As you begin thinking about the college application process and doing some research, you’re going to encounter a bewildering set of new terms. Here’s a glossary to help you make sense of what you’re seeing. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, let us know!
Early Action - an application round in which applications are due early, typically in early November, and admission decisions are therefore released early, typically in mid-December. This is a great option for students whose applications are finished in the early fall and who want to speed up the college application/decision process. Some institutions offer Early Action I and Early Action II rounds with different deadlines. Early Action is not binding. If you get in, you don’t have to attend.
Early Decision - an application round in which applications are due early AND an applicant enters into a binding agreement with the institution. They agree to attend if they’re admitted. The timeline is similar to Early Action, with applications typically due in early November and decisions released in mid-December, but, unlike in Early Action, students should not apply in this round simply to hear back early. Early Decision rounds are for those who have identified an institution as their #1 choice and are prepared to commit to that school if they are admitted. Some institutions offer Early Decision I and Early Decision II rounds with different deadlines and, sometimes, different acceptance rates. Ask the institution’s admissions officers to clarify the selectivity during those rounds, as well as in Early Decision versus Regular Decision!
Regular Decision - the most common application round, and the round in which most students submit their applications to most institutions. Applications are typically due in early January, and decisions are typically released in late March or early April.
Deferral - an admissions decision that can result from applying in an Early Action or Early Decision round. A deferral means that the admissions team is not admitting or denying a student’s application in the round in which they’ve applied, and instead their application is getting pushed to the next round, whether that’s Early Action II, Early Decision II, or, most commonly, Regular Decision. The reason an admissions team might do this is because they want to see how the student’s application sits within their larger application pool. They’re asking: will that student’s application be competitive in that larger context?
Rolling Admissions - a practice by some institutions to read and make and release decisions about applications as they are submitted rather than establishing a particular date to collect and read all applications at once. Institutions that practice rolling admissions may have priority dates by which they encourage students to apply, so it’s best to refer to specific institutions' websites.
Letter of Continued Interest - a letter in which a waitlisted student tells the admissions team at a particular institution that although they are waitlisted, they are still interested in attending that institution, should a spot open up. The impact of this letter varies depending on the institution, but it is typically one of the only things a student can do when waitlisted.
Demonstrated Interest - the interest a student shows in an institution based on how often they interact with the institution. Those interactions include attending events or admissions programs, chatting with admissions officers, or even clicking on the institution’s website. Not all institutions track demonstrated interest, but the institutions that do will use a student’s demonstrated interest as a factor in the admissions decision because the institution wants to maximize its chances that the students it admits will accept their offer and attend.
Yield - the ratio of applicants who accept an offer of admission at a particular institution against the total number of students offered admissions by that institution in that year. Ivy League schools are known to have high yield, meaning those students who are accepted are very likely to enroll. Other institutions might have lower yield rates and therefore offer a plethora of opportunities for admitted students to engage with the institution to increase their chances of depositing. Tracking demonstrated interest is another way that institutions optimize their yield. Higher yield is better for an institution.
Test-Optional - an institution that is test-optional does not require an applicant to submit their test scores (SAT or ACT) in order to be eligible for admission. This means that the applicant can choose whether or not to submit their scores in order to make their application the most competitive it can be. Not all test-optional institutions have a no-harm policy, which means that if an applicant submits a score that is statistically low compared with those of students admitted to that institution, it could have a negative effect on how their application is reviewed. At institutions that do have a no-harm policy, however, a lower score would not be considered part of the application review process (i.e., submitting scores is similar to answering a bonus question on a test—it’s worth a shot, even if you’re wrong).
Holistic Admissions/Application Review - an admissions practice that emphasizes reading applications within the context/personal experiences of the individual applicant and making admissions decisions not on the basis of transcripts or test scores alone but on the basis of the larger story an applicant is presenting in their application. This practice allows admissions officers to consider all of the pieces of an application together to understand who an applicant is and assess their competitiveness.
First-Generation to College - someone who is the first (or among the first generation) in their immediate family to attend and graduate from college. That is to say, if your older sibling graduated from college but your parents/guardians did not, then you and your older sibling are both first-generation college students. Some institutions differ in defining this term when a student’s parents/guardians have pursued higher education in a country other than the United States, and it is helpful to check with the particular institution as to how they define this term.
FGLI - First-Generation Limited-Income students. Certainly, a student can be
first-generation but not limited-income, or have limited income but not be
first-generation. However, because there is often overlap, institutions adopted this acronym.
