THE TOOLS
Glossary of terms What follows is a quick reference guide for some of the terms you have encountered throughout this magazine, and will come across as you learn more about college in general. Sometimes it can seem like higher education has a language of its own, so if you find yourself hearing an unfamiliar word over and over again, remember to stop and do a little research. Simply punching the word or phrase into a search engine can help considerably in reducing the confusion!
Articulation agreement An official agreement between two-year and four-year colleges that ensure classes completed at one school will be accepted when a student transfers to another school. This is very important for students who are planning to transition from one school to another; for instance, acquiring an associate degree before pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Class rank Although not all high schools offer a class rank, many do. It can be a useful metric for showing colleges how well you fared in comparison to your peers. If class rank is an optional part of your application, you should only include it if it reflects positively on you. College application essay An essay that a college requires students to write and submit as part of their application process. Some colleges offer applicants specific 22
questions to answer, while others simply ask applicants to write about themselves. Colleges may refer to this as a “personal statement” and it serves to show them who you are as a person, and how you write. See page 14 College credit Some advanced placement (AP) high school courses may provide you with college credits, which can be counted toward your future college degree. In other words, it’s an opportunity to start checking off college requirements before you ever set foot on campus. Common App A standard application form accepted by members of the Common Application association. It offers a way to organize your applications, keep track of progress, and eliminate some of the redundancy involved in individual applications. See page 20
Deferred admission If you get into a school, but then something comes up and you are unable to start attending at the appointed time, a deferred admission may be granted. That means the school has agreed to let you begin enrollment the following semester or year. Early action / early decision Both early action and early decision are options to submit your application before the regular deadline. When you apply early action, you get a nonbinding response from colleges earlier than usual. In contrast, early decision is binding. If accepted, you must attend that college, so reserve this option for your first-choice school. If you don’t get accepted under either one of these options, don’t despair. Your application will roll into the regular decision process.
College Bound Magazine
