Glossary

High School Diploma / GED  —  Depending on the requirements of the college, you may be required to provide a copy of your high school diploma or an official copy of your high school transcripts. To provide an official copy of your transcripts, contact your former high school and instruct them to send your transcripts to the registrar’s office of the schools for which you are seeking admission. Records delivered by the student or not sent directly from your former high school are normally not accepted. If you completed your high school education with a General Equivalency Diploma you will need to provide a copy of your GED along with your test scores. An official copy of these records can be provided by the institution where the testing occurred.  go back Scholastic Exams  —  The group of exams which include SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, and LSAT are collectively known as “Scholastic Exams.” The undergraduate exams (SAT and ACT) test a student’s general education development and their ability to complete college level course work. The GRE, GMAT, and LSAT are exams for graduate school admission. Students are rated by their test scores from these tests for admission, financial aid, and placement.  

It is crucial that a student prepares for these exams and gives them their best effort. An average student will want to take several months to prepare. First using practice tests to identify areas of weakness and then utilizing supplemental educational material to overcome problem areas. Finally, practice tests would be used as a training aid in order to get ready for the upcoming testing event. The final test scores will be forwarded directly from the testing agency to the registrars office of the prospective colleges.  go back

Associate Degree — At the completion of a two year college program consisting of at least 60 transferable semester credit hours, you will have been awarded an AA degree. This degree can be used for direct employment into the workforce or to continue on with your education and be applied towards a bachelors degree. While your college may request an official set of transcripts from the awarding college, a copy of your diploma may suffice. If you are required to provide an official set of transcripts you will need to contact the registrar’s office of the awarding college and request in writing that they send your records to your new college. A small fee may be required to complete this transaction.  go back

Letters of Recommendation — Frequently you will be instructed to provide three or more “Letters of Recommendation” along with you college application. Typically these recommendation will be sent directly to the college from the individuals that have written the letter. You will not see what they have written and will not know if they have written a favorable recommendation. Therefore it is important to select those who write your “Letters of Recommendation” carefully. Questions you should ask yourself about these individuals that will write your recommendation are: Will they write a favorable recommendation?; Do they know me well enough to provide a favorable letter?; and Do they have time to write a recommendation (or will they just bang one out)?. When you make your request to an individual to write your recommendation ask them these questions and listen to their answers. If they have any hesitations find a different reference. Once the people that you have selected send in the “Letters of Recommendation” be sure to send them a thank you note. It takes time to write a recommendation and you might need them to write another one in the future.         go back

Bachelors Degree — A bachelors degree normally takes four years to complete, depending on the major. This degree leads to direct employment into the workforce but it can also be the gateway to graduate studies. If you are pursuing a masters degree you will need to provide the college with information about your bachelors degree. While your college may request an official set of transcripts from the awarding college, a copy of your diploma may suffice. If you are required to provide an official set of transcripts you will need to contact the registrars office of the awarding college and request in writing that they send your records to your new college. You will need to provide transcripts from every college that you attended, irregardless of whether a degree was earned.   go back

Essay — Some colleges require applicants to accompany their application with a written essay. The subject of this essay might be an autobiography, future goals, or any of a variety of subjects. When the essay is received it will be used along with your application, scholastic exams, and recommendations by the admissions department to rate you as a prospective student. While a weak essay won’t automatically disqualify you from entrance to college it might reduce your choices of which colleges you can attend. If you are required to submit an essay do not rush through the writing process, take your time and give it your best effort.   go back

Interview — Highly competitive college programs will often utilize a personal interview as part of the selection process. These are normally conducted with a panel of interviewers asking questions to one or more prospective students. The types of questions asked will vary by college but you should expect questions about your life, challenges that you have faced, your goals, and other reaching questions. Even if you don’t do well in this type of situation don’t fret. Be yourself, take the process seriously, and don’t worry.  go back

Audition or Portfolio — If your focus of study is of an artistic nature you may be requested to perform an audition or to provide a portfolio of your work. You won’t have time to demonstrate everything you can do or to show every piece of work, so be selective and choose a mix of your best work which will demonstrate your depth of knowledge and range of abilities.  go back

Statement of Purpose — Graduate schools frequently will request a written statement of purpose from prospective candidates. As the name suggests you will be requested to write a statement regarding how you will apply your graduate education. You will want to focus on aspects that will help society, even if your motive is less altruistic. As with all other aspects of graduate admission requirements, take the “Statement of Purpose” seriously and do your best work.  go back