ACADEMICS
Institution - a catch-all term for schools, colleges, and universities of all shapes and sizes.
LAC - Liberal Arts College. A liberal arts college emphasizes a well-rounded undergraduate education where students explore a broad range of classes, from the natural sciences and social sciences to the arts and humanities, before they pursue (or while they’re pursuing) their chosen major. Liberal arts colleges emphasize critical thinking skills, interpersonal communication skills, creativity, and adaptability.
Core Curriculum - an institution’s core curriculum includes the classes required for graduation. Often these won’t be specific classes but broader categories of classes. For example, an institution might require students to complete a class in mathematics and/or quantitative analysis or a writing-intensive course, both of which requirements can be fulfilled by a number of different classes, depending on the student’s schedule and interests.
Open Curriculum - an institution has an open curriculum if it does not have a core curriculum, meaning it does not have explicit course requirements for graduation. This is rare, and institutions with an open curriculum include Brown University, Wesleyan University, Amherst College, and Smith College, among others. These institutions encourage students to design their own educational trajectories, and are great places for students seeking freedom to explore and flexibility, and who have the desire to match their education exactly to their interests.
Major - the subject of study that a student chooses to specialize in during their academic career. Institutions differ in how many courses or credits are required to complete a major, but a student may expect between one-third and one-half of all courses they take in college to be related to their major.
Minor - an area of study that a student may pursue to supplement their academic program. Many students choose a minor based on their interests, and, unlike majors, minors only require a few courses to complete.
Double Major - a student pursues a double major when they declare and meet the requirements for two majors during their college career. It is often assumed that a double major means double the work, but in many cases, students pursue a double major to add more variety to their studies or to add more structure to their academic program, meaning there is not always more work but simply more requirements to be aware of.
Academic Advisor - the faculty or staff member assigned to you to support your academic career, provide guidance on course selection, and answer questions about graduation and/or major or minor requirements. In many cases, a student’s academic advisor in their first year is randomly assigned or provided based on the student’s responses to a questionnaire about their interests, if the institution administered one. A student’s academic advisor may change once they have officially declared their major.
FINANCIAL AID
FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form, to be completed each year by a student and their parent/guardian, is used to determine a student’s eligibility for federal financial aid, including scholarships, work-study, or student loans. You might hear “FAFSA” accompanied by a long sigh because most people don’t look forward to filling out this form. Make sure to write down your password and have your family’s financial documents ready to make the process easier! Each state has its own deadline, and you have to be prompt, because some states award aid on a first-come, first-served basis! Learn more about deadlines here: FAFSA Deadlines.
CSS Profile - College Scholarship Service Profile. This is another tool that is used to determine eligibility for financial aid, but instead of federal aid, this form is connected to institutional aid—the aid that a particular school awards at its own discretion. It is more comprehensive than the FAFSA, so remember to have a parent/guardian and financial documents with you when you start!
Merit Aid - merit-based financial aid is awarded on the basis of a student’s strong performance in a particular area, including academics, athletics, or something else that a student has accomplished. Institutions might award merit aid to students for having a certain GPA. Since merit aid helps students cover the expense of higher education, it also serves as a tool for institutions to attract admitted students to accept their seat in the class. Merit aid is less likely to be offered at more selective institutions for many reasons, one of which being that at a very selective institution, all students would qualify for merit aid!
Need-Based Aid - need-based financial aid is tied to your household’s financial circumstances, including income, cost of living, total assets, etc. This has nothing to do with the information presented in a student’s application and everything to do with the information provided through the FAFSA and/or the CSS Profile.
Need-Blind Institution - a need-blind institution is one in which admissions officers cannot see whether or not a student is applying for financial aid or how much they would need to cover the cost of attendance. Admission decisions at these schools are made without any reference to a student's ability to pay. This practice is intended to provide a more equitable review of applications and admission decisions, and is generally only possible at a handful of institutions with large endowments and the resources to support any students they accept.
Need-Aware Institution - a need-aware institution is one in which admissions officers can see whether or not a student is applying for financial aid. Institutions may differ in whether admissions officers can see how much a student might need to cover the cost of attendance. A student’s financial aid status at a need-aware institution plays a role in the admissions decision.
Meeting 100% of Demonstrated Need - an institution that meets 100% of demonstrated need is committed to bridging the financial gap between what a student and their family can afford to pay (determined by the FAFSA and CSS Profile) and how much is needed to cover the entire cost of attendance. This commitment is based on need-based financial aid.
