A

ACT (American College Testing): A standardized college admission test featuring three required sections (English, Math, and Reading) and two optional sections (Science and Writing/essay). The composite score (1-36 scale) is calculated as the average of English, Math, and Reading scores only. The Science section, which became optional starting in April 2025 for digital tests and September 2025 for paper tests, is 40 minutes long with 40 questions and is reported separately if taken (not included in the composite score). Students who take Science will also receive a STEM score (average of Math and Science). The Writing section remains optional as it has been for years, consisting of one essay question with a 40-minute time limit, scored separately on a 2-12 scale. The enhanced ACT is available in both digital and paper formats, with the core test (English, Math, Reading) taking approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes.

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI): The total income minus adjustments and deductions from federal taxes. Your total gross income minus any adjustments from total income, also called “above the line” deductions.

Advanced Placement (AP): College Board program offering college-level courses and exams in high school. Colleges may grant credit for qualifying scores.

Articulation Agreement: An agreement between two-year and four-year colleges that makes it easier to transfer credits between them. It spells out which courses count for degree credit and the grades you need to earn to get credit.

Award Letter: After students get accepted, colleges send out an email that lists the amount of federal and institutional aid that the college awards the student. The first aid awarded consists of federal loans and, if the student demonstrates need, federal grants.

C

Classic Learning Test (CLT): A standardized online college entrance exam developed in 2015 as an alternative to the SAT and ACT. The CLT consists of three 40-question sections—Verbal Reasoning, Grammar/Writing, and Quantitative Reasoning—plus an optional essay, with a total testing time of approximately 2 hours. Scores are calculated out of 120 based on total correct answers with no penalty for guessing. The test is distinctive for its use of classic literature and historical texts from its “Author Bank” for reading passages, and its emphasis on logic and critical thinking skills rather than Common Core standards. Over 300 colleges accept the CLT (primarily private, liberal arts, and faith-based institutions), and Florida’s public universities approved it in 2023. Beginning in 2026, U.S. military service academies will accept CLT scores. The test can be taken remotely from home on students’ own devices, with scores delivered within 10 days. CLT also offers assessments for younger students (CLT3-8 and CLT10).

Coalition App (Coalition Application): An alternative to the Common Application, accepted by many colleges.

College Credit: What you get when you successfully complete a college-level course. You need a certain number of credits to graduate with a degree. Colleges may also grant credit for scores on exams, such as those offered by the College Board’s AP Program and CLEP.

Common App (Common Application): A standard application form accepted by all colleges that are members of the Common Application association. You can fill out this application once and submit it to any one—or several—of the more than 1,000 colleges and universities worldwide that accept it.

Concordance Tables: Tables that show what an SAT score likely correlates to an ACT score, and vice versa.

Conditional Acceptance: Admission to a college contingent upon meeting certain requirements (such as completing prerequisites or achieving specific grades).

Contributor: On the FAFSA, a contributor is anyone (student, parent, stepparent, spouse) required to provide their personal and financial info, plus consent to pull IRS tax data directly, for the form to be processed and determine eligibility for federal student aid; they must have their own FSA ID and sign their section. Being a contributor doesn’t make them financially responsible for costs but is essential for aid eligibility, as the form won’t calculate aid if a required contributor refuses consent. 

Cost of Attendance (COA): Made up of direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are tuition, room and board, books, and supplies. Indirect costs are transportation and personal expenses (like computers, laptops, and extra-long twin bed sheets).

Course Rigor: The difficulty level of a student’s coursework, including honors, AP, IB, or dual enrollment classes.

CSS Profile™ (College Scholarship Service Profile): A form used in addition to the FAFSA form in order to more accurately assess a family’s financial strength and ability to contribute to paying for college. It’s used by many elite universities before they award institutional scholarships or need-based financial aid. This money comes not from the federal government but from the school itself.

D

Deferred: An admissions decision that postpones the final decision to the regular decision round. Deferral occurs during the early round (Early Decision/Early Action) when an application is postponed to be reconsidered with the regular decision pool. The student remains in consideration alongside all RD applicants, with the decision coming at the same time as regular decision notifications (typically late March/early April). Students may be able to submit updates, a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI), and additional materials during this waiting period. A deferral gives students a second full review with the regular pool.

Deferred Admission: Permission from a college that has accepted you to postpone enrolling in the college. The postponement is usually for up to one year.

Demonstrated Interest: The level of engagement a student shows in a college through campus visits, interviews, email correspondence, etc. Some colleges track this in admissions decisions.

Denied: A final admissions decision in which the college does not offer admission.

Dependency Status: Dependent students report their and their parents’ information on FAFSA. Independent students report their own financial information and their spouse if married. Dependent students are typically younger than 24, haven’t completed a bachelor’s degree, and depend on parents for support.

Direct Admit: Acceptance into a specific major or program upon admission to the university, rather than being admitted to the general university.

