Resources 

Timeline for Applying to College

Freshman and Sophomore Years

• High school courses (choice, level of difficulty, and grades)

• Test prep (SAT, ACT, and AP/IB)

• Activities in and out of school, including work and service

• Relationships with teachers and mentors

• College research

Junior Year 

• Take SAT/ACT  ( can be taken more than once if wanted)

• Make list of schools you like 

• Visit schools that you are interested in 

• Draft an essay for college 

Senior Year

• For your top schools map out the due dates for applications 

• Apply to colleges 

• Take SAT/ACT again (if needed)

• Apply to scholarships 

• Gather letters of recommendation 

• Complete FAFSA 

Scholarship Websites 

A

American Indian College Fund

American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC)

American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA)

AmeriCorps

B

Black Excel: 100 Minority Scholarship Gateway List

C

College Board

Cappex

Chamber of Commerce

Chegg

F

Fastweb

G

Gates Millennium Scholars Program

GoCollege Scholarship Search

H

Hispanic College Fund

Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)

I

International Scholarships

L

League of United Latin Amercian Citizens

Learn How to Become (Scholarships for Veterans)

M

Mexican Scholarship Fund

My College Options

Greater Philadelphia Chapter Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship

N

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)

Niche

P

Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)

Peterson's

Point Foundation (LBTGQ)

S

Scholarshps.com

Scholarship Monkey

Student Scholarship Search

U

UNIGO

Undocumented Students Scholarships

Glossary of Terms

Academic Calendar.  The annual period during which a student attends and receives formal instruction at a college or university, typically from August or September to May or June. 

Associate’s Degree. An undergraduate degree awarded by a college or university upon successful completion of a program of study, usually requiring two years (or the equivalent) of full-time study. 

Bachelor’s Degree. An undergraduate degree awarded by a college or university upon successful completion of a program of study, typically requiring at least four years (or the equivalent) of full-time study. Common degree types include Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B.), which refers to the liberal arts, and Bachelor of Science (B.S.). A bachelor's is required before starting graduate studies. 

Curriculum. This is a general word used to describe the requirements to graduate—that is, all of the courses you need to complete in order to graduate. It can also be used more specifically to refer to all the classes you will need to complete in your major or minor (e.g., the Criminal Justice curriculum), or the courses you must take outside your major/minor in order to graduate—called the General Education curriculum.

Doctoral Degree. The highest academic degree awarded by a university upon successful completion of an advanced program of study, typically requiring at least three years of graduate study beyond the master's degree (which may have been earned at a different university). 

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This is a standard federal form used to apply for most kinds of financial aid at most schools.  You must file your FAFSA every year. Note that although the name says “federal student aid” most schools require you to file a FAFSA before you can be considered for any type of university, state, or federal scholarship or aid, not just federal loans. 

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).  This is a federal privacy law that protects students. 

Financial Aid/Financial Aid Office. This is a general term used to refer to any sort of aid you receive to help you pay for college. It can be in the form of a scholarship, grant, or loan.

GPA(Grade Point Average).  A measure of your academic performance across courses on a scale from 0 to 4. You have a GPA for your major/minor and an overall GPA.  It is calculated by dividing the total amount of grade points earned by the total amount of credit hours attempted. 

Graduate Student/Graduate Studies. A student who already holds an undergraduate degree and is pursuing advanced studies at a graduate school, leading to a master's, doctorate or graduate certificate. A "graduate" can also refer to any student who has successfully completed a program of study and earned a degree. A full list of graduate programs can be found online or through the course catalog.

Higher Education/Post-Secondary. Any type of education that happens after high school or secondary school

Letter of Recommendation (also called a Reference Letter or Rec Letter). A letter a professor or others may write that describes and assesses your academic performance and potential, character, and capabilities. Typically, you ask a professor or others to write a rec letter when you are applying for job, internships, scholarships, or applying to graduate school. Because you will need such letters at one or more points in your college career, it is a good idea to get to know at least some of your professors well—that is, outside of a large lecture classroom setting. 

Major. The academic subject area that a student chooses to focus on during his or her undergraduate studies. 

Master’s Degree. A graduate degree awarded by a college or university upon successful completion of an advanced program of study, typically requiring one or two years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree. Common degree types include Master of Arts (M.A.); Master of Science (M.S.); and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.). A full list of graduate programs can be found online or through the course catalog. Some programs offer full or partial tuition funding via research positions, Graduate Assistantships, and other means.

Minor. An academic subject area that a student chooses in order to have a secondary focus during their undergraduate studies. Unlike a major, a minor is typically not required, but it allows a student to take a few additional courses in a subject different from his or her major. You can find minors in the Program Index and course catalog.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP; also referred to as Good Academic Standing). A student remains in good academic standing as long as he or she maintains a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all work taken at the University.

Standardized Graduate School Admission Exams (e.g., GRE, GMAT, LSAT). In order to apply and be admitted into graduate schools, it is typically required students take a standardized admission exam. Which exam you take is dependent on what graduate program you are applying to. Plan on taking these exams well before the program’s application due date. Some examples of these exams are: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), and Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

Syllabus.  This a document that each instructor will provide for each course that describes the course, provides information about it such as what the readings and assignments are, and describes the expectations.

Tuition/Room & Board. An amount of money charged by a school per term, per course or per credit, in exchange for instruction and training. Tuition generally does not include the cost of textbooks, room and board, and other fees. "Room and board" is typically one of the costs that colleges and universities will list in their annual estimated cost of attendance, in addition to tuition, fees, and textbooks and supplies. If students choose to live in dormitories, they may be required to buy into a meal plan to use on-campus dining facilities. To learn more about your estimated Tuition and Room & Board fees, see the Admissions homepage.

Undergraduate/Undergraduate studies. A student enrolled in a two-year or four-year study program at a college or university after graduation from high school, leading to an associate or bachelor's degree. 

Withdrawal.  See Academic Leave.

Work-study. A financial aid program funded by the U.S. federal government that allows undergraduate or graduate students to work part time on campus or with approved off-campus employers. To participate in work-study, students must complete the FAFSA.