(The following pages were borrowed from the College Handbook at Choate Rosemary Hall and used with permission.)

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1 (The following pages were borrowed from the College Handbook at Choate Rosemary Hall and used with permission.) A GLOSSARY OF TERMS ACT The ACT is a curriculum based test used to determine admissibility to a college. It is a multiple choice test scored from 1to 36. There are four subtests: English, mathematics, reading, and science. Most selective colleges also require students to register for the optional writing test. A composite test score is the rounded average of the four sub scores. The website is AP Advanced Placement: these are college-level courses offered by many high schools and endorsed by the College Board. After an AP course is completed, students generally take AP exams, which are scored on a 1-5 scale (5 being the highest possible score). Colleges may offer either credit, or advanced standing, to any student who has received a recommended AP exam score. Candidate s Reply Date The Candidate Reply Date is May 1 and is the national deadline for submitting a deposit to one college. Class Rank The rating of a student based on an academic comparison with all other students in a class. Some schools do not rank their students while others provide other measures of comparison including decile placement or grading charts. CSS College Scholarship Service is a division of the College Board devoted to the financial aspects of a college education. CSS processes information provided by financial aid applicants on the PROFILE form and distributes that information to colleges. College Board A not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Among its best-known programs are the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, and the AP Program. The website is Common Application A standard application form accepted by more than three hundred colleges. A student completes one application form and submits it on-line or mails duplicates to subscriber colleges. Many colleges require individual application supplements. The website is Deferral This is an admission decision which may be received if a student has applied under an Early Decision or Early Action plan. A deferral means that the applicant has not yet been admitted or denied; the application will be placed in the regular round for another review, and an admission decision will be rendered in March or April. Students who apply Early Decision and are deferred are no longer bound by the Early Decision Agreement and may apply to other colleges. Double Deposit Committing to enroll at more than one college by sending a financial enrollment deposit to multiple colleges is unethical. Division I, II, III These are designations for college athletic programs as defined by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Division I and II programs are the most competitive athletically and

2 are the only programs that may award athletic scholarships. Division III programs, most commonly found at smaller colleges and universities, do not require NCAA certification* (see below). Potential athletic recruits should meet with their college counselor early in the process, to be certain that all the appropriate requirements will be met before graduation and to insure that students understand the process of working with college coaches. *Students interested in playing at Division I or II colleges must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly known as the NCAA Clearinghouse) at the end of their fifth form. Early Action (EA) A plan whereby an application is submitted and a decision received early in the sixth form year. Usually, application is made by November 1 and decisions are sent by mid- December. Early Action is a non-binding plan; students will not receive a financial aid package until April, the same time as regular decision applicants. Students will typically have until the Candidate Reply Date (May 1) to decide if they will enroll. Early Decision (ED) A plan whereby application is made to one Early Decision school early in the sixth form year, and if accepted, the student agrees to enroll in that institution and withdraw applications to all other colleges. This is a binding agreement among the student, the college, and the parents. For financial aid applicants, an estimated award is provided with the admission decision and finalized once tax returns are completed. Some institutions offer both an ED I and an ED II plan; the ED II plan is later and allows more time for students for testing, additional academic work, etc. (Most ED I application deadlines are November 1 or 15; ED II deadlines are typically January 1 or 15.) Restrictive Early Action (REA) programs vary, but generally give students the opportunity to learn of their admission early without binding them to the college to which they are admitted. Some REA programs only allow students to apply early to only one school, while others allow early applications to other EA schools, but not ED schools. All REA programs allow students to apply through regular or rolling admission to other institutions and give them until May 1st to decide. FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid: As the name implies, a no-cost Federal form used by colleges to determine a student s and family's eligibility for Federal financial aid funds. Federal Methodology The formula used (via information provided on the FAFSA) to determine eligibility for Federal funds; some states use it as a rationing device for state funds as well. Fee Waiver Those students who demonstrate a substantial need for financial assistance may be eligible for a waiver, exempting them from paying some application and/or testing fees. Specific eligibility guidelines must be met. Financial Aid Need-based aid offered by the Federal government and by colleges; packages generally include grants (which do not need to be repaid), loans (which must be repaid) and often work-study (funds earned by the student through on-campus employment during the school year). Need is determined through a combination of the PROFILE form, the FAFSA, and the college's own form (if they have one). International students generally complete a different form and are not eligible for Federal funds unless they are permanent resident aliens and have a "green" card.

