College Planning: Helpful Terms 

Bachelor’s Degree: A diploma earned after successfully completing a required course of study at a college or university. The degree usually takes four years and is abbreviated B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) or B.S. (Bachelor of Science).  

Candidates Reply Date Agreement (CRDA): An agreement many colleges follow that gives applicants until May 1 to accept or decline offers of admission. This agreement gives students time to get responses from most of the colleges they have applied to before deciding on one.  

Common Application: An online application for admission that is accepted by nearly 500 participating US universities. It can be accessed online at www.commonapp.org. Some colleges also require a school-specific supplementary form. 

Core Curriculum: A group of specially designed courses in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences designed to give students a strong foundation in general education.  

Cost of Attendance: Represents every educational expense, including tuition, room, board, and other fees. All schools that receive federal funds must list the cost of attendance. 

Deferral: A decision by a college to delay a final response to an Early Action or Early Decision application until the regular decision cycle.  

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, which means that you do not have to enroll in a college if you are accepted early action. Most EA plans allow students to apply by November 1 or November 15 and receive an admission decision by December 15.   

Early Decision (ED): An option to submit an application to your first-choice college before the regular deadline. When you apply early decision, you get an admission decision earlier than usual. 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. Most ED application plans allow students to apply by November 1 or November 15 and receive an admission decision by December 15.  

Expected Family Contribution (EFC): A number used by your school to calculate the amount of federal student aid you are eligible to receive. Your EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college, and it is not the amount of federal student aid you will receive. Instead, it is a measure of your family’s financial strength and is calculated according to a formula established by law.  

FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid: This is a form completed by current and prospective college students in the United States to determine their eligibility for student financial aid.

Financial Aid: Money to pay for college. In order to qualify for financial aid, a student must submit a financial aid application and each school has its own deadlines and procedures. There are many types of financial aid, including scholarships, work-study programs, federal grants, and private loans. 

General Education (Gen Ed) Requirements: Courses selected from several divisions required for a college degree. These are usually completed during the first two years of college, before moving on to focused course work in major or minor areas.  

In-State Student: Describes the status of a student who has established residence in the same state as the public college he or she is attending. In-state students are admitted in greater numbers and pay lower tuition than out-of-state students. 

Liberal arts: Refers to academic programs focusing on humanities, social and natural sciences. Liberal arts programs emphasize critical and creative thinking and communication and are non-technical and non-vocational. 

Major: A student’s major is their primary focus of study, though they are typically also able to take some courses outside of their major. In order to earn a four-year degree a student must formally declare a major.  

Minor: A secondary area of concentration, which may or may not be required by an institution.  

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.  

Out-of-State Student: A student who is not a resident of the state of the public university they attend. Tuition for out-of-state students at public universities is higher than for in-state students. Residency requirements can vary from state to state, so be sure to research the rules.  

Regular Decision: An application option that involves applying by a late fall or early winter deadline in exchange for an admission decision the following spring. 

Rolling Admission: An application option by which colleges review and make decisions about applications as they are received. The application cycle usually opens in early fall and may extend into the spring or until the freshmen class is filled.   

Student-Faculty Ratio: The number of professors per number of students at a college or university. For example, if a college had 2,400 students and 100 full-time professors, the student:faculty ratio would be 24:1.  

Transcript: A copy of a student’s cumulative record, requested by all colleges and universities for admission purposes. 

Undergraduate: A college student who has not yet received a Bachelor’s Degree.  12

Waitlist: A group of students held in reserve after a college makes its admissions decisions. If openings occur, students on the waitlist may be offered admission.

Yield: The percentage of students offered admission to a college who subsequently enroll.