College admissions terms you want to know.

There are lots of different terms that can easily confuse anyone that is new to the college admissions process. This web page highlights many of the ones you'll want to be familiar with to better understand the applications you'll be completing.

College admissions process types.

When you sit down to play a game of checkers, no matter who you are playing, the rules are the same. Not so in the college admissions game. Even though you are playing the same game with each institution you apply to, the rules can be very different. However, most processes fall into one of three broad categories.

Open enrollment.

Institutions that have an open enrollment policy will allow just about anyone that is a high school graduate enroll and take courses. Most community colleges fall into this type of college admissions category. They typically will still have an application process to verify that you are a high school graduate and to ensure that you will be a solid, upstanding member of their community, but the academic requirements are usually minimal. That isn’t to say every program at a school following this kind of policy will not have entrance exams or be easy to get into. Rather, it just means that just about any high school graduate should be able to be accepted and begin their studies in some area even though it may not be their first choice area.

Rolling admissions.

The second category includes schools that do have some academic qualifications you must meet but that review each applicant on their own merits, and within a reasonable time period right after the individual applies for admission. This is called Rolling Admissions. The name comes from the fact that within this type of college admissions process there are generally no cutoff dates after which you cannot apply and that applicants are reviewed as they “roll” in rather than all at the same time. Institutions that use this type of review usually do require you to have a certain grade point average and submit test scores as well as things like letters of recommendation and personal essays. However, their minimum criteria are generally not overwhelming. Additionally, institutions with this type of process are looking to ensure that you have the capability to succeed at their institution, not necessarily that you are better than any other applicant. Your qualifications are reviewed based on your individual preparedness and not compared to anyone else’s qualifications.

Competitive admissions.

The final category is generally referred to as the Competitive Admissions category. Colleges within this class hold all applications until after a certain deadline. At that time, they review all applicants not only for their individual ability and preparedness, but they also compare each applicant’s qualifications to all other applicants’ qualifications (that’s where the word competitive comes in). Acceptance offers are given only to a certain pre-determined number of applicants that are deemed to be the best fit for that college and that entering class. Institutions in this category often are looking for more than just great high school grade point averages and test scores.

Application deadline.

This is the date that your application and all supporting documentation needs to be submitted by in order to be considered for admission to that school. Each school sets their own deadline dates.

These deadlines are true deadlines! It's very important to find out the application deadline for every institution to which you will be applying so that you can put together an organized plan for getting all your applications done on time.

Open Enrollment and Rolling Admissions schools will have a date that is in the summer a little bit prior to the start of fall classes or none at all. Competitive Admissions institutions will have very strict deadlines usually during the winter months. One key note here is that even Open Enrollment and Rolling Admissions schools can have an individual program, for example nursing, that does have its own application deadline due to its high demand. My advice is to ask that question twice. Once in general terms and then again by asking if there is a special application deadline for someone interested in the academic major or study area that you are considering.

Application fee.

The application fee is an amount of money that you must submit with your application for it to be processed and for your application to be considered. Every college sets their own application fee so you will want to make sure you find out the fee amount for each school. These can vary greatly (typically at least $25 and very often $50 and up). You should write these down in an organized list so that you are sure to send the correct amount to each college.

By the way, there are ways to get your application fee WAIVED and still have your application processed. Lots of universities waive the application fee for utilizing their online application or for visiting their campus. There are also financial need types of waivers, too. It's ok to ask an admissions representative from any college you are considering what ways there may be to have your application fee waived. Good admissions counselors are always glad to help you with your questions!

Early decision or early admission.

Early decision and early admission programs offer students a chance to submit their applications early and also receive notification about their application sooner than with the regular college admissions review timetable. You will have to submit your application materials by the early admission deadline which is different from the deadline for regular admissions. Be sure to ask specifically for the early admission deadline if you are interested in this option.

Generally, there are two types of early admission programs - Early Decision and Early Acceptance (also known as Early Action or Early Notification). Early Decision is a binding program that means if you are offered acceptance you will revoke any other applications you have outstanding to other schools. Early Acceptance is not binding. You may still entertain other offers of admission from other universities and declare your intent to enroll at a later date. You can see from the definitiveness of the Early Decision type of program, it is important to ask each college you are considering the details of their specific program.

