College Apps 101

What you need to know

Ever feel like your friends and classmates seem to know all this stuff about college applications, but no one told you? I compiled a list of terminology and platforms related to the college admissions process that will hopefully help you feel like you understand what’s going on.

NOTE: I use “college” and “university” interchangeably to refer to institutions of higher education that award bachelor’s degrees.

American College Testing (ACT) - One of the two common standardized college tests. It involves four test sections taken in one three-hour sitting. The score range is 1-36.

Activity List - An overview of the extracurricular activities you have participated in during high school.

Admission Rate - The number of accepted students divided by the total amount of applications.

Application Fee - Many colleges require you to pay a fee in order to submit your application. Fee waivers are available, and we’ll talk more about that later in the course.

Bachelor’s Degree - An academic degree based on a four-year course of study. “Undergraduate” study usually refers to a bachelor’s degree.

Class Rank - Your academic profile ranked among the other students in your high school class. Not all high schools report class rank - if yours does, it will be on your transcript.

Coalition App - A college application platform accepted by 150+ colleges.

College Decision Day - The final deadline to commit and enroll at a college. It is usually around May 1st.

College List - A list of all the colleges you plan on applying to.

Common App - A college application platform used by 1,000+ colleges. This allows you to fill out the general application information once and use it to apply to up to 20 colleges.

Common Data Set - A report published annually by colleges detailing key information from the past year, including admissions data. Not all colleges make this report accessible to the public.

Community College - Institutions with open admission that offer two-year programs leading to certifications and Associate’s degrees. Classes taken at a community college may be transferable to a four-year college degree.

CSS Profile - A form required by certain colleges in order to apply for institutional aid.

Deferred - If your application is deferred, that means that the college is still reviewing it and you will receive a final admissions decision at a later date.

Demonstrated Interest - Measurable actions that allow the college to evaluate your enthusiasm and interest in a college. Common ways to show demonstrated interest include campus visits, attending webinars, and applying early.

Demonstrated Need - The college’s cost of attendance minus your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). This number will be used to determine your eligibility for certain financial aid.

Early Action - Applying to a college by an earlier deadline in order to receive an earlier admissions decision. This is not binding, and you can apply to multiple colleges Early Action.

Early Decision - Applying to a college by an earlier deadline in order to receive an earlier admissions decision, and committing to attend that college if you are accepted. You can only apply to one college Early Decision, and if admitted, you must accept the offer and withdraw any other applications. This is legally binding.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) - A number calculated by the FAFSA meant to represent what your family can afford to pay toward your college costs. This number is used to determine your eligibility for certain financial aid.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - A form used to apply for financial aid including grants, work-study, and loans. You should fill out the FAFSA every year you are enrolled in college.

Financial Aid - Money to help pay for educational expenses.

Financial Aid Award Letter/Package - A letter received from a college after admission detailing how much money and what type of financial aid a student can receive.

First-Generation College Student - Someone who will be the first generation of their family to attend college.

Grade Point Average (GPA) - A number that represents the average scores you received in your classes. Most high schools grade on a 4.0 scale, but some use 5.0, 6.0, or 100-point scales.

Grants - Funds given to you through financial aid that you do not have to pay back.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) - Colleges and universities whose principal mission is the education of Black Americans. There are 105 in the United States.

Holistic Admissions - A phrase used to signify that admission to a college will not be based on one particular part of the application, but the application as a whole.

In-State vs. Out-of-State Student - You are considered an in-state student for public colleges within your state of residency. Residency requirements are different in each state. Out-of-state students usually have higher tuition rates at public colleges.

Letters of Recommendation - A letter or form that a teacher, counselor, coach, or mentor submits on your behalf recommending you for college admission.

Liberal Arts College - A college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.

“Likely” College - A college where your academic profile exceeds the average student admitted to that university.

Loan - Money that you borrow to pay for college expenses that will need to be paid back (with interest) after you graduate.

Major - A specific subject area that a student chooses to focus their studies on.

Merit Scholarship - Money awarded to a student that is not based on a student’s need.

Minor - A secondary subject area, beyond a major, that a student chooses to focus some studies on.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) - The organization that regulates student athletics in the United States. If you are interested in playing a sport for your college team, you need to maintain eligibility with the NCAA.

Need-Based Aid - Money awarded based on a student’s financial need.

Need-Blind Admission - This means that a student’s financial need is not considered when the college is making admissions decisions.

Private University - An independent institution of higher education that is not operated by the government.

Prospective Student - A student who is interested in attending a certain university but has not yet received an admissions decision.

Public University - An institution of higher education that is operated by the government.

Reach College - A college where the average admit’s academic profile exceeds your own, or any college with a less than 20% acceptance rate.

Regular Decision - Applying to a college by their normal deadline.

Research Institution - A university with a focus on doing research.

Retention Rate - The percentage of first-year students who return to the same institution for a second year.

Rolling Admission - Colleges that review applications and release admissions decisions as they are sent in, rather than setting a hard application deadline and releasing all admissions decisions at the same time.

SAT - One of the two standardized college admissions tests. It involves four sections taken in one three-hour sitting. The score range is 400-1600.

Scholarship - Money that is given to a student to support their educational expenses.

School Profile - A report your high school counselor sends to colleges to provide more context about the opportunities available at your high school.

School Transcript - A document that details the classes you have taken, what grades you received, and your GPA.

Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) - A process where an applicant self-reports their grades to a college instead of their counselor sending a transcript.

Superscore - Taking the highest score of each section of a standardized test from across multiple test attempts.

Supplemental Essays - Additional essays beyond the personal statement that are required by a particular college in their application. Not every college requires supplemental essays.

Target/Match College - A college where your academic profile matches the average student admitted to that university.

Test-optional - A college that does not require standardized test scores as part of their application, but will consider your scores if submitted.

Test-blind - A college that does not accept test scores and will not consider them in the admissions process.

Transfer student - A student who is applying to a university and has already taken some college classes after graduating high school, whether at a community college or another four-year university.

Undecided/Undeclared - A student who has not yet chosen or declared a major.

Undergraduate student - A student who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Waitlist - An admissions decision that means a student has not been admitted to that university but has the chance to be admitted later if the university has space.

Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA - A weighted GPA adds a bonus point for grades received in an advanced course. What qualifies as an advanced course is determined by the high school. An unweighted GPA does not add bonus points for any classes when calculating the average.

Work-study - A federally-funded program where students work a part-time job at their university to earn money for educational expenses. Whether or not you are eligible for work-study will be listed in your financial aid award.

Yield - The percentage of admitted students that actually enroll at a university.