Accreditation: recognition of a college or university by any of the regional
or national accrediting bodies indi­cating that the institution as a whole has
been judged to be meeting its objectives. '
ACT Assessment (ACT): the group of tests, administered by The American
College Testing Program and required or recommended by many colleges as part
of the admission process. They measure educational develop­ment in English,
Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. Given at specified test centers
throughout the year.
Advanced placement (AP): granting of credit and/or assign­ment to an advanced
course on the basis of evidence that the student has mastered Ihe equivalent
of an intro­ductory course.
College Calendars:
Traditional semester: Two approximately equal semesters
Early semester: Two semesters, first semester com­pleted before Christmas
Quarter: Three equal terms of about 12 weeks each
Trimester: Calendar year divided into three equal semesters, third
semester replaces summer school
4-1-4: Two equal terms of about 16 weeks each, with a 4-week interim term
Career-oriented program: a group of courses which prepares students primarily
for employment often in a specific occupation. Such a program, which can last
a few months or more than two years, may lead to a certificate, diploma, or
associate degree-College transfer courses: courses intended tor transfer of
college credit to bachelor's degree programs elsewhere.
Cooperative work-study education: a program in which the student alternates
between full-time college study and fuH-time paid employment related to the
area of study. Under this plan, the bachelor's degree often requires five
years to complete.
Credit by examination: a program through which some colleges grant course
credit based on results of ACT scores or SAT Achievement scores, the ACT
Proficiency Examination Program (PEP), the CEEB College-Level Examination
Program (CLEP), or other examinations.
Deferred admission: the practice of some colleges allowing an accepted
student to postpone enrollment for one year.
Early admission: admitting students of superior ability into college courses
and programs before they have completed the standard high school program.
Family Financial Statement (FFS): a form used by The American College Testing
Program to collect information about the student's total family income,
assets, and expenses, and to analyze the family's potential contribu­tion
toward college expenses.
Financial Aid Form (FAF): a form used by the College Scholarship Service to
collect information about the student's total family income, assets, and
expenses, and to analyze the family's potential contribution toward college
expenses.
Grade point average (GPA): an indicator of the student's overall scholastic
perlormance. The GPA is computed by totaiing the number of grade points
earned in each course (generally, A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0} and then dividing
the sum by the total number ol courses carried.
Honors program: any program offering opportunity for superior students to
enrich their educational experience through independent, advanced, or
accelerated study. -
Independent study: an arrangement which allows the student to earn college
credit through individual study, usually planned with and supervised by a
faculty advisor.
Major: the subject of study in which the student chooses to specialize: a
series of related courses, taken primarily in the junior and senior years.
Open admissions: the policy of some colleges of ad­mitting virtually all high
school graduates, regardless of academic qualifications such as high school
grades and admission test scores.
P-ACT+: a program for tenth graders designed to stimu­late early thinking
about postsecondary planning, assess status of academic preparation for
college, support good high school course selection, and provide preparation
for the ACT Assessment
Pell Grant: financial assistance, awarded by the federal government on the
basis of need, designed to provide the "floor" of an aid package for post-
secondary education. The grant may be used toward tuition, room and board,
books, or other educational costs, and requires no repayment.
Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT): a program designed to provide a
practice test for juniors as a warm-up for the SAT.
Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC): Air Force, Army, and Navy programs on
certain campuses which combine military education with baccalaureate degree
study, often when financial support lor those students who commit themselves
to future service in the Armed Forces-Scholastic AptitudeTest (SAT): test of
verbal and mathe­matical abilities given by the College Entrance Examina­tion
Board (CEEB} at specified test centers throughout the year. Required or
recommended by colleges as part of the admission process.
Transcript: official record of high school or college courses and grades
generally required as part of the college application.