Counselor’s Corner
by CHARLOTTE WINKELMANN
College planning seems to have changed a great deal since many parents were in high school. What do all those TERMS mean? Here’s an alphabetical list of some of the most common you may encounter during the college admissions process.
1. College Readiness Standards – minimum assessment scores indicating the readiness of a student to progress to college level work. (TAKS-2200 in math and reading and a 3 on the writing portion or 500 in math and reading and writing and a composite of 1070 on the SAT or 50 in math, 50 in reading, and 50 in writing and composite of 23 on the ACT.)
2. College Readiness Academic Indicators – high school indicators that influence a student’s success in post-secondary coursework and retention: educational and career planning in high school, level of academic achievement, preparation (rigorous high school curriculum), and taking college exams (ACT and/or SAT).
3. Common application – these are forms that allow your student to submit one application to many different schools: http://www.collegeforalltexans.org (the Common Texas Application), http://www.commonapps.org, and http://universalcommonapps.org online. Some schools also require supplemental forms.
4. Early Action (EA) – a student can apply to an early action school and receive the admission response early. The decision is usually non-binding, but the applicant may agree to forgo applying to other early action/early decision institutions.
5. Early Decision (ED) – a student gets to apply earlier than usual and receives an early decision on admission. If admitted, the student is bound to attend the school.
6. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – the key to unlocking student financial aid, it should be completed and submitted as soon after January 1 as possible. The form and supporting information can be found on the www.fasfa.ed.gov.
7. Open Admissions or Open Enrollment Colleges – to enroll at one of these schools, typically a student just needs a high school diploma or a GED. The admission decision is usually made without regard to previous academic performance. However, tests may still need to be taken in order to be placed in the appropriate first-year classes.
8. Rolling Admissions – a process in which a school reviews applications and makes decisions on them until the freshman class is filled. Some schools may have a hard deadline for applications for each semester, so look for cut-off dates.
9. Selective Admissions – the policy of admitting only well-qualified applicants, based on high school grades, admission test scores, and additional personal information often provided through essays, resumes, interviews, and letters of recommendation.
10. Transcript – the official record of high school (AAR-Academic Achievement Record) generally required as part of the college application.
11. Wait List – a list of students who have not yet been admitted to a college, but who may be admitted. By placing a student on a wait list, a college does not offer or deny admission, it extends the possibility in the future, before the admission cycle is completed.
