University of Miami Simple text logo for University of Miami
Popular Links
Home

Higher Education Glossary

Those of us in college settings sometimes seem to speak a different language than students who aspire to be on our campuses. Below is a list, of jargon that you might hear during your admission process or time in college.
A look at higher ed

By Jay Jacobs

A –Academic advisor–a faculty member assigned to you to help select the courses/classes that you will take and ensure you meet all requirements needed to graduate.
B –Bright Futures–a state-funded scholarship program available to Florida residents who attend a college/university in Florida. Many states have scholarship programs.
C –curriculum–a program or sequence of classes that make up a specific academic program.
D –Dean–the head of a division within a college.
E –Early Decision (ED)–a binding application plan. If you apply ED, you are agreeing to enroll in that college and withdraw your applications from elsewhere if you are admitted. Read my blog post on ED here.
F –Financial aid–the combinations of money, including loans, grants, scholarships, work-study, etc., that are offered to students and families in order to help pay for college.
G –GPA–short for grade point average. An average of all the grades in the courses that you’ve taken, usually on a 4.0 scale, meaning 4.0 is the highest that you can get.
H –Holistic–when an admission officer takes into account all aspects of your application and your background while reviewing for an admission decision, that is a holistic approach. See my blog post on holistic admissions here.
I –Internship–real-world work experience for students that can add to your academic experience by helping you connect the theory you learn in the classroom to practice.
L –Liberal arts–academic areas that focus on human life and ideas; includes history, philosophy, economics, foreign language, religion, art, music, and more.
M –Minor–a small group of courses in a specific academic area. Minors are made up of fewer courses (usually between four to seven) than a major and are usually not required.
N –Need-based financial aid–the financial aid awarded to you. How much need-based financial aid you receive depends largely on the University’s total cost of attendance (tuition, housing, meals, and fees combined) and your estimated family contribution (EFC), as calculated by the FAFSA and/or CSS Profile.
O –Office hours–a period of time that a faculty member, teacher, or teaching assistant make themselves available to students for questions and extra help. Be sure to take advantage of this time!
P –Prerequisite–a course you have to take before you can enroll in a higher-level course; the first step in a series of courses.
Q –Quarter–some schools split their academic years into quarters (usually four 10-week periods); other types of academic calendars include semester (two equal 15-to 16-week periods) or trimesters (three 12-week periods).
R –Registration–the process of choosing and enrolling in classes/courses for a semester.
S –Scholarship–financial aid money awarded, by the school or third party, that is earned and not required to be paid back. Free money!
T –Teaching assistant (TA)–usually an upper-level undergraduate student and/or graduate student who assists the professor with grading, proctoring exams, and helping students.
U –Undergraduate–students who are enrolled to earn their associate or bachelor’s degrees.
V –Verification–a process where either the college/university or government ensures the accuracy of documentation of income and other information that informs your financial aid awards. This would usually happen after you are admitted and/or enroll/deposit at a school.
W –Waitlist–offered to qualified applicants who could be offered admission if space becomes available between May 1 and the end of the summer. (You can also be on the waitlist to get into a course you want.)
X –eXtra curricular activities–the clubs, organizations, groups, and activities that you do outside of the classroom; includes athletics, community service, part-time employment, cultural and religious organizations, etc.
Y –year–the academic level that you are in while in college; i.e. first-year, sophomore, junior, or senior, as in “What year are you?” “I’m a junior.” 
Other more complete lists can be found here, here, or here.
Undergraduate Admission
Icon for Majors

Majors

Undergraduate

Icon for Financial Assistance

Financial Assistance

and Student Employment

Icon for Visit Us

Visit Us

Undergraduate

Icon for Apply Now

Apply Now

Get Started

Icon for Scholarships

Scholarships

Opportunities at the U