College Lingo
A form of procrastination that requires ditching sleep to cram for a test, exam, or essay.
What is an all-nighter?
Money given to a student based on their academic performance in HS. This award does not have to be paid back.
What is a scholarship or merit aid?
The college where Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen enrolled.
What is New York University (NYU)?
A form of admission that students use for their top pick school that allows them to find out early if they were accepted or not. Be careful! This form of admissions is binding!
What is Early Decision?
The total possible points in one section of the SAT, math or verbal.
What is 800?
A social organization for female undergraduate students
What is a sorority?
Money given to a student based on his/her financial need. This award must be paid back.
What are financial aid loans?
Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his dorm room at this university on February 4, 2004.
What is Harvard University?
The non-binding early application plan used by Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Princeton, under which candidates are not allowed to apply to other schools during the early-action period only.
What is Single Choice or Restrictive Early Action?
In 2020 as test centers closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most colleges and universities that had previously required test scores for admission switched to this more flexible policy.
What is test-optional admission?
A student who lives at home and drives to college everyday
What is a commuter?
This Ivy League university has the highest number of billionaire alumni in the U.S. at 25 total, as of 2018, followed by Harvard, Yale, USC, and Princeton.
What is the University of Pennsylvania?
The college in Portland, OR, where Steve Jobs audited a calligraphy course that inspired him to create the Mac's multiple typefaces or fonts.
What is Reed College?
The application process where a college reviews applications as they are received and offers decisions to students in about two weeks.
What is Rolling Admission?
All colleges and universities which require standardized testing for admissions decisions accept BOTH the SAT and this alternative test.
What is the ACT?
Time when you can meet with your professor to discuss questions from class, homework, or an exam
What are office hours?
A part-time job for students on-campus that allows them to earn wages.
What is work-study?
The New York university where President Obama earned his undergraduate degree
What is Columbia University?
The date you need to commit to a college by sending in your deposit. (Also the week of Decision Day!)
What is May 1?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic these one-hour SAT exams were required or recommended by a few elite colleges, allowing students to showcase their knowledge in specific academic areas like history, English, or math.
What are SAT II Subject Tests?
A trained and paid peer leader who supervises students living in an on-campus dorm
What is a resident assistant (RA)?
The name of the financial aid form that students must fill out to receive financial aid.
What is the FAFSA?
The CA state university where President Obama earned the first two years of his undergraduate education.
What is Occidental University?
A secondary factor in admissions decisions for some colleges that track applicant "touch points" such as campus visits and attending college fairs.
What is Demonstrated Interest?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic this section of the SAT was required for admission by all the University of California campuses but none of the Ivy League institutions.
What is the essay section?