College and Career Vocabulary

Community College

A Community or Technical College is a two-year institution of high education. Courses and credits can generally transfer to a four-year college. These colleges also offer work-related and technical programs to prepare students for the world of work.

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 two- or four-year degrees.

University

A university offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees.

College

An institution of higher education that awards degrees and certificates.

Electives

Classes which you can choose to add to your school schedule; they are not required.

PSAT

Commonly known as the Practice SAT, it actually stands for Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test. It is designed for and given to high school sophomores and juniors in preparation of taking the SAT exam. It measures critical reading, math problem-solving, and writing skills that you've been developing throughout your life. It does not measure things like creativity and motivation, and it doesn't recognize those special talents which may be important to colleges

Academic Elective

Educational classes you can choose to add to your course schedule. Often, these are core courses students take beyond what is required for high school graduation.

Merit-Based Financial Aid

Financial aid based on high academic, athletic, artistic, or community service achievement.

Need-based Financial Aid

Financial aid given to students with a demonstrated financial need.

Public/Private Colleges

Institutions run by the state or other government agency and are managed by public boards. (Governments do not run private colleges)

Extra-Curricular Activities

Non-classroom or after-school activities, including sports, clubs, student government, community service, religious groups, and social organizations or events.

Transfer of Credit

Some students attend more than one college during their college careers. When they move or transfer from one college to another, they can transfer certain credit hours or classes from the old college to the new one. The new college determines which courses will be counted toward its graduation requirements.

ACT

The ACT Assessment is a widely used admission test. Many colleges accept either the ACT or SAT, but some require one over the other to assess high school studtents' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. The tests cover four skill areas: English, Mathematics, Science reasoning, and Reading. The ACT Assessment is curriculum-based which tests what you know and are able to do based on what you have studied in class.

SAT I and SAT II

The SAT is widely used by colleges and universities as an admission test. Many colleges also accept ACT, or one test over the other. The SAT I measures your verbal reasoning, critical reading, and math problem-solving skills. It tells you how well you use the skills and the knowledge you've learned so far, both in and out of school. The SAT II Subjects Tests show colleges your mastery of specific subjects, like English, History and Social Studies, Math, Science and Language.

Tuition

The amount which 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.

Doctoral Degree

The highest degree offered by colleges and universities. This degree can take five or more years after a bachelor's degree to complete.

Cost of Attendance

The total amount it costs for one year of college. It includes tuition, fees, books, food, housing, and transportation.

Bachelor's Degree

The undergraduate degree offered by four-year colleges and universities. You can earn your Bachelor's in Science or Bachelor's in Art (or both).

Fees

These are college costs not included in tuition. Fees may be charged to cover the cost of materials and equipment needed in certain courses. Fees may also be charged for student events, programs, and publications (like yearbook).

Advanced Placement (AP)

These are courses which offer college-level coursework in high schools. To earn college credit, students can take an end-of-the-year exam which covers all course material.

For-Profit Schools

These are educational institutions which are operated by private, profit-seeking businesses.

Core Course

These are the main academic subjects you MUST pass in college, high school, and younger. They include English, Science, Math, and Social Studies or History.

Four-Year Colleges and Universities

These schools offer certificates, Bachelor's (sometimes called Four-Year Degrees), Master's, Professional, and Doctoral degrees in broad subject areas like business administration, history, or biology.

Financial Aid

This includes grants, scholarships, loans, and part-time employment from federal, state institutional, and private sources. These types of aid are combined to create an "award package." The types and amounts of aid you receive are determined by the amount of financial need, available funds, student classification, academic performance, and sometimes the timeliness of your application.

Master's Degree

This is a graduate degree added onto a bachelor's degree. It usually takes two years to complete.

Curriculum

This is a group of classes needed to complete a program, degree, or certificate.

Open Admissions Policy

This is a policy held by institutions (open admissions institutions) which are generally a public two-year community and technical college. The term "open admission" refers to an admission policy that says almost anyone with a high school diploma or General Education Development certificate (GED) can be admitted to that college.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

This is an application which must be filed every year to receive most forms of financial aid, including loans, grants, and work study.

Associates Degree

This is earned after the completion of a program which is at least 2, but less than 4, years of college. It is commonly achieved at a community or technical college. These degrees are often designed to transfer to a four-year college.

Financial Need

This is the difference between what your family is expected to contribute and the total cost of attendance for one year of college. Financial Need equals Cost of Attendance minus Expected Family Contribution.

Grade Point Averages (GPA)

This is the number which is speaks of your academic achievements. Accumulated throughout your academic career as an average of your grades, most colleges consider letter grades and GPAs in admissions.

Degree

This is what you earn when you completed a program of study. The most commonly earned degrees are Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's.

Admission/Application/Acceptance

To get into college, you must APPLY. The following is the process which colleges use to decide who gets in; this is known as admission. Those who are reviewed and decided to get in are accepted students. Students receive a letter of acceptance or rejection telling them whether they have been admitted.