A–Z of College Applications: 2025 Glossary

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Welcome to your go-to glossary for navigating the US college application process. Whether you're a student, parent, or counselor, this A–Z guide breaks down the key terms you’ll encounter while applying to college—helping you stay confident and well-informed at every step.

A

• ACT (American College Testing): The ACT tests your skills in English, math, reading, and science, and it includes an optional writing section. Most colleges accept either the ACT or SAT.

• AP Exams (Advanced Placement Exams): These exams are taken after completing AP courses in high school. Good scores can earn you college credit or let you skip introductory classes.

• Academic Advisor: This person, usually a staff member or faculty, helps you plan your classes and keeps you on track for graduation.

• Academic Year: This refers to the school year, typically divided into two semesters or four quarters.

•  Acceptance: Congratulations! You’ve made it in! You’re offered a spot in the incoming class.

•  Accredited: This term means that a college or university meets certain official quality standards.

•  Activities List: This section allows you to showcase extracurricular involvement, like clubs, sports, jobs, and volunteer work.

• Admission Test: These are standardized tests like the SAT or ACT that colleges may use during the admissions process.

• Admissions Decision: This is how the college responds to your application – you might be accepted, rejected, deferred, or waitlisted.

• Admissions Process: This is everything involved in applying to college: research, filling out applications, interviews, and waiting for decisions.

• Alumni Interview: An optional chance to interview with a college graduate. This is great for gathering insights about the school while giving the college more information about you.

• Articulation Agreement: This is a deal between two colleges (usually a community college and a four-year institution) about how credits transfer from one to the other. Bachelor’s Degree This is the degree you earn after finishing a four-year college program.

C

• CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service Profile): This is a more detailed financial aid application used by many private colleges to award non-federal aid. Keep in mind that it has a submission fee.

• Campus Interview: A formal interview with an admissions officer or student on campus.

• Campus Tour: Visiting the college gives you a feel for the environment and helps you decide if it’s right for you.

• Candidates Reply Date Agreement (CRDA): This is the final date by which you must let a college know if you’re accepting their offer. The national deadline to commit to a college is on May 1.

• Class Rank: This gives you an idea of how your GPA compares to your peers in your graduating class.

• Coalition Application: Similar to the Common App, the Coalition Application is used by around 90 colleges and focuses on access and affordability.

• College Credit: These are the units you earn for completing college-level courses.

• College Fair: This is an event where various colleges come together to provide information to students and their families.

• Common Application: This online platform allows you to apply to over 900 colleges using just one application. It’s a real time-saver!

• Conditional Admission: You’re in! Just keep in mind that you’ll need to meet certain conditions, like maintaining your grades or submitting final documents.

• Course Catalog: This is like a buffet of all the courses available at a college, complete with descriptions and what you need to take them.

D

• Deferred Admission: Great news—you’ve been accepted, but you have the option to put off your enrollment for a semester or even a year.

• Demonstrated Interest: This includes all the ways you show a college that you’re genuinely interested—like visiting campus, attending events, or engaging online.

E

• EFC / SAI (Expected Family Contribution / Student Aid Index: This is an estimate of what your family is expected to contribute to your college costs, which plays a role in calculating need-based aid. Starting in the academic year 2024-2025, EFC was replaced by SAI.

• Early Action (EA / EA II / Restrictive EA): Unlike Early Decision, Early Action is non-binding. You apply early—often in November or December—and receive your admission decision sooner. EA II refers to a second round of early applications with later deadlines in December or January. Restrictive Early Action allows you to apply early to only one private school while still being non-binding.

• Early Decision (ED / ED II): This is a binding option where you apply early (usually in November for ED and January for ED II). If you get accepted and your financial aid meets your needs, you’re committed to attending that college and must withdraw all other applications.

F

•  FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): This is a free federal form you need to fill out to apply for financial aid, including grants and loans. Don’t forget to submit it each year to keep your aid eligibility.

• Fee Waiver: If you’re facing financial challenges, a fee waiver lets you apply to colleges without paying the application fees.

• Financial Aid Package: This is the total aid a college offers you, which includes grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study.

• Financial Aid and Scholarships:

• First Generation: This refers to students whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree.

G

• GPA (Grade Point Average): This is a number that shows how well you’re doing academically, usually measured on a 4.0 scale.

• Gap Year: This is a year you take off between high school and college, often to travel, work, or grow personally.

• Grade Inflation: This is when higher grades are given for the same amount of work compared to the past.

H

• Holistic Admissions: This means colleges look at various factors beyond just test scores, like your essays, activities, and recommendations.

L

• Legacy Applicant: This is a student whose family members, like parents or grandparents, graduated from the same college

• Letters of Recommendation: These are written by teachers, counselors, or mentors to support your application. Choose people who know you well so they can highlight your strengths effectively.

M

• Major: This is your main area of study in college. It’s where you focus most of your coursework.

• Merit-Based Aid: Unlike need-based aid, merit-based aid is granted based on your achievements, talents, or other qualities, not your family's income

• Minor: This is a secondary field of study. You’ll take fewer courses for a minor compared to your major.

N

• Need-Based Aid: This type of financial aid is based on your family's financial situation. It can come in the form of grants, loans, and work-study programs, as determined by your FAFSA and sometimes the CSS Profile.

O

• Open Admission: This policy means that any student with a high school diploma or GED can be admitted.

P

• PSAT (Preliminary SAT / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test): Think of this as practice for the SAT, typically taken in 10th or 11th grade. High scores in 11th grade can qualify you for National Merit Scholarships.

• Personal Essay: Your opportunity to show colleges who you are beyond your grades and test scores. Make it personal!

• Placement Test: This exam helps determine what level you should be placed in for certain subjects, often math or languages.

• Priority Deadline: This is an earlier deadline that can improve your chances of being admitted, as well as your chances for aid or housing.

R

• Reach / Match / Safety Schools: "Reach" schools are tougher to get into, "match" schools are likely a good fit, and "safety" schools are where you have a very good chance of being accepted.

• Regular Decision (RD): This is the typical application timeline, with deadlines falling between January and March. You’ll receive your decision in the spring, and it’s non-binding too.

• Rejection: Unfortunately, the college decided not to admit you this time.

• Rolling Admissions: With rolling admissions, colleges review applications as they come in. There’s no firm deadline, and decisions often come a few weeks after submission. Just remember that spots can fill up quickly, so it’s wise to apply early.

S

• SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test): This college admissions test, run by the College Board, includes sections on reading, writing, and math. Some colleges require it, while others have moved to a test-optional or test-blind format.

• School Change Essay: If you've changed schools, this optional part of the Common App lets you explain your circumstances.

• Senioritis: This term describes the lack of motivation some students feel during their last year of high school.

T

• Transcript: An official document detailing your high school grades, courses, GPA, and sometimes your class rank.

W

• Waitlist: You're still in the running! You might get in, depending on how many admitted students decide to accept their offers. Deferral Your application decision is on hold for now. This often happens with early applications, meaning they’ll take another look at it during the regular decision period.

Y

• Yield Rate: This is the percentage of students who choose to enroll after being admitted 

With this glossary in hand, you’re all set to tackle the college application process with confidence! Good luck!