GLOSSARY OF COLLEGE TERMS

 ACT: The assessment test produced by American College Testing. A multiple-choice test scored from 1 to 36. Its scores are reported in four parts: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. The Composite is the rounded average of the four sub-scores. This curriculum-based test is a factor used to determine a student's admissibility to a college.

 Activities Resume: A list of a student’s activities, athletics, clubs, interests, and awards compiled by the student and checked by her or his college counselor.  The activities resume should be sent to accompany each completed college application.

 AP (Advanced Placement): A program offered by the College Board and endorsed by secondary schools, institutions of higher learning, and some state legislatures that allows secondary school students to take college level courses.

 ATP: Admissions Testing Program, the term covering the Scholastic Assessment Tests I and II of the College Board.

Accelerated Medical Program: A type of program that enables a secondary school student to be admitted directly into a medical school. There are about 20 colleges/universities that offer this option, in 6, 7, or 8-year programs. Accelerated programs are for the exceptionally focused student. Because of their popularity, these programs are typically highly competitive for admission.

 Additional Report Request Form: A scantron form sent with your SAT admission ticket. Twelfth graders send their testing records to designated colleges using this card.

 BA: Bachelor of Arts degree.

BFA: Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

 BS: Bachelor of Science degree.

 Calendar Year: Most colleges operate on a two-semester calendar, some colleges work on a four-quarter system, and a few have a three-term (trimester) plan. A 4-1-4 program consists of two semesters with a mini semester (one month or “winterim”) in between, usually in January, similar, perhaps to MVS’s Immersion program.  A rare option is 4-4-1.

 Candidate Notification Date: The date by which a college notifies a student of its admissions decision.

 Candidate Reply Date: May 1st is the national deadline for submitting a deposit to the one college the student will attend.

 Class Rank: The numerical ranking of students based on cumulative GPA. Because of its own admission selectivity and due to the small size of our classes, MVS does not rank its students for the purpose of college admission and scholarship consideration.

 College Application: A form containing biographical and academic data to be completed by students for evaluation by college admission committees.

 College Board: The national parent organization of the AP and SAT.

 Common Application: A universal form accepted by approximately 220 colleges that enables students to fill out only one application, duplicate it, and submit it to participating institutions. The Common Application is available on the world wide web from the National Association of Secondary School Principals and can be downloaded from NASSP's Web site (www.nassp.org or www.commonapp.org).

 Competitive: A college that is said to be “competitive for admission” is one that receives more applications than it has spaces.

 Core: As in core curriculum, the basic course requirements that all students must complete before they are awarded a diploma; generally, a diverse selection of Humanities, Languages, Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts.

 CSS: College Scholarship Service, a division of the College Board devoted to the financial aspects of a college education.

 Cumulative GPA: Overall grade point average; the average of all final grades.

 Deferral: There are two types of deferrals: 1) When a student applies to a college under either an EA or ED plan, the college can accept, deny, or defer that student. Ordinarily, a deferral puts off the decision to the regular decision cycle, later that year. 2) When a twelfth grader, having been admitted to a college and having put a deposit down to guarantee a space in that college's incoming class, takes a year off with the permission of the college.

Double Deposit: Committing to attend more than one college by sending more than one deposit. This is regarded as being unethical and is not sanctioned by NACAC or OACAC.

EA: Early Action (See “Early Action” below).

ED: Early Decision (See “Early Decision” below).

EFC: Expected Family Contribution, calculated by financial aid processing services and college financial aid offices.

ETS: Educational Testing Service, a business dedicated to producing national tests. The College Board is a client.

Early Action: An admissions plan adopted by some colleges (Brown, Harvard) whereby a student can submit the application by November 1st and receive a decision by mid-December. The student is often limited to making only one Early Action application, depending upon the details outlined by each college. Students accepted under Early Action are not required to notify the college of their enrollment intentions until the standard May 1 notification date.

Early Decision: A program whereby a student can apply to her or his first choice college in the fall of the senior year and be notified of her or his admissions decision by mid-December. The student agrees to enroll if accepted and, depending on the college, to make no other applications or to withdraw other applications if she or he is admitted. Students not admitted under Early Decision may be reconsidered with the regular decision applicants. Applications to other colleges can still be processed in time to meet application deadlines.

Early Notification: (See "Rolling Admissions" below.)

FAF: Financial Aid Form: a form that no longer exists; it has been replaced by the CSS Profile.

FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid is required to determine eligibility for federal and state moneys. If you are seeking financial assistance, you must file this form in early January of your twelfth grade year because it requires information from your 1999 federal tax return. Amounts can be estimated.  You can also use the FAFSA to apply for some state and private aid, although certain state and private aid programs may require additional forms.  This important form can now be completed on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov; filing on-line insures for a far more expedient processing time than mailing in the application.  After filing on-line, you are then able to check on the status of your application.  This web site is especially user-friendly and quite informative!

CSS Financial Aid PROFILE: A customized financial aid package from the College Scholarship Service to be completed by the student and used by some colleges to better determine need for financial aid.   Formerly known as the FAF or Financial Aid Form, this is the non-government application used by financial aid offices to determine apportionment of institutional aid.  The College Board sponsors the CSS/Profile, which requires an additional fee for each school that requires it.

Federal Methodology: The formula used to determine eligibility for federal funds; some states use it as a rationing device for state funds as well.

Fee Waivers: Those students who demonstrate a substantial need for financial assistance may be eligible for a waiver, exempting them from paying application or testing fees. Eligibility guidelines must be met.

 Financial Aid: The monetary assistance available from federal, state, and university programs to supplement family contributions to pay for college. The amount of assistance available is determined after filing the appropriate forms.

Financial Aid "Package": A combination of grants/scholarships, loans, and student employment offered by a college to a family after determining the financial need.

Financial Need: The difference between the EFC and the college's cost.

GPA: Grade Point Average - At MVS, the GPA is calculated on a 4.0 scale and includes only courses taken at MVS.  Grades for physical education, jazz band, bells, and vocal ensemble are not calculated into a student’s GPA.  Honors and Advanced Placement courses are not weighted when calculating the GPA.  Plus/minus designations on the transcript are calculated in the GPA.

Gapping: Term used to describe a financial aid package that does not meet 100% of demonstrated need. The package leaves "a gap" between the need and the offered financial assistance.

High School Code: An identification number assigned to each high school. MVS’s high school code number is 361833.

Institutional Methodology: The specific formula used by an individual college to determine eligibility for its own financial aid packages.

Interview: A dialogue between a prospective student and an admissions representative. At some colleges, this interaction is essential and may become a significant part of the applicant's file; at other schools, it may be more informational.  Alum interviews are typically regarded as being less significant to an applicant’s file.

Ivy League: An athletic conference comprised of eight competitive northeastern colleges (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale). This collection of schools has achieved a standard of prestige based partly on highly competitive admission.

Merit-based Aid: Offered to students with special talents (e.g., academic, athletic, fine arts, etc.) who meet specific institutional criteria.

NACAC: An acronym for National Association for College Admission Counseling.  This organization consists of secondary school counselors, as well as college admission and financial aid personnel.  As a service to the students, NACAC maintains a list of ethical practices that are used to guide students and counselors through the many facets of the college selection process. A copy of the Statement of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities is included in this Handbook.  Its annual autumn conference provides professional development opportunities and networking among colleagues.  MVS is a member institution of NACAC; each member of the MVS College Counseling Team belongs to both NACAC and MVS’s regional association, OACAC.

NCAA Clearinghouse: A branch of the National Collegiate Athletic Association established to monitor the eligibility of student-athletes interested in participating in intercollegiate athletics at Division I and II programs. A student who is considering this level of athletic participation must complete a form to be submitted to the Clearinghouse at the end of the eleventh grade year. This form is available in the College Counseling Office and can also be completed on-line.

Need-based Aid: Federal, state, and institutional moneys offered to families who have demonstrated a financial need.

Need-based, Merit-driven: Some colleges begin the financial process with a need analysis but enhance or decrease money awarded based on the academic merit of the student.

Need-blind: A college that will review a student's application without regard to financial need.

NMSQT: National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test owned and operated by the National Merit Foundation and co-owned by the College Board as the PSAT. The PSAT/NMSQT taken in the autumn of the eleventh grade year is evaluated and given an index score (Verbal + Math + Writing). Students whose selection index score is in the 99th percentile will likely qualify as National Merit Semifinalists and become eligible to continue in the competition.

Non-custodial Parent: Parent with whom the student does not live; used primarily for financial purposes.

OACAC: An acronym for Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling, the regional organization under the NACAC umbrella, consisting of college counselors and admission/financial aid professionals to which MVS belongs.  Each member of the MVS College Counseling Team belongs to OACAC.

Post Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO):  On occasion, a student may enroll in one or more courses at local colleges – Sinclair Community College, University of Dayton, Wright State University – under Ohio’s Post Secondary Enrollment Option for students in grades 9-12.

