College Terms 101: 11 Terms to Know Before You Apply

When applying to college in the U.S., you may feel as if the application is written in a made-up language. No worries, we've got you covered.

Applying to college in the U.S. can be an intimidating process. You’ll likely see many new terms that you’re unfamiliar with, and this can cause some confusion and frustration. Read on to familiarize yourself with some common phrases used in academia, and alleviate some of the stress that comes along with applying to universities.

1. Early action

Early action is when you apply to a college early and are able to receive a decision from the college early on in the admission cycle. If accepted, you’re able to decide whether or not you want to accept the offer and attend the university.

2. Early decision

Early decision is similar to early action, in that you’re presented with the opportunity to apply to a university early. However, unlike early action, you agree to attend the university if you’re accepted.

You’re only permitted to apply to one college at a time as an early decision candidate and must apply to other universities the traditional way. Don’t let time get away from you! Make sure to familiarize yourself with the dates and deadlines schedule for the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

3. Rolling admission

Rolling admission is an admissions process where the school reviews student applications as they come in during a set period of time. Rolling admissions typically come after the deadlines for early action applications have passed.

4. Waitlist

If you’ve applied for admission are placed on a waitlist, that means that you’ve not been offered admission to the university, but it is still possible that you can be.

A university will place students on the waitlist after it has admitted the maximum number of students that it can for the current application period. It is still possible that some accepted students may choose not to attend, and when this happens, students on the waitlist may be offered admission.

5. Dual enrollment

Dual enrollment, also known as concurrent enrollment, is a program that allows students currently attending high school to take college-level courses, or for transfers to earn credit toward their BS or MS degree. Upon completion of the course, the student will receive credit for both high school and college.

Typically, the student is required to achieve a grade of C or above in order to receive college credit. This credit then becomes a part of the student’s college academic record. This is a great way for high school students or transfers to jump-start their careers.

6. Transcript

Your transcript is a record of all of the courses you’ve taken and the grades you achieved in those courses. You have separate transcripts for your high school courses and your college courses.

Typically, there are two types of transcripts — official and unofficial. Official transcripts usually come straight from your school’s registrar and can be authenticated as being legitimate. Unofficial transcripts are usually easily accessible through your school’s website and are useful for tracking your progress.

7. Tuition

Tuition is the amount of money that students owe based on their course load. This cost is determined by the number of credit hours you’re enrolled in for each term, and the rate per credit hour may change year to year.

For more information regarding NJIT’s tuition and fees, along with room and board, visit the admissions site.

8. Room and board

Room and board is the cost that students living on campus need to pay to cover their dorm room, their utilities, and their meal plans. Students who commute do not need to pay for room and board.

9. COA

The cost of attendance (COA) is the total cost of all of your college-related expenses. This includes tuition, room and board, supplies, textbooks, transportation, and other fees.

10. Academic advisor

An academic advisor is someone assigned to you by your university based on your area of study. Their job is to help guide you through your college experience. They are there to help you plan out your path to graduation and to help you with the struggles you may face along the way.

For help with college course planning and other aspects of your college career, get in touch with NJIT’s Office of Academic Advising.

11. Test-optional

Some universities may be test-optional. This means they allow "all or some applicants to decide whether to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their application".