Applying to College
This common application platform is used by more than 1,000 colleges.
What is the Common App?
This form helps determine eligibility for federal financial aid.
What is FAFSA?
These colleges are known for broad-based education across the humanities, sciences, and social sciences rather than pre-professional tracks.
What are liberal arts colleges?
If a college uses this policy, it means that submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required.
What is test-optional?
Public universities are always cheaper than private colleges.
False!
This application plan is binding if you're admitted.
What is Early Decision?
This is money for college that usually does not have to be repaid.
What is a scholarship or grant?
At some colleges--like Columbia University and University of Chicago--all students take a shared set of required courses known by this term.
What is a core curriculum?
This test policy means a college will explicitly not look at your SAT or ACT scores, even if you try to submit them.
What is test-blind?
You must choose a major when you apply to college.
Mostly false. (With some exceptions, most colleges allow you to apply Undecided or change your major after the application process.)
Visiting campus, attending information sessions, opening emails, and interviewing are examples of this admissions concept that some colleges track.
What is "demonstrated interest"?
This type of financial aid must generally be repaid with interest.
What is a student loan?
This acronym refers to a group of 100+ colleges and universities in the United States founded before the Civil Rights Act, primarily to educate Black students.
What is an HBCU?
This is where Lodge RA Zoe graduated from college.
What is Colorado College?
High school students should always ask for college recommendations from teachers in whose classes they've gotten the highest grades.
False. (It might make more sense to ask for a recommendation from a teacher who can speak to your progress and growth in a class, even if you didn't earn the highest grade.)
These programs, often offered to high-achieving students from underrepresented backgrounds, provide free or low-cost opportunities to visit colleges before applying.
What are fly-in programs?
This type of financial aid is awarded based on academic, athletic, or artistic achievement, rather than financial need.
What is merit-based aid/a merit scholarship?
This common style of college class takes place in an auditorium where a professor speaks to a crowd of ~100-200 students.
What is a lecture?
Often done for college credit, this allows students to work directly with a professor on real-world lab experiments, data collection, or scholarly work outside of regular class time.
What is undergraduate research?
There are significantly more women than men currently enrolled in college in the United States.
True. (Women currently comprise roughly 60% of all college students nationwide.)
Research shows that one of the strongest predictors of college success is not attending the most selective college, but attending a college that is a good ___________.
What is fit?
This online tool, which every college is required by law to host on its website, provides an early estimate of what a specific family will actually pay to attend.
What is the Net Price Calculator?
These 8 highly selective colleges in the Northeastern United States are bound by a common athletic conference, though their name is often used to imply academic prestige.
What are the Ivy League colleges?
This college's mascot (ask Calculus teacher Jack, who went here for his undergraduate and graduate degrees!) is the Fighting Irish.
What is the University of Notre Dame?
The college application process must be terrible and stressful.
False!