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Our attempt to help you with the stranger words in American admissions.
Admissions Defer
Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) Please see our FAQ on Early Decision to learn more about both ED and EA. Legacy applicant You are a legacy applicant at a certain school ( legacy for short) if a close relative went to that school. This gives you a slightly higher chance of being admitted, due to alumni relations policy. Matriculate You matriculate when you begin your studies at an institution. Most female RI (JC) Singaporean students will matriculate in July, Sept or October, depending on which country they study in. Most male Singaporeans have to defer matriculation for two years. See FAQ on Early Decision. Wait-list If you are on the wait-list, you stand a chance of being admitted if those who were offered places turn them down. You can improve your chances by informing the admissions committee that you are still very interested in attending this college, and sending any new information that may change their minds. Yield rate A percentage often used to suggest how popular or selective a college is. Calculated as the number of students who accept a place at the college divided by the total number of students who are offered a place. Can be manipulated by skilful PR, so don't trust it blindly. Financial Aid Award Doesn't mean the same thing as a prize in the financial aid context, simply the amount awarded to an applicant. Demonstrated Need Is the total financial assistance you need, above and beyond the financial resources you already have. The school will calculate, based on your family's financial documents, how much they think your family can afford to contribute towards the cost of your education. The total cost for one year (student budget), minus your family contribution, is your demonstrated need. Note: Assessment of your need may vary from school to school, depending on how the formula used. The school's calculation of your need may also differ substantially from what your parents think you need. Financial aid package Total financial aid offered by the university. Called a package because of its different components: loans (sometimes interest-free), work-study (which requires you to hold a job of less than 20 hours per week), and/or grants (need not be paid back). Merit-based aid vs. Need-based aid Need-based aid is financial assistance based on the school's calculation of your demonstrated need. It has nothing to do with how special you are or how much the school would like for you to attend. Merit aid is based on merit, or how special you are in relation to that school's applicant pool. Merit aid is used for recruitment purposes, as an incentive for you to attend. In other words, you might not qualify for merit aid at a highly selective institution, but you might be a strong candidate at a less-selective school. Some schools call their merit-based aid scholarships, and you may have to apply for them separately. None of the Ivy League colleges offer merit aid. Be aware that the terms need-based and merit-based aid do not imply anything about the amount of aid given. These awards may be small, partial, or cover up to full expenses. Need-blind admission The six schools which practices need-blind admission for internationals are Harvard, Yale, Princeton , MIT, Williams and Middlebury. There, applying for financial aid will not lower your chances of admission. If you are admitted, these schools also pledge to award you sufficient financial aid to attend. Most schools are need-blind only for Americans, so read the fine print. Certain schools, like Cornell, are need-blind for internationals' admission, but do not meet full demonstrated need for all international students. This means needy students may be admitted, but will have to seek scholarships from other sources. Student budget The total cost for one academic year at the university, including
High School Academics Calendar conversion: fall, winter, spring, summer The American school year starts in August/September, not January. A common school calendar would run:
Course More like an elective at NUS than an 'O' or 'A' level subject. American students typically choose five or more courses every semester, earn a final grade in each one, then start afresh in the next semester (except for the effect on GPA). Some courses last a whole year, so they are double-weighted. Guidance counselor Guidance counselors offer academic, pastoral and college/career counseling. At RI (JC) the nearest equivalent is your Civics Tutor. Honors courses Some high schools designate the more challenging courses as honors courses. Unlike H3 papers (closest equivalent), which are taken in addition to an ordinary course load, honors courses form part of a student's regular timetable. GPA (grade-point average) The average grade that a student earns in all courses taken at one school. It is calculated using the following table, and usually expressed to one decimal place.
Grade conversion: ABC's
If an essay is a borderline A, it scores 71 in Singapore , but 91 in America . This is why you should submit a result slip that indicates the percentile in which you scored. Grade conversion: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior In order: the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years in American high school and college.
Excluding K for kindergarten, these are the twelve American grades and some common American school divisions. Don't worry about translating our school system; admissions officers have usually done their research.
Transcript A single sheet of paper listing the final grade received in every course taken at one school, plus explanations of how to interpret them. Types of Colleges College vs. University These terms are often used interchangeably in America . Both offer four-year undergraduate (bachelor's) degrees. Colleges may be smaller, with few or no graduate (postgraduate) degrees offered. There are exceptions: Dartmouth College has over 5,000 students and has world-famous graduate schools of business and medicine. Universities also offer graduate (postgraduate) degrees, and their undergraduate programs are not necessarily better than those of colleges. Junior college The American junior college offers the first two years of an undergraduate education. Upon graduation you get an associate degree, and may transfer into a four-year college. Public/State vs. Private State universities receive high government subsidies and offer a special in-state tuition fee to state residents. You will be paying the higher out-of-state/non-resident fee for all four years, but it's still an economical choice compared to almost any private school. Some offer honors programs to attract top students. College Academics Acceleration credit or Advanced placement credit Usually awarded for college-level work done before coming to college. One science at “H2 level” usually converts into a one-year college-level course; you may have difficulty getting credit for humanities at “H2 level”. Every college has different rules, so do your research. Honors program Exclusive program offered at state colleges to attract Ivy-quality students. Honors students are eligible for higher-level courses — sometimes other benefits too, like honors advisors or housing. Not exactly direct honors or the honors year at NUS, but more like the Humanities Programme at RI (JC). Application deadline may be before admission. Course credit or credit-hours Basic unit of measurement for how close you are to graduating. You don't get credit if you fail a course. They were invented because some courses are more intensive than others. Course catalog Contains a list of all courses being offered for a certain academic year. Most give the requirements for each major and academic regulations as well. It is usually available online. Distribution requirements (or general education requirements) In the interests of becoming well-rounded, you will have to take certain courses outside your major. Typical requirements include writing, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, calculus, and a foreign language — and sometimes one Physical Education course. Liberal arts philosophy Here liberal means "wide" rather than free or generous. Liberal arts colleges stress cultural literacy rather than professional knowledge. This means distribution requirements and emphasis on majors such as English and Chemistry rather than Finance and Interior Decoration. Double major vs. double degree A double major means that you graduate with a degree with two fields of academic concentration instead of one. If you double-major in Economics and Mathematics, you may be asked whether you want a B.A. or a B.S. Interdisciplinary major You take assigned classes from several different departments towards an interdisciplinary major. E.g. International Relations, African-American Studies and Cognitive Science. Joint or simultaneous BA and MA This involves completing the work for a Master's while you are working towards your Bachelor's. You will then be awarded both degrees within four years. Those universities which permit this may not offer it for all departments, so do your research. |
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