American College Admissions: A Foreign Applicant’s Glossary

Can’t figure out what’s “common” about the Common App? Keep getting your SAT mixed up with your GPA? The lingo of college admissions can be tricky, but mastering it is first step towards opening up that sought-after acceptance letter.

Here are some essential terms every foreign applicant should know as they embark on their journey through American college admissions.

ACT: The American College Testing (ACT) is one of the two primary standardized tests accepted by American universities, alongside the SAT (see below). The ACT evaluates students in four subject areas: English, Math, Reading, and Science, with scores ranging from 1 to 36.

Bachelor’s Degree: This is the undergraduate degree awarded by American colleges and universities. There are two main types of bachelor’s degrees: the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), typically conferred to students in traditional liberal arts fields, and the Bachelor of Science (B.S.), awarded to those specializing in technical disciplines such as engineering or computer science. Most bachelor’s programs are designed to be completed in four years, although some can be finished in three or five years, depending on program requirements.

Common Application: Often referred to as the Common App, this online portal is used by the majority of American universities for undergraduate admissions. The Common App allows students to submit their personal information, academic records, and recommender forms, along with a crucial personal statement. It’s important to note that not all institutions accept the Common App; notable exceptions include M.I.T., Georgetown, and the entire University of California system.

Early Decision/Early Action: These are two options for applicants wishing to apply early to their first-choice university. Early Decision is binding, meaning students must attend the university if accepted. In contrast, Early Action offers students an early acceptance notification without the obligation to enroll. Deadlines for Early Decision and Early Action typically occur in November, with notifications expected by mid-December.

FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form used to determine eligibility for various forms of student financial aid, including need-based grants, merit scholarships, and loans. It collects information about a student’s financial resources and assesses their ability to pay for college. FAFSA forms are utilized by the U.S. government as well as individual schools. Note that international students are generally not eligible for U.S. government aid but may still qualify for university-level grants and scholarships. International applicants should definitely still fill out a FAFSA.

Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior: These terms designate the four traditional years of American college education. A “Freshman” refers to a first-year student, “Sophomore” to a second-year student, “Junior” to a third-year student, and “Senior” to a fourth (and usually final) year student. This terminology also applies to the four years of American high school.

GPA: The Grade Point Average (GPA) is the numerical representation of a student’s academic performance, typically calculated on a scale of 1 to 4. American grading can be complex, but here’s a quick breakdown:

• Students are graded on a letter scale, from F (fail) to A (near-perfect achievement).

• These letter grades are converted into numbers (e.g., 4.0 for an A, 3.3 for a B) and averaged to produce a combined GPA.

• Depending on the school, a GPA can be “weighted” (taking into account class difficulty or credit hours) or “unweighted” (where all grades are averaged equally).

Don’t worry, as a foreign applicant you will NOT be responsible for converting your grades into the U.S. grading system. This will be done by the admissions officers who review your transcript.

IELTS: The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is one of the primary exams used to assess the language proficiency of non-native anglophone applicants. The IELTS consists of four sections—Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking—and is scored on a scale of 1 to 9. Exams like the IELTS are typically required for nearly all students who have completed their education in a non-English-speaking country and do not come from an English-speaking background. The minimum target IELTS score differs from school to school, but depending on the selectiveness of the university you’ll need at least a 6.5 to 7.

Ivy League: The”Ivies” is a group of eight prestigious universities located in the northeastern United States, recognized for their academic excellence and selectivity. Originally the name of the schools' athletic league, the term now symbolizes elite higher education, similar to “Oxbridge” in the U.K. The Ivy League schools include Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, The University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.

J.D.: The Juris Doctor (J.D.) is a professional degree designed to prepare students for the practice of law in the United States. Typically lasting three years, J.D. programs culminate in graduates independently preparing for the bar exam, which is necessary to practice law in America. It’s important to note that the study of law in the U.S. occurs exclusively at the graduate level; a bachelor’s degree is required for admission into any J.D. program.

Liberal Arts College: These institutions focus exclusively on the liberal arts, encompassing the traditional foundations of Western scholarship, including languages, literature, philosophy, history, social sciences, mathematics, arts, and physical sciences. Typically, liberal arts colleges do not offer graduate programs and are known for providing a student-centric experience, with smaller class sizes and greater individual attention from faculty. Deciding between a liberal arts college and a larger university is likely one of the first choices you’ll need to make when selecting target U.S. schools.