3 Gapping A term used to describe a financial aid package that does not meet demonstrated need. The package leaves a gap between a family s need and the offered financial assistance. GPA Grade Point Average: a number (such as 3.0), which indicates the average of all grades for courses earned in a term or a year. An unweighted GPA reflects the numeric value of a student s grades divided by the number of courses in which they were enrolled for credit. A weighted GPA gives additional numeric weight for classes at the advanced, honors or Advanced Placement level. Institutional Methodology The formula used by a college to determine eligibility for its own financial aid packages. NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association: The governing body for many college athletic programs. The NCAA must certify an athletic recruit who wishes to compete at the Division I or II level. The website for the NCAA is: NCAA Clearinghouse See NCAA Eligibility Center. NCAA Eligibility Center Formerly known as the NCAA Clearinghouse. A branch of the NCAA established to monitor the eligibility of student-athletes. If a student plans on competing in collegiate athletics at the Division I or II level, he/she must register at The student must complete, print, sign and give Forms One and Two to their college counselor for submission to the NCAA. Net Price Calculator A on-line tool that each postsecondary institution that participates in the Title IV federal student aid programs is required to post on its Web site to use institutional data to provide estimated net price information to current and prospective students and their families based on a student s individual circumstances. (CSS) PROFILE The financial aid form processed by the College Scholarship Service (a division of the College Board) and used by some colleges to further define a family's need for financial aid funds. PSAT Preliminary SAT: Required of all students during their sophomore and junior year fall terms. The fifth form sitting may qualify students for consideration in the National Merit Scholarship competition. Regular Decision The most common admissions plan. Most deadlines for regular decision applicants are in January or February, although some colleges/universities may have an earlier deadline (for example, the University of California system). Rolling Admission The practice at some colleges and universities of making decisions on applications as they are received. Since, under this plan, colleges are accepting students every day, the later one applies, the harder it may become to be admitted. SAT Reasoning Test Formerly called the SAT I. The SAT consists of three sections:

4 critical reading, writing and math. There is also a mandatory essay component. SAT Subject Tests Formerly called SAT IIs or Achievement Tests. Individual subject tests (such as Spanish, Biology, and Math) that may be required for college admissions. School Code National testing agencies assign a six digit number to each secondary school for identification purposes. Check with your student s high school and you re your student commit this to memory. It will be used frequently during the SAT and application process. Secondary School Report Form A required portion of the application that must be submitted to all colleges by students. This form is to be given to the guidance office at your student s school for completion. High schools send these to colleges separately as a service to students. Others require students to submit all other portions of the application to the guidance office so that all credentials are sent to the colleges in one packet. TOEFL ibt Test of English as a Foreign Language: This internet based test should be used by students whose native language is not English (regardless of citizenship). Students should work closely with each college they are considering to determine whether this test is necessary. The TOEFL ibt exam is offered only at ETS approved test centers, and appointments must be made in advance. Waiting List A list of regular decision applicants who, although qualified for admission, are placed "on hold." Wait list candidates are usually given the opportunity to decide whether or not they wish to wait for a final decision, which usually occurs over the next several weeks. Wait lists are usually maintained for the shortest possible period and rarely later than August 1. Yield The percent of accepted students who matriculate.

5 HOW TO BEGIN A COLLEGE SEARCH 1. Put in rank order these generic criteria for selecting a college: Setting Geographical location Enrollment (size) Type Majors/Minors Academic Rigor Extracurricular and student activities/athletics Costs/Financial aid Other (be specific) 2. Log onto any of the following Internet sites: The following books are great resources. If one of your top criteria is geographical location or setting, reference the following: Arco, The Right College Barron s, Profiles of American Colleges Peterson s, 4 Year/2 Year Colleges College Board, The College Handbook If one of your top criteria is enrollment (size of college) or type, reference the following: College Board, The College Handbook Peterson s, 4 Year/2 Year Colleges Barron s, Profiles of American Colleges If one of your top criteria is majors/minors, reference the following: Rugg s, Recommendations on the Colleges College Board, The College Handbook Peterson s, Top Colleges for Science Peterson s, Visual and Performing Arts College Board, Book of Majors College Board, Index of Majors and Graduate Degrees Peterson s, Nursing Programs, Careers in Business, Careers in Computing If one of your top criteria is academic rigor, reference the following: Moll, The Public Ivys Pope, Looking Beyond the Ivy League US News Guide, America s Best Colleges Peterson s, Honors Programs Peterson s, Competitive Colleges Princeton Review, The Best 366 Colleges Fiske, The Fiske Guide to Colleges

