Glossary

US college words, explained simply.

A

ACT: A college entrance test in English, math, reading, and (optionally) science. Colleges accept the ACT or the SAT equally; students usually take just one.; Back home: Like an entrance exam, but it is only one part of the application, not the deciding rank.
AP: Stands for: Advanced Placement; College-level high school classes in a subject, each ending in a national exam in May. A good AP exam score can earn college credit at many colleges.
Associate degree: A 2-year college degree, usually from a community college. Students can start working with it or transfer to a 4-year college to finish a bachelor’s degree.

B

Bachelor’s degree: The standard 4-year undergraduate degree (B.A. or B.S.). In the US, it is required before medical school or law school.; Back home: Similar to a B.Sc., B.Com., or B.Tech., but students take a broad mix of subjects before focusing on a major.

C

Common App: Stands for: Common Application; A single online application accepted by many US colleges. Your child fills in their details and main essay once, then adds each college’s extra questions.
Community college: A public 2-year college that is open to almost everyone in the area and costs much less than a university. It offers associate degrees, job training, and an affordable path to transfer to a 4-year college.
Cost of attendance: A college’s full yearly estimate for a student — tuition, fees, housing, food, books, travel, and personal costs. Also called the "sticker price." Most families pay less after aid.
CSS Profile: A financial aid form run by the College Board. Some colleges, many of them private, use it alongside the FAFSA to give their own aid. It asks more detailed questions than the FAFSA and can include a fee.

D

Dual enrollment: Taking real college classes while still in high school, often at a local community college, to earn both high school and college credit.

E

Early Action: Applying earlier than the regular deadline (often in November) to hear back sooner. It is not binding — your child can still choose another college.
Early Decision: An early application that is binding. If admitted, your child must attend and withdraw other applications. Only for a clear first choice, and only if the family is comfortable with the aid offer.
Extracurricular activities: What a student does outside class — sports, clubs, music, volunteering, part-time jobs, or family responsibilities. Colleges look for steady commitment, not a long list.; Back home: Like co-curricular activities, but valued much more in US admissions.

F

FAFSA: Stands for: Free Application for Federal Student Aid; The free US government form for federal grants, work-study, and student loans. Many states and colleges also use it for their own aid. It opens each fall for the next school year.
Financial aid offer: The letter a college sends showing the grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans it is offering. Compare offers by what your family would actually pay, not by the total amount of aid.

G

GPA: Stands for: Grade point average; The average of a student’s class grades, usually on a 4.0 scale. Colleges see the GPA from grade 9 onward, so every year counts.; Back home: Like board exam marks, but built up over four years of class grades.
Grant: Money for college that does not need to be paid back, usually based on financial need. It comes from the federal government, states, or colleges.

H

Holistic review: How most selective colleges decide — by reading the whole application together (grades, course difficulty, essays, activities, and recommendations) instead of ranking by one score.; Back home: The opposite of admission by JEE or NEET rank alone.
Honors class: A more challenging version of a regular high school class. Colleges notice when students take harder classes and do well in them.

I

IB: Stands for: International Baccalaureate; A demanding 2-year program for grades 11 and 12, offered at some high schools, with exams at the end. Like AP, strong IB results can earn college credit.
In-state tuition: The lower price that public colleges charge students who are residents of that state, as the state defines residency. Rules on who qualifies — and how long you must have lived there — differ by state.

L

Liberal arts college: A usually small college focused on undergraduate teaching across many subjects, with small classes and close contact with professors.

M

Major: A student’s main subject in college. Many students choose or change it in their second year after exploring different classes first.; Back home: Like choosing a stream, but usually decided during college rather than at age 16.
MCAT: Stands for: Medical College Admission Test; The entrance exam for US medical schools, usually taken during college — often in the third year of a bachelor’s degree.; Back home: Comparable to NEET, but taken after (not before) undergraduate study.
Merit aid: Scholarships a college gives for academic or other achievements, whatever the family’s income.

N

Need-based aid: Aid given according to how much a family can afford to pay, based on forms like the FAFSA or CSS Profile.
Net price: What a family actually pays for a year of college — the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships. It is often far below the sticker price.
Net price calculator: A free tool on each college’s website that estimates what your family would pay there. US colleges that offer federal aid are required to have one.

P

Pell Grant: A federal grant for undergraduate students with financial need. It does not need to be paid back. Eligibility comes from the FAFSA.
Pre-med: Not a major, but a set of science courses (biology, chemistry, physics, and more) that students take during any bachelor’s degree to prepare for medical school.
Private college: A college run independently rather than by a state. The sticker price is often higher, but many give generous aid, so the net price can be lower than expected.
PSAT: A practice version of the SAT, usually taken in grade 10 or 11. In grade 11 it can also qualify students for the National Merit Scholarship program.
Public university: A college funded by a state government. It usually costs much less for students who live in that state.; Back home: Similar to a government university.

R

Recommendation letter: A letter from a teacher or the school counselor describing the student’s work and character. Most selective colleges ask for one to three.
Regular Decision: The standard application deadline, often in January, with decisions in spring.
Residency (medical): Paid, supervised training that new doctors complete after medical school before they can practice on their own. It lasts several years depending on the specialty.; Back home: Similar to internship and post-graduate training after MBBS.
Rolling admission: The college reviews applications as they arrive and decides within weeks, until the class is full. Applying early is still better.

S

SAT: A college entrance test in reading, writing, and math, taken on a computer. Colleges accept the SAT or the ACT equally.; Back home: Like an entrance exam, but only one part of the application.
Scholarship: Money for college that does not need to be paid back, given for achievement, background, talent, or need. Each one has its own rules about who can apply.
School counselor: A staff member at your child’s high school who helps with class choices, college lists, applications, and recommendation letters. Meeting them early is one of the most useful things a parent can do.
Seal of Biliteracy: A state award, shown on the high school diploma or transcript, for students who can speak, read, and write well in English and another language. Each state sets its own rules and tests.; Back home: A bit like a language certificate, but earned for the language your child already speaks at home.
Student Aid Index (SAI): A number calculated from the FAFSA that colleges use to decide how much need-based aid a student can get. A lower number means more need.
Student loan: Money borrowed for college that must be paid back with interest. Federal student loans usually have lower interest and more flexible repayment than private loans.

T

Test-optional: The college does not require SAT or ACT scores. Your child can choose whether to send them. Strong scores can still help, so check each college’s policy.
Transcript: The official record of every class and grade from high school. The school sends it directly to colleges.; Back home: Like a marksheet, but covering all four years.
Transfer: Moving from one college to another, most often from a community college to a 4-year college after two years, to finish a bachelor’s degree for less money.

W

Work-study: A federal program that gives students with financial need a part-time job, usually on campus, to help pay for college costs.