PROFILE or CSS/Profile: A customized financial aid package from the College Scholarship Service to be completed by the student and used by some colleges to better determine need for financial aid.   Formerly known as the FAF or Financial Aid Form, this is the non-government application used by financial aid offices to determine apportionment of institutional aid.  The College Board sponsors the CSS/Profile, which requires an additional fee for each school that requires it.

Profile: An informational piece published by schools that keeps colleges informed and updated. The College Counseling Office includes a copy of the MVS Profile with each application.  A copy of the current MVS Profile is included in this College Handbook.

PSAT: Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test. A preparation test for the SAT administered in October to tenth and eleventh grade students.

PSAT/NMSQT: Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test scores from the junior year are used as the basis for qualifying for competition for national recognition and possible scholarship awards.

Recentering:  The process by The College Board of adjusting SAT scores to reestablish 500 as the median; the official procedure of recentering last occurred in the early 1990s.

Recommendations: Letters written on behalf of an applicant, usually by counselors, teachers, or coaches. These letters provide personal and academic insight about the applicant to admission committees and employers. The letter, written by the college counselor, is MVS's official recommendation (based partly on a compilation of comments, grades, extra-curricular interests, and a student’s on-going interactions with the counselor) aimed at defining qualities to accurately represent the student.

Rolling Admission (sometimes called Early Notification): A process colleges use to evaluate completed applications on an on-going basis. The application may go to committee for a decision as soon as all parts are complete; the decision is usually communicated within four to six weeks of the completion of the application process.

QAS:  Question-and-Answer-Service (for SAT I) is available on only three test dates each year.  This is a highly recommended opportunity to receive valuable feedback on your SAT I test scores.  For a nominal additional fee, a student receives a detailed analysis of his or her score (which questions were answered correctly, incorrectly, or omitted; a break-down of the types of questions on the test; the relative degree of difficulty and structure of the test).  Since the QAS is offered on the January test date, this beneficial information can be especially useful in determining how one might prepare differently for future tests.

SAR: Student Aid Report. A form that is a part of the financial aid process, the SAR is a confirmation of the figures listed on the FAFSA. It will also provide your estimated family contribution.

SAT I: Reasoning Test: Scholastic Assessment Test published by the College Board. Currently, a two-part test, verbal and mathematical, each scored from 200 to 800 that attempts to assess the student's projected success as a first-year college student and is used by many colleges as a factor to determine admissibility.  Beginning March of 2005, the SAT I will add a third section, writing, raising the total possible composite score from 1600 to 2400.

SAT II: Subject Tests: Examinations published by the College Board. Over 20 tests are offered in major academic disciplines (Literature, Math IC, Math IIC, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, American History & Social Studies, World History, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, German, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Spanish). The more competitive colleges usually expect their applicants to submit three of these tests, typically one of which must be Literature and either Math IC or Math IIC.

Suggested Standardized Testing Schedule:

 Score Choice: An SAT II option on the registration form that allows you to suppress your Subject Test scores until you have had a chance to review them. You may decide which of these individualized tests to release. Released scores become part of your cumulative testing record with The College Board.  Score Choice significantly delays the release of your scores to colleges, so it ought to be used with caution.

 Secondary School Report (SSR): Part of the application that is completed by your college counselor and includes a summary letter of recommendation.  This portion of your application is mailed by MVS with your official transcript.

 Selectivity: The “estimated” level of difficulty in gaining admission to a college. A college that gets more applications than it has spaces available is said to be “selective” in its admission process.  A college’s “yield” is often taken into consideration when determining its selectivity.  Different college handbooks have different methods in and terminologies for evaluating and comparing degrees of selectivity.

 Sophomore Standing: Classification a student obtains after having completed the required coursework/hours of a first year college student. Such standing is occasionally attainable through successful completion of AP work in secondary school or through successful PSEO work.

 TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language, for students whose native language is not English.

 Transcript: An official report from a school, bearing the school seal, listing the coursework, trimester and yearly grades earned, effort grades, and yearly and cumulative grade point averages.  MVS includes a record of each student’s standardized test scores on the back each transcript.

 Wait-list: An admission decision by a college that indicates an applicant qualifies for admission, but there is currently no space available.  Depending on that college’s final yield for that year, some spaces might become available after the May 1 reply deadline.  Occasionally, spaces also become available during the summer.

Yield: The percent of accepted students who actually matriculate to a given college or university after being offered admission. Generally, the higher the yield, the more competitive or selective the institution.

SW: Sept, 2004.