Brazil (for Brazilians and everyone else) College Counseling
Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
EAB School Profile- Know Your School
What is our address and how do I get in touch with employees?
American School of Brasilia
SGAS 605 Bl. E Lotes 34/37
Brasilia, DF, Brazil 70200-650
Website: www.eabdf.br
List of Contacts www.eabdf.br at Tab "Contact Us".
Brazil Phone 55 61 3442 9700
Brazil Fax 55 61 3244 4303
Vonage Phone (239) 344-9315
Vonage Fax (239) 344-9315
Couseling Office-
Coordinator Lilian Jabour -Records, transcripts, files
LJabour@eabdf.br
3442-9710
College Counselor- Service Learning/IB CAS Coordinator/AP English
Emily Dobson
EDobson@eabdf.br
55-61-3442-974
What does EAB offer in terms of activities and what is the student body like? What about college matriculation?
2009-2010 Annual Report (see 'About Us' Tab and then 'Annual Report' Tab)
http://www.eabdf.br/about_us/docs/annual_report_09-10.pdf
What is that school code number I always need for tests and applications?
CEEB-ACT Code Number 910042
What is the EAB Mission and Vision so I can think about how I relate to it?
Celebrating Diversity and Cultivating Citizenship
Mission Statement: The American School of Brasilia serves the International and Brazilian communities by providing a U.S. and Brazilian accredited pre-K through 12th grade program and International Baccalaureate Diploma in a culturally diverse atmosphere.
Our English-language school develops and supports the whole child in achieving his or her own potential. Through an individualized, innovative learning experience, we cultivate responsible and contributing citizens, leaders, and environmental stewards with a strong foundation of academic excellence.
Our Vision: At the American School of Brasilia, each student pursues an excellent academic program in a supportive and nurturing learning environment, whose rigor and relevance is evident through the five pillars of academics, arts, leadership, service learning, and activities.
In an EAB education, our students are:
... provided a differentiated education, that optimizes academic potential
... exposed to the arts, achieving proficiency in at least one area
... provided the opportunity and support to develop as citizen-leaders
... engaged in meaningful and sustainable service learning experiences
... involved in co-curricular activities or sports
Monday, May 10, 2010
Student Visas and Visa Vocabulary
Student Visas- Do you have questions? Click on the title to get answers!
Glossary
Student visa applicants are encouraged to apply early for their visa. See When Do I Need to Apply?
Overview
When Do I Need to Apply for my Student Visa?
What is SEVIS and SEVP? What Should you Know About it?
Qualifying for a Student Visa
Applying for a Student Visa
Required Documentation
What are the Required Visa Fees?
Spouses and Children
Additional Information
Entering the U.S.- Port of Entry
Staying Beyond Your Authorized Stay in the U.S. and Being Out of Status
What Items Do Returning Students Need?
Students Away from Classes for More Than Five Months
How Long May I Stay on my F-1 Student Visa?
Optional Practical Training
Attending Public Secondary School
Further Visa Inquiries
Glossary of Visa Terms
Glossary
Student visa applicants are encouraged to apply early for their visa. See When Do I Need to Apply?
Overview
When Do I Need to Apply for my Student Visa?
What is SEVIS and SEVP? What Should you Know About it?
Qualifying for a Student Visa
Applying for a Student Visa
Required Documentation
What are the Required Visa Fees?
Spouses and Children
Additional Information
Entering the U.S.- Port of Entry
Staying Beyond Your Authorized Stay in the U.S. and Being Out of Status
What Items Do Returning Students Need?
Students Away from Classes for More Than Five Months
How Long May I Stay on my F-1 Student Visa?
Optional Practical Training
Attending Public Secondary School
Further Visa Inquiries
Glossary of Visa Terms
BA or BS and what is the difference in diplomas?
There may be a lot of confusion out there to the less-educated student on the differences between a Bachelors of Arts degree (BA) and a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree.
Both degrees incorporate a general education requirement of students to take a certain number of elective courses. The BS degree typically requires more courses in the specified major than a BA degree. While the BA focuses on creating a well-rounded graduate through a wide selection of various courses in social sciences. The BS degree tends to be awarded more often in the natural sciences than in the humanities. The BS is often awarded in pre-professional academic majors more than purely academic ones.
Bachelors' degrees typically require four years of full-time study, although some programs (such as Engineering) can take longer. Some universities and colleges allow ambitious students to complete them in less time. It all really depends on the School and the type of program itself, as well as how hard and fast you are willing to work at obtaining your degree.
Let’s take a look at the Difference between a BA and a BS:
Bachelor of Science
A B.S. is a more technical degree that, in theory, is a more specialized version of a B.A., with more focus on the subject. It may and usually requires more advanced analytical courses, which is why most Bachelor of Science degrees are given in the fields of math and science. It is used with the more specialized or focused careers in mind with the likes of engineering, journalism, and advertising.
