Applying to College
What is a safety school?
a college where you clearly meet the admissions requirements (GPA, Test Scores, etc.)
Define college
an institution of higher learning, often referred to as a "four year" institution, which grants bachelor degrees
What is rolling admissions?
the practice use by some institutions to review and complete applications as they arrive, rather than according to a set deadline
Define registration
enrollment in classes
What is an A.A. degree?
this stands for associates of arts degree, which can be earned at most two-year colleges
What is a reach school?
a college that you have a CHANCE of getting into but your test scores and GPA are on the low side of what the school normally accepts
Define community college (aka junior college)
primarily two-year public institutions providing higher education and lower-level courses, granting certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees
What does it mean if you are put on the waitlist?
an applicant is put on the waitlist when an admissions officer or committee decides to offer the applicant the opportunity to enroll only if there is space available
What is the difference between a major and a minor?
a major is a student's concentrated field of study
a minor is a student's secondary field of study (requires less credit hours than a major)
What is an A.A.S degree?
this stands for an associates of applied science degree which can be earned at some two-year colleges
Define GPA
A quantitative measure of a student's grades. The GPA is figured out by averaging the numerical value of a student's grades
Define University
a post-secondary institution that consists of a liberal arts college, a diverse graduate program, and usually 2+ professional schools or faculties, and that is empowered to confer degrees in various fields of study
What is early action?
early action is when a student applies for admission by early deadline (before the normal deadline) and receives a notice of acceptance, denial, or deferment with no obligation to enroll in the university of accepted
What is a credit hour?
credit given for attending one lecture hour of class each week for 15 weeks or the equivalent. Most college classes are 3 credit-hours, meaning their total meeting time each week is 3 hours
What is a B.A. or a B.S. degree?
stands for bachelor of arts or bachelors of science, both degrees can be earned at four-year colleges
What is a transcript?
the official document containing the record of a student's academic performance and testing history
What is the difference between a public and a private institution/college?
public: a college or university that usually receives funding from the local, state, or national gov.
Private: college or university funded by private sources without any control by a gov. agency. The cost of attendance is generally higher than a public institution
What is early decision?
students willing to commit to a school of accepted submit their application by a date well before the general admissions deadline
What is an undergraduate student?
a student enrolled in 4-5 year bachelor's degree program, an associate's degree program, or a vocational or technical program below the baccalaureate
What is a graduate degree?
these degrees are earned beyond the bachelor's degree when the student completes graduate school curriculum requirements (examples: MA, PHD, MD, MBA, etc.)
What is the Common Application?
Common App makes it possible for students to use one admissions application to apply to any of 456 member schools
What is graduate school?
these schools offer degree programs beyond a bachelor's degree (law school, med school, Master's degrees, PhD, etc.)
What is deferred enrollment?
a category of admission available at some institutions for fully accepted students who wish (for a good reason) to take a semester or a year off before enrolling in college
Define alumni
a group of people who have graduated from a college or university
What are certificates?
more and more programs are offering certification programs for specialization in certain areas. These are usually comprised of 5-6 courses taken over months or years that cost $100+