College Admissions Vocab

Double major

An undergraduate student who completes two sets of degree requirements. Sometimes, one broader major like Business will overlap with a related but more specialized major like Accounting. In this case, it's sensible to double major. A student can double major in a field of study of his or her choice, regardless of relatability. Ex. Majoring in both philosophy & math

Higher Education

Any program of study or degree program for high school graduates or people with General Education Development (GED) certificates.

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. Ex. U of M's is 15:1

Graduation rate

The percentage of a school's first-time, first-year undergraduate students who complete their program within 150% of the published time for the program. For example, for a four-year degree program, entering students who complete within six years are counted as graduates. Ex. U of M's is 90.4%

Public/private college

Public colleges are run by the state or other government agency and are managed by public boards. Governments do not run private colleges and they are privately funded. Private colleges may be currently or historically religiously affiliated. Ex. Public School is U of M. Private School is U of D Mercy.

Recommendations

Statements or letters of endorsement written on a student's behalf during the college application process

Campus visit/tour

A service by the college admissions office for prospective students, allowing them to visit various campus buildings, meet key institutional personnel, and get a firsthand look at campus life.

Academic program

A set of courses or specific requirements as defined by the individual school, included but not limited to major and core classes.

SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test (Original title)

A standardized test widely used for college admissions that measures student ability in critical reading, writing and mathematics, with scores of 200-800 in reading and writing section, and mathematics section

Prerequisite course

A required course taken in preparation for another course. Ex: Intro to Chemistry is taken prior to Organic Chemistry.

Trade school

A school that specializes in career readiness in fields such as hairdressing, cosmetology, and auto mechanics. Ex. Myas Salon

Target School

A college in which your academic credentials make you competitive for admission. Your GPA, standardized test scores, and class rank fall within the average range for that particular school.

Reach School

A college that you have a chance of getting into, but your test scores, GPA and/or class rank are a bit on the lower side when you look at the school's profile. The top U.S. colleges and universities should always be considered reach schools. Ex. Harvard university

Liberal arts college

A college where students are free to study a wide variety of different subjects during their undergraduate years Ex. Marygrove College

Safety School

A college where you clearly meet the admission requirements: minimum GPA, test scores, etc. It's important, though, that the school also be one that you would want to attend, should you not gain admission to more selective colleges. Ex. Wayne State

Master's Degree

A degree higher than a bachelor's but lower than a doctorate in which one focuses on one particular subject with the goal of expertise or mastery. Ex. Masters of Arts

Concentration

A focus within a specific academic major

Full-time/part-time enrollment

A full-time student is enrolled in 12 or more credit hours in a semester. A part-time student is enrolled in less than 12 credit hours in a semester.

University

A higher education institution that includes many different schools—such as a college of nursing and a college of business—and that has graduate students. Ex. Wayne State

Sorority

A local or national organization of female students, primarily for social purposes, usually with secret initiation and rites and a name composed of two or three Greek letters; sometimes related to commonality in academic discipline. Ex. Alpha Chi Omega

Fraternity

A local or national organization of male students, primarily for social purposes, usually with secret initiation and rites and a name composed of two or three Greek letters; sometimes related to commonality in academic discipline. Ex. Alpha Chi Alpha

Rigor of secondary school record

A measure of how challenging the student's classes are with respect to what the high school actually offers.

Transcript

A permanent record of all the classes you take and grades you earn while in high school or college. It may also show any honors or awards you receive.

Undergraduate

A student pursuing his/her first, associate's, or bachelor's degree.

Resident Advisor

A student who is responsible for supervising and assisting other, typically younger, students who live in the same residence hall.

Non-resident

A student who isn't an official resident of the state where a public university is located. Tuition at public universities is less expensive for residents. Ex. Someone from Asia who comes to school at U of M.

Internship

A temporary job, paid or unpaid, usually in the field of your major. You may be able to receive college credit for an internship.

ACT

American College Testing - a standardized college admissions test developed by ACT, Inc., measuring English, mathematics, reading, and science skills; scores range from 1-36. Institute of Technology: A school that specializes in STEM subjects such as engineering, physics, chemistry, and math.

Research

An academic extracurricular activity in which students assist professors or work independently on an experimental project, adding insight to the academic community; Involves gathering, assessing and presenting information in your own words.

General education classes

Classes that give students basic knowledge of a variety of topics. Students often must take general education classes in order to graduate. (History, Philosophy, English, Science, Math)

Term

The length of time that you take a college class.

Credit hours

Courses taken in college are measured in terms of credit hours. To earn one credit hour, a student must attend a class for one hour per week for the whole semester. The average class is 3-4 credits.

Common Application

Found online and is accepted by more than 400 colleges and universities. The information requested by Colleges in their application is, in most cases, broadly similar. The Supplemental Section is the portion of the Common Application in which colleges can ask specific questions relevant to their school.

Grade Point Average (G.P.A.)

Most colleges consider letter grades and GPAs in admissions. Based on a 4.0 system. A= 4.0, B= 3.0 C= 2.0

Tuition

The amount colleges charge for each hour of class time. Tuition does not include the cost of books, fees, room, or board (food). Tuition charges also vary from college to college. Ex. Tuition at U of M = $29,000

College Catalogue

The college catalogue provides a detailed overview of an institution, including its mission, programs, costs, admissions requirements, faculty and administration, and more.

Room & board

The cost of a room in a dormitory and a dining hall meal plan at a college or university. Ex. U of M's Room & Board costs = $10,000

First generation college student

The first person in student's immediate family to attend college-ie: neither of student's parents have a college degree.

Doctorate

The highest level of academic degree; Takes an average of 8.2 years to complete; Ph. D = Doctor of Philosophy (not limited to philosophy); M. D. = Medical Doctor, etc. ex. Doctorate of Arts

High school coursework requirements

The required and preferred high school courses college admissions teams look for on a prospective student's transcript (4 years of English, 2 years of foreign language, etc.)

Bachelor's Degree

The undergraduate degree offered by four-year colleges and universities. Ex. Bachelor's Of Art.

For-profit school

These schools can offer bachelor's and master's degrees, but most offer associate's degrees or certificates in office management, medical assistance, cosmetology, dental hygiene, computer systems engineering, music and film. Ex. University of Phoenix

N.C.A.A.

This association determines student eligibility to participate in Division I-III collegiate level athletics upon review of their high school transcript.

Student Retention Rate for Students of Color

This is the percentage of students of color who remain enrolled as members of the college community and persist toward graduation.

Student Retention

This is the percentage of students who remain enrolled as members of the college community and persist toward graduation.

College Counselor/Academic Advisor

This person will help you choose high school courses, review the requirements for your chosen career, and help with any problems. Ex. Mr. Silverman

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)

This program can help college students pay for their education. In return for scholarship money, students agree to serve in the military.

Office hours

Time set aside by professors or teaching assistants for students to visit their office and ask questions or discuss the course they teach. Your professor or teaching assistant will tell you at the beginning of the term when and where office hours will be every week.

Associate's Degree

To earn an associate's degree, you must complete a program that is at least two, but less than four, years of college usually at a community or technical college. These degrees are often designed to transfer to a four-year college. Ex. Associate of Arts

Semester

Type of academic term. A school with this system generally will have a fall semester and a spring semester (each about 15 weeks long), along with a summer term.