College Admission Glossary of Terms

Application Types & Plans

Early Decision (ED) — A binding application plan. If admitted, the student commits to attend and withdraws all other applications. Typically due in November with decisions in December for Early Decision I and January for Early Decision II.

Early Action (EA) — A non-binding plan with an earlier deadline (usually November) and earlier decision (often December/January). Students can still apply elsewhere and aren't required to enroll if admitted.

Regular Decision (RD) — The standard application timeline, usually due in January with decisions released in March or April.

Rolling Admission — Applications are reviewed as they arrive rather than by a single deadline, so earlier applicants often hear back sooner and may have an advantage as seats fill.

Restrictive Early Action (REA) / Single-Choice Early Action — A non-binding early plan that limits a student from applying early to other private schools (rules vary by college).

ED2 / EA2 — A second round of Early Decision or Early Action, usually with a January deadline, for students who didn't apply early the first round.

Application Platforms & Forms

Common App — The most widely used application platform, accepted by 1,000+ colleges. Includes one main essay and a shared activities section.

Coalition App (now Scoir Application) — An alternative application platform used by a smaller group of colleges.

School-specific application — Some colleges (e.g., many public university systems) use their own application instead of the Common App.

Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) — Some colleges allow students to enter grades themselves rather than waiting for an official transcript.

Admission Decisions

Admit — Accepted.

Deny — Not admitted.

Waitlist — Neither admitted nor denied; the college may offer admission later if space opens up, often after May 1.

Defer — Used in Early Action/Early Decision: the college doesn't make a final decision and moves the application to the Regular Decision pool for further review.

Financial Aid & Cost

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) — The federal form that determines eligibility for federal aid, grants, and most state/institutional aid.

CSS Profile — An additional financial aid application required by some (mostly private) colleges for institutional aid.

SAI (Student Aid Index) — A number generated by the FAFSA that colleges use to determine financial aid eligibility (replaced the older "EFC").

Cost of Attendance (COA) — The full estimated cost of a year at a college, including tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses.

Net Price — What a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the Cost of Attendance.

Need-Blind — The college doesn't consider a family's ability to pay when making admission decisions.

Need-Aware — A student's financial need may be a factor in the admission decision.

Demonstrated Financial Need — The gap between the Cost of Attendance and what a family is expected to contribute, based on FAFSA/CSS Profile results.

Merit Aid — Scholarship money awarded based on academic, artistic, or athletic achievement rather than financial need.

Need-Based Aid — Financial aid awarded based on a family's demonstrated financial need.

Testing

Test-Optional — Students can choose whether or not to submit SAT/ACT scores; both options are considered fairly.

Test-Blind — The college doesn't consider SAT/ACT scores at all, even if submitted.

Superscore — Combining a student's highest section scores across multiple test dates into one composite score.

Academic Terms

Weighted GPA — A GPA that gives extra points for honors, AP, or IB courses (e.g., on a 5.0 scale).

Unweighted GPA — A GPA calculated on a standard scale (usually 4.0) regardless of course difficulty.

Course Rigor — How challenging a student's course schedule is relative to what's offered at their school.

Class Rank — A student's academic standing relative to their graduating class, used by some (not all) high schools and colleges.

Application Components

Personal Statement — The main Common App essay, typically 650 words, chosen from a set of prompts.

Supplemental Essays — Additional short essays required by individual colleges, often asking "why this school" or "why this major."

Letters of Recommendation — Letters from teachers and/or a school counselor speaking to a student's character and abilities.

Activities List — A section of the application (10 entries on the Common App) where students list extracurriculars, jobs, and leadership roles.

Resume/CV — Some colleges allow or require a separate resume in addition to the activities list.

School Selectivity & Strategy

Reach School — A college where admission is unlikely based on a student's academic profile, but not impossible.

Target School — A college where a student's academic profile aligns closely with the typical admitted student.

Safety School — A college where a student's profile exceeds typical admission standards, making acceptance highly likely.

Holistic Review — An admissions approach that considers the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, recommendations — rather than numbers alone.

Demonstrated Interest — The ways a student shows genuine interest in a college (campus visits, interviews, opening emails, etc.), which some schools track and factor into decisions.

Yield — The percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll; colleges sometimes factor this into admission decisions.

Legacy — A student with a parent (or sometimes other relative) who attended the college, which some schools consider in admissions.

Other Useful Terms

Gap Year — A year off between high school and college, sometimes with deferred enrollment already secured.

Deferred Enrollment — When a student is admitted but delays their start date by a semester or year.

First-Generation Student — A student whose parents did not complete a four-year college degree.

Articulation Agreement — A formal agreement between a community college and a four-year university guaranteeing transfer credit for specific courses.

Honors College — A separate, more selective program within a larger university offering smaller classes, priority registration, or additional perks.