Essential words for college admissions?

Hey everyone, I've heard that there are some terms and words I should know to help me navigate the college admissions process. Can anyone share some key vocabulary or concepts that I should familiarize myself with? Thanks!

Hello! Absolutely, understanding terms commonly used in the college admissions process can be really helpful in navigating your way through it. Here's a compilation of important words and concepts that you might want to familiarize yourself with:

1. Common Application (Common App): A centralized online platform allowing you to submit one application form to multiple participating colleges, making the application process more streamlined.

2. Reach, Target, and Safety Schools: These terms categorize the colleges you're applying to based on their selectivity and your chances of being admitted. Reach schools have a low acceptance rate or high entrance requirements, making them harder to get into. Target schools are those you have a reasonable chance of being admitted to, based on your profile and the college's average admitted student profile. Safety schools are those you're quite confident you'll be admitted to.

3. Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA): These are options allowing you to apply to colleges before the regular deadline. ED is binding, where you commit to attending the college if admitted. EA is non-binding, allowing you the option to choose between colleges, even if admitted.

4. Rolling Admissions: A college admissions policy where applications are reviewed and decisions made on an ongoing basis (i.e., as they are received), rather than waiting for a specific deadline.

5. Waitlist: A list of students who meet a college's admission requirements but aren't initially offered admission. They may be offered a place in the event that space becomes available.

6. FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): A form completed by prospective college students to apply for financial aid from the federal government.

7. CSS Profile: An application form used by some colleges to determine eligibility for non-federal financial aid, typically offered by the college itself. This form is managed by the College Board.

8. Merit-based and Need-based Aid: Merit-based aid is awarded based on your achievements, while need-based aid depends on your financial situation.

9. Expected Family Contribution (EFC): An estimate of how much a family is expected to contribute towards college expenses, used by financial aid offices to determine your aid package.

10. Spike: A unique, highly-developed specialty that sets a student apart in a specific field or area.

11. Letter of Recommendation (LOR): A document written by teachers, counselors, or other significant adults who can attest to your character, work ethic, and achievements.

12. Holistic Admissions: The process in which colleges evaluate applicants based on multiple factors, including academics, extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation.

These are just a few key terms to get started with, but knowing them will help you better understand the college admissions process. Good luck!