M.B.A: The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) is a postgraduate professional degree awarded for business studies in the United States. Generally a two-year program, an M.B.A. allows students to specialize in various areas of business administration, such as finance, marketing, and human resources. Unlike law and medicine, business studies may also be available as an undergraduate concentration at some universities.

M.D.: The Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) is the postgraduate professional degree obtained by those pursuing a career in medicine. Similar to law, medicine is studied exclusively at the graduate level in the U.S. Students must complete undergraduate “pre-med” studies (often including biology, chemistry, or a related field) before entering an M.D. program. Once admitted, students undergo extensive pre- and post-clinical coursework, internships, and hospital residencies.

Major: A major is a student’s primary area of study at university. American university education tends to be more generalized than in other countries; while students focus on a specific subject, they also take a range of general studies courses (e.g., languages, math, science). For instance, an Art History major will take most courses in that field but will also need to fulfill general education requirements and may choose a minor (see below). When applying to American universities, students typically indicate a prospective major but can change it after acceptance, usually having two years to declare it definitively.

Minor: A minor is a secondary area of study that requires fewer courses than a major but still provides a solid understanding of the subject. Minors are not mandatory but are often encouraged to enhance a student’s overall knowledge base. For example, a philosophy major might pursue a minor in Ancient Greek or German to engage with original philosophical texts. Students do not need to declare a minor when applying to college.

Personal Statement/ Personal Essay: This is a critical writing piece that students must submit as part of their college application process. The personal statement serves multiple purposes, such as showcasing achievements, discussing challenges, and outlining future goals. While it may seem overwhelming to condense all this information into a 650-word document, you typically only need to write one. When using the Common App, a single personal statement is required, although many institutions also request shorter supplemental essays. Schools that do not participate in the Common App will have their own specific writing requirements.

PhD: The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is the highest academic degree awarded in the United States. Most doctoral programs involve several years of specialized coursework, followed by comprehensive exams in the candidate’s field and culminating in a doctoral dissertation, which is a significant research project. A typical Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in five years but often takes candidates one to two additional years to finish.

Regular Decision: This is the standard application timeline for U.S. universities. Unlike Early Decision or Early Action, Regular Decision applications enter a university’s general applicant pool without any ranking of school choices. Practically, this means you can submit your applications and wait to see where you are accepted. The Regular Decision deadline typically falls between December 31 and January 15, depending on the institution, with admission decisions communicated between March and April.

Rolling Admission: his admissions process evaluates applications as they are received, with no set deadlines. Schools with rolling admissions review applications continuously and accept students until their incoming class is filled. If you are applying to a school with rolling admissions, it's advantageous to apply early, as more slots will be available at that time.

SAT: The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is another primary exam taken by prospective college students in the U.S. The SAT comprises two main sections—Reading, Writing & Language, and Math. Each section is scored between 200 and 800, yielding a total score range of 400 to 1600. Note that, starting in 2024, the SAT will only be offered in a computer-based format, with no paper tests available. As a foreign applicant, you’ll definitely want to make SAT prep a major part of your U.S. college application prep.

Student-faculty ratio: This ratio indicates the number of students enrolled at a university relative to its full-time faculty members. For instance, a university with an 11:1 student-faculty ratio means there is one faculty member for every 11 students. Generally, a lower student-faculty ratio signifies smaller class sizes and more personalized attention from professors, commonly found in liberal arts colleges.

Undergraduate: This term refers to studies undertaken immediately after obtaining a high school diploma, usually aimed at earning a bachelor’s degree. It differentiates between undergraduate studies and advanced graduate-level studies leading to degrees such as a master’s or Ph.D.

 Waitlist/ Waitlisted: This status represents a middle ground between acceptance and rejection in the college admissions process. Students may be placed on a waitlist if they meet all admissions criteria but are not among the first-choice candidates. After accepted students notify the university of their decisions (typically by May 1), the admissions committee may turn to the waitlist to fill any open spots. Predicting the chances of being accepted from the waitlist is challenging and depends on various shifting factors each year.

Still have questions or need clarification on a term? Contact Elizabeth to schedule a one-on-one session to navigate the language of college admissions.