Extracurricular activities.

An important objective of the college admissions process is to learn about you outside of the classrom, too. Universities want to know what you're involved in outside of the classroom, too. Whether it's the school chorus, marching band, sports, or just a hobby that you love to spend time doing, all of these things are referred to by colleges as extracurricular activities. They do not have to be school-related activities for you to include them on your application for admission.
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SAT test and SAT subject tests.

Good, bad, or ugly, standardized tests are an important part of the college admissions game. The SAT Reasoning Test is an almost 4 hour exam that measures your critical reading, math, and writing skills. Many colleges require that you submit your scores from this exam as part of your application materials. You should plan to take this test no later than the fall of your senior year. You have to register about a month before the exam so plan ahead. Also, it costs $43 to take this exam in the 2007-2008 test sessions.
Click here to view the SAT test dates for 2007-2008.

SAT Subject Tests used to be known as the SAT II exams. These are subject specific tests that measure your knowlege in one subject area. Most competitive admission schools like to see you submit 2-3 SAT Subject Tests as part of your application materials.
Click here to see the SAT Subject Test areas you can choose from.

ACT exam.

The ACT exam is another skills test that is used by various universities. It measures your knowledge in english, math, reading and science. There is also an optional writing test. The cost of the ACT is $30 and you do need to register at least a month or so in advance. Many colleges accept either the ACT or the SAT test. You will want to certainly plan on taking one or both of them in order to be able to complete most college admissions processes.
Click here to see ACT test dates for 2007-2008.

AP exams.

AP or Advanced Placement exams are subject specific exams that allow you to show your proficiency for college level work in a certain subject. If you score high enough, you can actually earn college credit at many institutions by taking these exams. Many high schools offer specific AP courses that prepare you to take the AP exam in that subject. Competitive admission schools also like to see you take these kinds of courses and exams and place significant importance upon them when reviewing your qualifications as part of their college admissions process.
Click here to view the AP test subject areas.

Counselor statement.

Several schools, as part of their college admissions process, will require you to have a guidance counselor from your high school complete a special form on which they comment about you and your abilities. Some schools may only ask for a written letter from a counselor and not be very specific about what should be included while other schools ask that their particular form be used. You are responsible for making sure that these documents are submitted.

Teacher recommendation.

An important part of most college admissions processes is the teacher recommendation. Many institutions will ask you to have one or more of your teachers to submit a letter outlining your academic performance in a classroom setting. Again, some schools have a specific form that you are expected to use. You are allowed to choose which teacher(s) and are responsible for ensuring that the correct documents are submitted.

Conditional acceptance.

Sometimes a college may not be able to offer you acceptance as part of their regular college admissions process. However, they may outline certain "conditions" that you must meet and then you will be allowed to matriculate. These may include a special set of pre-requisite courses or a limit on the actual number and types of courses in which you may enroll.

Wait list.

School the use a competitive college admissions process only have so many openings to fill each year. They use historical formulas to predict how many students that they can offer admission to in order to fill that number of openings. Just in case a lower number than expected actually enroll, some schools will place you on a "wait list." You may choose to stay on their wait list and see if you can be offered admission at a later time. This usually does not prohibit you from accepting another school's offer of admission (this is a good strategy to ensure you do have a place somewhere).

Mid-year admission.

Another way that competitive schools may be able to enroll students that are not offered acceptance during the regular college admissions process for the fall is to offer you a place beginning in the spring semester (usually in January). Every school experiences some attrition after the first semester and has openings to fill at that time. If you are not offered regular acceptance it is an excellent strategy to ask about the possibility of mid-year admission.

Deferred admission.

At most institutions you may "defer" a school's offer of admission for up to two years. In other words, you can accept a school's offer of admission but choose to enroll at some point in the future (as long as it meets their deferral guidelines). Also, more competitive schools are offering this option to some students that could not be offered admission in this year's class, but in an effort to begin filling next year's openings, are offered deferred admission for the next entering class.