glossary of terms

  • Academic Advisor - usually a professor who has mentors students in choosing major and classes and meeting the academic requirements
  • ACT - enrollment exam for undergraduate studies www.act.org
  • Alumni, alumnus - a former student of a university
  • Associate degree - diploma after graduating from a 2-year college (or the first two years of some university programs)
  • Baccalaureate, Bachelor's degree - academic degree after completing undergraduate studies (4-years on average)
  • Campus - university campus, which includes dormitory, sports halls, lecture, and all facilities (may be gated, but also the size of a small town)
  • Community College - college with a two-year program
  • Credit - units for measuring the weight of classes; the number of credit often means the number of teaching hours per week
  • Double major - completion of requirements for two degrees simultaneously
  • Eligibility - license to play, is measured in years or semesters in which students can compete and is different for each organization and division
  • Financial aid - financial help, almost identical to scholarships, except that it is awarded based on financial needs
  • Full-time student - a student who has a minimum of 12 credits per semester, a necessary prerequisite for a foreign student in F-1 visa
  • Grade point average - GPA
  • Graduate study - Studies towards a Master's degree
  • I-20 - a document issued by the university to the enrolled student with the purpose to ask an F-1 visa at the U.S. embassy; it is important to note that the visa is invalid without this document.
  • Internship - temporary work, professional practice (often associated with a class/major)
  • Intercollegiate sport - competitive sport
  • Intermural / club sport - recreational sport (does not award scholarships)
  • Junior college - college with a two-year program
  • Major - the main area of study, one must choose it before the 3rd year of study
  • Minor - secondary area of study
  • NCAA Clearinghouse - a specialized agency that awards the license to compete in the NCAA leagues. Applying to the NCAA Clearinghouse is mandatory for anyone who will compete in NCAA competition.  Further information and registration can be found at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net.
  • Non-resident - student who is not resident of the state or county where the college is located. Foreign students are considered non-resident.
  • Recommendation letter - a letter of recommendation (written by a professor or employer who knows the candidates); often necessary for admission to the university.
  • SAT (Scholastic Aptitute / Assessment Test) - is a combined test of English language and mathematics, which is necessary for admission to American universities and the NCAA Clearinghouse. More information about test dates can be found at www.collegeboard.org.
  • SAT I / SAT Reasoning Test - General test
  • SAT II / SAT Subject test - Subject test
  • Semester - a period of 15-16 weeks, represents half of the academic year
  • Social Security Number - the number issued by the U.S. government during the first employment; necessary to work in the United States. Many institutions often use the SSN as an identification number, but it is not necessary to have one to enroll in college.
  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) - enrollment examination for foreign students where English is not their native language - www.toefl.org
  • Transcript - transcript of courses with grades
  • Tuition - Fees
  • Undergraduate study - four-year study towards a Bachelor degree