
- Recruited Athlete
- A student an athletic coach has identified and advocated for with the admissions office, sometimes with a formal spot on the roster. Coach support can significantly improve admission odds at many colleges.
- Regular Decision
- The standard admission timeline with a January or February application deadline and decisions released in March or April. You can apply to multiple regular decision schools with no binding commitments.
- Restrictive Early Action (REA)
- Also called Single-Choice Early Action. A non-binding early application option that limits students from applying early to other private colleges at the same time, though public colleges and rolling-deadline schools are often still allowed.
- Rolling Admission
- An admissions process where decisions are made on an ongoing basis as applications arrive. Applying earlier typically increases your chances, and you hear back within weeks or months.
- Safety School
- A college where your academic profile is well above typical admitted-student ranges. You have a strong likelihood of admission based on recent admitted-student profiles.
- Sticker Price
- The official published cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, board, books). This is often called the "full price" before any financial aid is applied.
- Student Aid Index (SAI)
- A number calculated from the FAFSA that estimates how much of a family's resources should go toward college costs. It replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) starting with the 2024–25 aid year and is used to determine eligibility for need-based aid.
- Superscore
- A practice where colleges accept your highest score from each section of the SAT or ACT across multiple test dates, rather than requiring one single test date. Not all colleges allow superscoring.
- Supplemental Essays
- Additional short essays a college requires beyond the main personal statement, often asking 'why this school' or addressing a specific prompt. They're a chance to show genuine fit with a particular college.
- Test-Optional
- An admissions policy allowing students to choose whether or not to submit standardized test scores (SAT or ACT). Scores are not required for admission consideration.
- Transfer Credit
- College credit earned before or outside of full-time enrollment — through AP/IB exams, dual enrollment, or community college — that a college agrees to count toward a degree.
- Unweighted GPA
- Your grade point average calculated with all courses counting equally, regardless of difficulty. Unweighted GPA is typically on a 4.0 scale.
- Waitlist
- A status offering potential admission if a college has space after regular decisions. Waitlisted students can express continued interest, but admission is not guaranteed.
- Weighted GPA
- Your grade point average with additional points added for honors, AP, or IB courses to reflect increased difficulty. Weighted GPA can exceed 4.0.
- Work-Study
- A federal financial aid program that provides part-time campus jobs to help eligible students earn money for education expenses. It's awarded as part of a financial aid package but must be earned through actual work hours.
- Yield
- The percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll. Colleges track yield closely, and it can influence how many students they admit and how they weigh demonstrated interest.