Applying for college can be challenging enough, but without this glossary, it may seem impossible! Here are some commonly found words, abbreviations, and phrases you and your teen may see during the college search/application process.

ACT One of the standardized tests used as one of the factors for college admission. It contains four parts, English, Reading, Math, Science Reasoning. Scores range from 1-36 for each subtest and for a composite score. Generally, the ACT and SAT I are both acceptable at nearly every college and university. Admission offices generally use the test with the higher scores when making admission decisions.

AP (Advanced Placement) College-level exams offered by the College Board in a number of subjects. These tests are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest score. Many colleges give college credit for scores of 3 or 4 or 5. Students who take the AP exams are generally those who have been through an academic year of intense and accelerated study in that subject area.

All-American A high school sports award reflecting an athlete who is one of the top players in the country.

All-State A high school sports award reflecting an athlete who is one of the top players in the state.

AP Scholar An award given by the College Board to students who score 3 or higher on at least three different AP exams.

Associate's Degree A two-year degree which either prepares the student for further study or is sufficient training for certain careers.

Common Application A generic college application that can be used for many colleges around the country. The application may be prepared and/or submitted on line at www.commonapp.org

Decile A division used in breaking down class rank into tenths. Top decile refers to the top 10 percent of the class; second decile refers to top 10 to 20 percent of the class, and so on. There are ten deciles.

Early action An admission program offered by many schools that allows a student to apply by an earlier deadline and to hear from the college as early as December or January. The program is not binding, so if you are admitted, you can decline the offer.

Early decision An admission program offered by many schools that allows a student to apply by an earlier deadline and to hear from the college as early as December or January. The program is binding, so if you are admitted, you are obliged to attend that college, withdrawing all your other applications. Expected Family Contribution (EFC) This amount is determined via the FAFSA and the "federal methodology" formula. Considering many financial factors of the family, this is the amount the family is said to be capable of paying. Estimator of financial need Families can ask the college financial aid office to estimate the "expected family contribution." They can also use a website to run an estimator themselves. Go to www.finaid.org and click on calculators/tools and then link to the financial aid estimator. Information is not saved and no personal identification is needed to run the estimator. FAFSA The Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is the primary form to use to apply for virtually all financial aid...federal, state, and institutional. Forms are available in the Guidance Office beginning about December. They cannot be filed until after January 1 of the year the student will be attending college. This form has to be refiled each year. IRS Form 1040 information is required, although an estimate may be used. Federal Methodology The federal government uses a formula to determine a family's ability to pay for education. The formula changes annually, based on legislative action. Generally, the formula factors in a certain percentage of parent income and assets, a larger percentage of student income and assets, and makes allowances for the age of parents, liabilities, number of students in the family, and more. Financial Aid A general term referring to financial assistance for students. Assistance comes in the form of need-based aid (based on the financial needs of the family) and/or merit aid (based on the students' grades and test scores or other special skills and talents). The term includes aid from federal and state governments, scholarships from academic institutions and independent sources, and loans from the government and private lending institutions. Gift Assistance Scholarships and Grants are forms of financial aid that is considered a gift. The money awarded does not have to be repaid. GPA Grade Point Average. The grade average found by assigning points to each letter grade (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0), multiplying them by the amount of credit at which the course is valued, adding them together, then dividing by the total number of credits attempted. On a scale where A=4, straight A’s would be a GPA of 4.0. Grants Grants are usually need-based aid and can come from the federal or state government or from the college. Legacy The daughter or son of a graduate of a particular school. A student would be considered a legacy if her/his father or mother graduated from that school. The term refers only to sons and daughters of graduates from the school, not to those whose aunts, uncles, grandparents, et cetera, attended. Loans Funds that are borrowed by the student or parent for a specific amount of time and must be paid back. Student loans in most cases are need-based aid. Mean A mathematical term referring to the average score of a group of scores. It is calculated by adding up all the scores and dividing by the total number. Median A mathematical term referring to the middle score of a group of scores. Half of the group scores over the m