College Vocabulary Need to Know

There's a lot to know before your child heads off to college, including understanding all the terms you'll hear between now and then. Is a college the same as a university? Can your student study liberal arts even if he/she doesn't go to a liberal arts college? And what is a liberal arts college anyway? Learn some college lingo now.

• Co-curricular. A co-curricular is any activity that is not required to receive a degree. For example, participation in the Spanish Club or on an intramural team is a co-curricular.
• College vs. University. A college offers an array of degrees in one specific area, such as business. A university is made up of several colleges that all focus on different core areas. Universities are generally larger and may have more name recognition than colleges.
• Co-requisite. A course that must be taken during the same semester as another companion class.
• Credit Hour. Generally speaking, this indicates one hour of class time per week (i.e., if a student takes a three-hour course, he or she will be in the classroom for roughly three hours each week for that course).
• Early Admission. Exceptional high school students may be able to start college after the end of junior year through a college or university's early admission program.
• Early Decision. This means a student can apply early in the fall and find out if you're accepted long before those who wait until the traditional acceptance deadline. However, if a student applies for early decision and is accepted, he/she must attend.
• FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid form is used to apply for financial aid at most institutions. It must be submitted every year after January 1.
• Liberal Arts. For an education that includes a wide swath of general knowledge, look toward the liberal arts where a student will learn critical thinking rather than a specific career skill. Liberal arts include the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.
• Major. A major is an area of concentration in a particular field of study. Usually students choose a major by the end of sophomore year.
• Minor. A minor is extensive course work in a subject different from one's major.
• Private University. These institutions are not publicly funded—although they may accept funding through government grants and loans. Because these schools are not affiliated with a government branch and not bound by strict regulation, their admissions policies, programs and more may be quite different from those at public schools.
• Public University. Public universities are mainly funded by a government entity, like the state.
• Quarter System. This system divides the nine-month academic calendar into three equal parts of approximately 12 weeks each. (Summer sessions, if any, are usually the same length.)
• Registrar. This is the college official who registers students, collects fees, keeps records, maintains student files and sends transcripts to employers, other colleges and graduate schools.
• Retention Rate. This is the percentage of students who return for the next year of college. A high retention rate is seen as a sign of a successful college program.
• Rolling Admissions. This means students can apply any time during the year, since there's no set deadline. However, students should apply during the first half of your senior year.
• Semester System. This system divides the academic year into two equal segments of approximately 18 weeks each. (Summer sessions, if any, are shorter, but require more intensive study.)
• Student Aid Report (SAR). This is a report sent to families in response to their submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It indicates the expected family contribution (EFC).
• Transcript. This is the official record of a student's course work at a school or college. A high school transcript is generally required as part of the college application process.
• Trimester System. This is an academic calendar that is divided into three equal terms or trimesters.
• Undergraduate. An undergraduate is a college student working toward an associate or bachelor's degree.
• Wait List. This is a list of applicants who may be considered for acceptance if there is still space after admitted students have decided whether or not they'll attend.
• Work-Study. In this federally funded program, students take campus jobs as part of their financial aid package. To participate in a work-study program, students must complete the FAFSA.

Source: Gates Millennium Program Resources for Educators