Direct Data Exchange (DDX) / FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX): Replaced the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) on the FAFSA for the 2024-2025 cycle, allowing for a secure, required, and direct transfer of Federal Tax Information (FTI) from the IRS to the Department of Education, mandating consent from all contributors.

Direct Loans: Federal loans lent directly to students and parents by the government (formerly called Stafford loans or Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students).

Double Depositing: The practice of submitting enrollment deposits to multiple colleges, which is prohibited by most institutions.

Dual Enrollment: Programs allowing high school students to take college courses for credit.

Durable Power of Attorney: Legal document that grants parents or designated adults the authority to manage financial and legal matters if the student becomes incapacitated. Particularly important for college students attending school out of state.

E

Early Action (EA): An option to submit your applications before the regular deadlines. When you apply early action, you get admission decisions from colleges earlier than usual. Early action plans are not binding.

Early Decision (ED): An option to submit an application to your first-choice college before the regular deadline. Early decision plans are binding—you agree to enroll in the college immediately if admitted and offered a financial aid package that meets your needs.

Enrollment Deposit/Commitment Deadline: The deadline (typically May 1) by which accepted students must submit their enrollment deposit to secure their spot.

F

FERPA Waiver for parents (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act): Legal document that allows colleges to share educational information (grades, transcripts, disciplinary records, financial information) with parents. Once a student turns 18 or enrolls in college, FERPA transfers these rights from parents to students unless the student signs a waiver. Each institution typically has its own version available through the financial aid office or website.

FERPA Waiver for recommendation letters (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act): Agreement by student to waive their right to view letters of recommendation, which makes recommendations more credible to colleges.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): Usually available on October 1 of the student’s senior year of high school, the FAFSA must be filled out in order to be considered for federal financial aid. Go to studentaid.gov to complete the form.

FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS): After students file their FAFSA, they receive this summary from the Department of Education containing their SAI and all the information they entered.

Fee Waiver: Permission to apply to college or take standardized tests without paying the usual fees, typically granted to students with financial need.

Financial Aid: Money given or loaned to you to help pay for college. Financial aid can come from federal and state governments, colleges, and private organizations.

First-Generation College Student (First-Gen): A student whose parents did not complete a four-year college degree.

Fit: How well a college matches a student’s academic, social, financial, and personal needs and preferences.

G

Gap Year: Taking a year off between high school and college, often for work, travel, or volunteer experiences.

Grade Point Average (GPA): A number that shows overall academic performance, computed by assigning a point value to each grade you earn. Can be weighted (factoring in course difficulty) or unweighted (all courses treated equally).

Grant: Financial aid that does not need to be repaid, typically based on financial need.

H

Healthcare Power of Attorney (Healthcare Proxy): Legal document that allows parents or designated adults to make medical decisions on the student’s behalf if they become incapacitated or unable to communicate. Essential for college students living away from home, as at age 18 parents can no longer make medical decisions without this authorization.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Authorization/Release: Legal document that grants parents or designated adults access to medical records and allows medical providers to share health information. Without this signed form, healthcare providers are legally prohibited from sharing information with parents once the student turns 18.

Holistic Admissions/Holistic Review: An admissions process that considers the whole student—academics, activities, essays, recommendations, background—rather than relying solely on grades and test scores.

Honors College/Program: Special academic programs within universities offering enhanced curriculum, smaller classes, and additional opportunities for high-achieving students.

I

Impacted Major: A program with more qualified applicants than available spaces, requiring additional requirements or higher standards for admission.

Institutional App (Institutional Application): A college’s own application form, used instead of or in addition to the Common App or Coalition App.

Institutional Priorities: Factors important to a college in building its incoming class (such as geographic diversity, intended majors, talents, etc.).

International Baccalaureate (IB): A rigorous international curriculum and examination program recognized by colleges worldwide.

L

Legacy (Legacy Applicant): A college applicant with a relative (usually a parent or grandparent) who graduated from that college. Some colleges give preference to legacy applicants.

Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI): A letter sent by a deferred or waitlisted student to a college expressing continued interest in attending.

Letter of Recommendation (LOR): A letter written by a teacher, counselor, or other recommender supporting a student’s college application.

Likely Letter: An early notification sent by some selective colleges indicating a student will likely be admitted when decisions are released.

Living Will: Legal document that outlines a student’s medical preferences if they become incapacitated, covering end-of-life care, pain management, and organ donation. Important for college students to discuss these preferences with parents and provide copies to medical professionals.

Loan: Money borrowed to pay for college that must be repaid with interest.

M

Merit Aid: Financial aid based on academic, athletic, artistic, or other achievements rather than financial need.

N

Naviance/Scoir: College and career readiness platforms used by high schools to help students with college planning and applications.

Need-Blind Admission: A policy of making admission decisions without considering the financial circumstances of applicants. Colleges that use this policy may not offer enough financial aid to meet a student’s full need.