6 If one of your criteria is specific extracurricular interests, athletics, and/or student activities, reference the following: Asher, Cool Colleges Antonoff, The College Finder If one of your top criteria is costs/financial aid, reference the following: College Board, Scholarship Handbook Barron s, Best Buys in College Education Princeton Review, Paying for College Peterson s, Scholarships, Grants and Prizes 4. Helpful Hints List colleges/universities that fit criteria Cross reference with other criteria you identified as important; research the institution(s) Take notes on information Discuss with your college counselor, your family, your friends If the college doesn t appear to be a good fit, delete it from the list If college seems interesting, contact them for information and request to be added to the college s mailing list

7 THE COMPUTER AS A COLLEGE SEARCH AND APPLICATION RESOURCE Applying to Colleges On-Line: Check a college s individual home page; most colleges will have their own on-line application available, and some will have an individual supplement to the Common Application (if they are a subscriber). The Common Application is available at ALWAYS keep a copy for yourself, and make note of the date the application material was submitted on-line (if you choose to apply on-line). You will then have a record in the event that a part of your application is missing. Helpful Internet Sites for College Information, Applications, and Financial Aid: the home page of the ACT. At this site, you can register for the ACT, check your scores and submit them to colleges. a source for virtual college tours, campus maps, etc the home page of the College Board. At this site, you can register for the SAT, check your scores, release and send scores to colleges, register for the PROFILE (one of the major financial aid documents you may need), find financial aid and scholarship information, and link to college information and applications. a general resource on all aspects of the college search process. at this site you may register for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a form required by nearly all institutions if you are applying for financial aid. a list of colleges that don t require the SAT or ACT. another good site for free scholarship information. a free, independent guide to financial aid and scholarships, sponsored by NASFAA, the National Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators. This site includes many special searches, such as scholarships for special ethnic groups and athletes, and a formula to help parents get a personal estimate of their family contribution to the cost of college. the home page of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. If you plan on competing in collegiate athletics at the Division I or II level, you must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly known as the NCAA Clearninghouse). You must complete, print, sign and give Forms One and Two available at - to your college counselor for submission to the NCAA. the home page of Peterson s, publisher of one of the most widely used college guides on the market. This site also allows you to access general information on colleges and universities, links to on-line applications, and includes helpful information for students and parents.

8 this site allows registration (in the fall of a student s senior year) for an electronic pin number in order to file the FAFSA in early January. a college search resource. Also contains links to what students are saying about their colleges; plus What are my chances at this school? Each college s individual site is a wealth of information and a source for their application.

9 A SAMPLING OF SOME USEFUL COLLEGE REFERENCES Objective College Guides Barron's Profiles of American Colleges Book of Majors (The College Board) Comparative College Guide (Cass & Birnbaum) College Handbook (The College Board) Lovejoy's College Guide Peterson's Guide to Four Year Colleges Subjective College Guides Barron's Top 50 Guide The Best 366 Colleges (The Princeton Review) Fiske Guide to Colleges Rugg's Recommendations on the Colleges (suggestions for specific majors at specific colleges) Princeton Review Guide Unofficial Biased Insider s Guide to the 320 Most Interesting Colleges (Anderson & Basili) Yale Daily News Insider's Guide to the Colleges Alternative College Guides and Books Colleges That Change Lives (Loren Pope, author) Cool Colleges for the Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, Late Blooming, and Just Plain Different (Donald Asher, author) Looking Beyond the Ivy League (Loren Pope, author) Financial Aid/College Financing Guides Barron s Complete College Financing Guide College Money Handbook (Petersons) The College Scholarship Blue Book Paying Less for College (Petersons) Scholarship Handbook (College Board) Miscellaneous Books and Guides Arco Performing Arts Majors College Guide The College Admissions Mystique (Bill Mayher, author) Dance Magazine's College Guide The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College (Jacques Steinberg, author) Greenes Guides to Educational Planning series (Howard Greene, author) The K & W Guide to Colleges with Learning Disabilities or A.D.D. Less Stress, More Success (Marilee Jones, author) Letting Go: A Parents Guide to Understanding the College Years (Karen Levin Coburn, author) Peterson's Colleges with Programs for Learning Disabled Students Peterson's Degree Programs in Art and Performing Arts Peterson's Honors Colleges Surviving the College Search (NAIS new Independent School Parent Series)

LIM College New York, NY

C O L L E G E P R O F I L E - O V E R V I E W LIM College New York, NY The Laboratory Institute of Merchandising, founded in 1939, is a private institute. Its facilities are located in Manhattan. Web Site