Decisions and Deadlines
A non-binding application deadline that allows a student to submit an application early, yet still have until May 1 to decide where they will attend.
What is Early Action?
Schools who follow this policy don’t require students to send test scores.
What is Test Optional?
DOUBLE JEOPARDY Showing the college how much you love them through emails, visits, and interviews, as well as other forms of contact.
What is Demonstrated Interest?
This one application is accepted by over 1000 colleges, making it much easier for students to submit an application.
What is the Common Application?
You should ask any person for a recommendation letter for your college application.
(False) You should ask two trusted teachers who you know well, know about your strengths and about how you've grown as a student.
A binding application, meaning that if a student applies and gets in, they are committed to attending that one institution.
What is Early Decision?
When you take the highest score in each subsection of a standardized test, even if they weren’t taken on the same date, and you combine those and recalculate the score.
What is a Superscore?
"HBCU" stands for this.
What is Historically Black Colleges and Universities?
DOUBLE JEOPARDY Students can earn federal financial aid by filling out this form.
What is the FAFSA? (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
Your GPA is the most important part of your application.
False. Your transcript - the record of your courses and grades - is the most important part of your application.
When students apply under this “deadline” they will get their decision as soon as the college makes it, rather than waiting several months when all the decisions are ready. The sooner the student applies, the sooner they hear back!
What is Rolling Admission?
This kind of a test makes it possible for students to earn college credit at most universities, usually by earning a 4 or a 5.
What is an AP exam?
When a college does pay attention to a student’s financial need, and uses it as part of the decision-making process.
What is Need Aware?
Students can earn institutional need-based aid by filling out this form.
What is the CSS Profile?
DOUBLE JEOPARDY It's more important to get involved in 7-10 activities and have a long activity list than to focus on 2-3 activities.
False. Quality over quantity. Colleges are evaluating the impact you have on your community, in meaningful and significant ways, rather than just joining a random list of clubs and activities.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY Rather than admitting or denying a student, the college wants more information, like senior grades, and thus decides to ..., meaning that they will take a look at the application again in the next round.
What is Defer?
What are the SAT, ACT and the CLT?
A writing sample that lets colleges know what you value and how well you express yourself.
What is the College Essay (or Personal Statement)?
Student athletes who wish to play sports (especially D1 and D2) in college must register through this online resource.
What is the NCAA Eligibility Center?
The summer after your sophomore year is a great time to start preparing for the SAT and/or ACT.
True. Most students will have a solid grasp of the math and verbal skills they need to do well on standardized tests by this time. Plus, summers are usually not as busy with school work, so it's a good time to focus on test prep.
The college really wants to admit a Student A, but there just isn’t enough room in the incoming class. However, knowing that some admitted students might decide not to attend, creating more space in the class, the college creates this.
What is a Waitlist?
When a college does not consider test scores at all, regardless of whether or not a student submits them.
What is test blind?
Colleges that emphasize subjects like literature, philosophy, math, and social and physical sciences rather than professional and technical subjects.
What is a Liberal Arts College?
This form allows students to manually enter their transcript, making it easier for colleges to receive data about grades and courses, and is required by a growing number of colleges, like Clemson, Virginia Tech, Univ of Tennessee, and NYU.
You do not have to start preparing for college until your senior year of high school.
(False) It is never too early to start preparing for college. Good grades, challenging courses, meaningful activities happen over the course of your high school years. You can even start visiting colleges now to get a sense of what kind of environment fits you best.