Net Price Calculator (NPC): A tool on each college’s website that allows prospective families to estimate the net cost of attending that college. NPCs that ask more questions tend to be more accurate.

Non-Traditional Student: A student who doesn’t fit the typical college student profile (older than traditional college age, returning to school after time away, etc.).

O

Open Admission: A policy of accepting any high school graduate until all spaces in the incoming class are filled. Almost all two-year community colleges have an open-admission policy.

P

Placement Tests: Tests that measure the academic skills needed for college-level work, covering reading, writing, math and sometimes other subjects. Results help determine what courses you are ready for.

Priority Deadline: The date by which your application—whether for college admission, student housing or financial aid—must be received to be given the strongest consideration.

R

Reach/Target (Match)/Likely (Safety): Categories for classifying colleges based on the student’s likelihood of admission. Reach schools are challenging to get into, target/match schools align with the student’s academic profile, and likely/safety schools are where admission is very probable.

Regular Decision (RD): The standard application process with later deadlines than early programs and non-binding admission offers.

Registrar: The college official who registers students and is responsible for keeping permanent records and maintaining student files.

Restrictive Early Action (REA): An early application option that is non-binding but restricts students from applying early to other private colleges.

Rolling Admission: An admission policy of considering each application as soon as all required information has been received, rather than setting an application deadline and reviewing applications in a batch. Colleges usually notify applicants of decisions quickly.

Rolling Waitlist: A waitlist where colleges may offer admission to waitlisted students on an ongoing basis as spaces become available.

S

SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test): The College Board’s standardized college admission test featuring math, reading and writing sections. The test is scored on a scale of 400-1600, combining the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score (200-800) with the Math score (200-800).

School Profile: A document prepared by high schools that provides colleges with context about the school’s curriculum, grading scale, course offerings, student body demographics, and other institutional information to help evaluate applicants fairly.

School Report: A form completed by school counselors as part of the college application, containing information about the student’s academic performance, curriculum rigor, and counselor recommendation.

Score Choice: A College Board policy allowing students to choose which SAT scores to send to colleges.

Self-Reported Grades: Students report their own courses and grades on applications rather than submitting official transcripts initially.

Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) / Student Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS): Systems where students enter their own transcript information as part of the application.

Single Choice Early Action (SCEA): A non-binding early application option that prohibits students from applying early to any other college (public or private), though students may still apply to other schools under regular decision.

Sophomore Standing: The status of a second-year student. A college may grant sophomore standing to an incoming freshman if he or she has earned college credits through courses, exams or other programs.

Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM): The institutional practice of managing enrollment to meet college goals for class size, diversity, revenue, and other priorities.

Student Aid Index (SAI): Replaces Expected Family Contribution (EFC) starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA. The amount a family is expected to contribute toward college costs.

Supplemental Essays: Additional essays beyond the main personal statement, specific to individual colleges.

Superscoring: The practice of taking a student’s highest section scores across multiple test dates to create the highest possible composite score.

T

Test-Optional/Test-Blind: Policies where standardized test scores are either optional (test-optional) or not considered at all (test-blind) in admissions.

Transcript: The official record of your coursework at a school or college. Your high school transcript is usually required for college admission and for some financial aid packages.

Transfer Student: A student who begins at one college and transfers to another to complete their degree.

U

Undergraduate: A college student who is working toward an associate or bachelor’s degree.

Underrepresented Minority (URM): Students from racial or ethnic groups that have historically been underrepresented in higher education.

W

Waitlist/Waitlisted: The list of applicants who may be admitted to a college if space becomes available. Waitlisting occurs after regular decision notifications are released—the student is neither accepted nor rejected but held in reserve. Students are only considered if enrolled students decline admission and spots open up. Students may not hear until May or even summer (after the May 1 deposit deadline). Waitlist outcomes are very uncertain—some years schools go deep into the waitlist, other years not at all—and students have less opportunity to influence the outcome. Unlike a deferral, a waitlist is a holding pattern dependent entirely on yield.

Work-Study: A federal financial aid program that provides part-time jobs for students with financial need.

Y

Yield/Yield Protection: Yield rate is the percentage of admitted students who enroll at a college. Colleges care deeply about yield for several reasons: it affects their ability to manage enrollment numbers and budget predictably, it serves as a measure of desirability and prestige (high yield suggests students choose them over competitors), and it historically influenced college rankings. Yield protection (sometimes called “Tufts syndrome”) refers to colleges potentially denying or waitlisting overqualified applicants who appear unlikely to enroll—typically students whose credentials suggest the college is a “safety” school. By protecting yield, colleges aim to admit only students genuinely likely to attend, which keeps their yield rate high and helps them appear more selective and desirable. This practice is controversial because it can penalize high-achieving students who may have genuinely wanted to attend. Students can combat yield protection by demonstrating strong interest through campus visits, interviews, and essays that show authentic fit with the institution.