Listed below are terms that students are most likely to encounter in the college admission process. Be sure to consult specific college catalogs for more detailed information as some institutions may use these terms differently.

Standardized Testing | College Admission Terminology | Financial Aid | Other terms

Standardized Testing

Achievement Test: See SAT II: Subject Tests

ACT: American College Test. This is a standardized college admission test that is used by a number of colleges. The test has been developed by the American College Testing Program, a non-profit agency. The test measures a student's abilities in English, Mathematics, Science Reasoning, and Reading. Students receive a score in each of the four areas that ranges from 0-36, with a Composite Score that is the average of each of the four sub-scores. Like the SAT, the ACT is approximately three hours long.(www.act.org)

Educational Testing Service (ETS): A non-profit agency which produces college admission and other standardized tests (i.e. SAT I: Reasoning Test, SAT II: Subject Tests, GRE, etc.)(www.collegeboard.org)

PSAT/NMSQT: A two-hour and ten-minute exam. It contains verbal sections, math sections, and a writing skills section. This is many students' first chance to see how their skills compare with those of college-bound students across the country in their age group. An introduction to the SAT I. Students also compete for national scholarships (Merit Scholarships, Achievement Scholarships, National Hispanic Scholar Recognition Program) and are placed on college mailing lists. (www.collegeboard.org/psat/student/html/indx001.html)

SAT Program: A program of the College Board that provides college entrance tests and services for students planning to go to college. Included are the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT I: Reasoning Test, SAT II: Subject Tests, and the Student Descriptive Questionnaire.

SAT I: Reasoning Test: The College Board's test of developed verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities, given on specified dates throughout the year at test centers in the United States and other countries. SAT I: Reasoning Test took the place of the SAT.

SAT II: Subject Tests: College Board tests in specific secondary school subjects, given at test centers in the United States and other countries on specified dates throughout the year. Used by colleges not only to help with decisions about admissions but also in course placement and exemption of enrolled freshmen. Formerly called Achievement Tests.

Student Descriptive Questionnaire: A questionnaire that can be completed by students when they register for the SAT I: Reasoning Test or SAT II: Subject Tests. It gives the student an opportunity to provide information about academic experiences in high school, educational objectives, extracurricular activities, and areas in which counseling or assistance may be needed. The responses are sent, along with test scores, to the student's high school and designated colleges and scholarship sponsors. For those students who give their permission, selected information from the SDQ is also used by the Student Search Service.

College Admission Terminology

Candidate's Reply Date: Colleges subscribing to this agreement will not require any applicants offered admission to notify the institution of their decision to attend (or to accept an offer of financial aid or a scholarship) prior to May 1st of the year the applicant applies. The purpose of the agreement is to give applicants time to hear from all the colleges to which they applied before having to make a commitment to any of them.

College Fair or College Night: A program organized to allow high school students and parents to meet and speak with representatives from different colleges and universities.

Common Application: Allows a student to complete one application form ("The Common Application"), which can be photocopied along with recommendation forms and sent to more than one college. Colleges and universities participate in the Common Application Program on a volunteer basis and agree not to discriminate against students in their review process on the basis of application submitted (i.e. institutional application vs. Common Application). Students should check with the admission office to see if a college will accept the Common Application and if additional materials are required. NOTE: The Common Application is now available on computer disk and on-line. (www.commonapp.org)

Early Action: A program offered by colleges and universities under which students may apply well before the normal application deadline (as in early decision) to get an early answer from the institution regarding their admission decision. If admitted under this program, students are under no obligation to enroll at the institution. Typically, students who are not offered admission under early action are deferred; however, it is possible for an applicant to be denied outright and not automatically deferred for later consideration.

Early Decision: A plan under which a student applies to the first-choice college early in the fall (usually by November 1) of the senior year and agrees by contract to enter that college if offered admission. Students may still submit multiple applications but may only apply to one college under an early decision plan. If offered admission under early decision the student is required to withdraw, in writing, all other college applications. Typically, students who are not offered admission under early decision are deferred; however, it is possible for an applicant to be denied outright and not automatically deferred for later consideration.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT EARLY ACTION AND EARLY DECISION: There are several variations of early decision and early action at different institutions. Read the literature of each college carefully and ask questions if you do not understand the program entirely.

Open Admission: An institutional policy that allows all students who apply to be admitted. Open admission institutions usually have extensive programs designed to provide remedial or development support to students who enroll with academic deficiencies.

Regular Admission: A term used to describe the application process in which an institution reviews most of its applicants prior to notifying the majority of its candidates. Under regular decision, an institution's deadlines are stated for completion of applications and notification of decisions.

Rolling Admission: A term used to describe the application process in which an institution reviews applications as they are received and offers decisions to students as applications are reviewed. NOTE: Some rolling admission institutions may defer students initially. This does not mean that the student has been denied or placed on a wait list. A deferral simply means that the admission committee will review the student again later on in the cycle once new grades and standardized test scores are available.

Residency Requirements: 1. A requirement by most colleges and universities, which requires students to spend a minimum number of terms taking courses on campus (as opposed to independent study or transfer credits from other colleges) to be eligible for graduation. 2. Residency requirements can also refer to the amount of time a student is required to have lived in a state in order to be eligible for in-state residency at a public (state-controlled) college or university.

Financial Aid

CSS Financial Aid PROFILE Service: A type of need analysis form required by select colleges, universities, and scholarship agencies to award their own private scholarship and financial aid funds. NOTE: Using the PROFILE form does not eliminate the need to complete the FAFSA (see below). Can be filed electronically. (www.collegeboard.org)
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): A type of need analysis form that must be filed by all students seeking federal financial aid. Can be filed electronically. (www.fafsa.ed.gov)

Need Blind: Refers to the practice of admitting students purely on the strength of their academic records without taking into account ability to pay. Decreasing federal resources for financial aid and soaring college costs are causing many institutions to review this practice.

Need Aware or Need Sensitive: Refers to the practice of taking into account an applicant's ability to pay before admitting him or her. Many colleges and universities admit the majority of their class on a need blind basis but become need sensitive when they consider more marginal applicants.

Other Terms

Liberal Arts: A course of studies in college that provides a well-rounded education, including arts, sciences, and the humanities as well as career-related courses.

Student Search Service: A College Board program designed to help colleges identify potential applicants with the particular academic or personal characteristics they are seeking. The service also provides students with an opportunity to learn about colleges with programs and characteristics they want.

Students' Rights and Responsibilities: Statement developed by the National Association for College Admission Counseling that outlines students' duties in the college admission process and describes what treatment students may rightfully expect from the colleges and universities to which they have applied. (www.nacac.com)

Upper Division: Refers to the junior and senior years of study. Some colleges only offer upper-division study--students must have completed the freshmen and sophomore years at other institutions before entering the upper-division institution to earn their bachelor's degree.
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