Bachelor of Arts
A B.A. is clearly the more popular and traditional major. It is the award given after completion of a program in the liberal arts or social sciences. The primary goal of a BA is to provide a well-rounded education, not to prepare the student for a specific job. A typical B.A. will have less major hours and more elective hours. A Bachelor of Arts has additional college requirements such as a foreign language, and additional literature and social sciences. It is often referred to as the courses of the Humanities (the branch of learning that includes the arts, classics, philosophy and history etc., but not the sciences).
There is not a set standard that College degree programs follow in the U.S. and you may often come across some of these differences. Sometimes you will see a degree program that would typically be a Bachelor of Science degree, yet the College claims it as a B.A. These Colleges only usually offer more of an academic course program, rather than the professional training type. Also, there are schools out there (Caltech, MIT) that award the Bachelor of Science degree for all subjects.
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Another popular degree is the Bachelor of Fine Arts. This is awarded for courses of study in the fine and/or performing arts, usually at an art school, but still available at most universities. It is usually referred to as a "professional" degree as students generally receive more study and training in their major field compared to other BA or BS programs.
Advice on Choosing between a B.A. and B.S.
Beyond the differences between the BA degree and the BS degree, it really just depends on the policies of the college or university. If you are interested in a more specialized career that involves technical and analytical skills, a Bachelor of Science may be for you. It comes highly recommended if you choose to major in such subjects as: Economics, Statistics, Engineering, Accounting, Computer Science and many other math and science themed majors. Some students have a more difficult time with highly technical and analytical work, and therefore may want to select a program that gives them a more well-rounded education of the subject. Few employers recognize any difference between a BA and BS when recruiting. Earning any type of a degree can really help you advance your career.
http://www.campusgrotto.com/ba-vs-bs.html
Both degrees incorporate a general education requirement of students to take a certain number of elective courses. The BS degree typically requires more courses in the specified major than a BA degree. While the BA focuses on creating a well-rounded graduate through a wide selection of various courses in social sciences. The BS degree tends to be awarded more often in the natural sciences than in the humanities. The BS is often awarded in pre-professional academic majors more than purely academic ones.
Bachelors' degrees typically require four years of full-time study, although some programs (such as Engineering) can take longer. Some universities and colleges allow ambitious students to complete them in less time. It all really depends on the School and the type of program itself, as well as how hard and fast you are willing to work at obtaining your degree.
Let’s take a look at the Difference between a BA and a BS:
Bachelor of Science
A B.S. is a more technical degree that, in theory, is a more specialized version of a B.A., with more focus on the subject. It may and usually requires more advanced analytical courses, which is why most Bachelor of Science degrees are given in the fields of math and science. It is used with the more specialized or focused careers in mind with the likes of engineering, journalism, and advertising.
Bachelor of Arts
A B.A. is clearly the more popular and traditional major. It is the award given after completion of a program in the liberal arts or social sciences. The primary goal of a BA is to provide a well-rounded education, not to prepare the student for a specific job. A typical B.A. will have less major hours and more elective hours. A Bachelor of Arts has additional college requirements such as a foreign language, and additional literature and social sciences. It is often referred to as the courses of the Humanities (the branch of learning that includes the arts, classics, philosophy and history etc., but not the sciences).
There is not a set standard that College degree programs follow in the U.S. and you may often come across some of these differences. Sometimes you will see a degree program that would typically be a Bachelor of Science degree, yet the College claims it as a B.A. These Colleges only usually offer more of an academic course program, rather than the professional training type. Also, there are schools out there (Caltech, MIT) that award the Bachelor of Science degree for all subjects.
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Another popular degree is the Bachelor of Fine Arts. This is awarded for courses of study in the fine and/or performing arts, usually at an art school, but still available at most universities. It is usually referred to as a "professional" degree as students generally receive more study and training in their major field compared to other BA or BS programs.
Advice on Choosing between a B.A. and B.S.
Beyond the differences between the BA degree and the BS degree, it really just depends on the policies of the college or university. If you are interested in a more specialized career that involves technical and analytical skills, a Bachelor of Science may be for you. It comes highly recommended if you choose to major in such subjects as: Economics, Statistics, Engineering, Accounting, Computer Science and many other math and science themed majors. Some students have a more difficult time with highly technical and analytical work, and therefore may want to select a program that gives them a more well-rounded education of the subject. Few employers recognize any difference between a BA and BS when recruiting. Earning any type of a degree can really help you advance your career.
http://www.campusgrotto.com/ba-vs-bs.html
College or University? What´s the difference?
Excerpted from
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_college_and_university&alreadyAsked=1&rtitle=What_is_different_between_college_and_university
Colleges vs. Universities vs. Schools
The difference between a college and a university is that a college just offers a collection of degrees in one specific area, while a university is a collection of colleges. When you go to a university you are going to be graduating from one of their colleges, such as the business college. As to which is better, it depends on what you want. Single colleges tend to be smaller while universities are bigger, but universities are better known.
Explanations from other Contributors:
Be aware that there is a very distinct difference in terminology between the USA and the rest of the world. In the US, there is very little difference academically between a "college" and a "university". In the U.S. the terms are synonymous; other countries use "college" to refer to some secondary schools, but "university" is always used to mean an institution of tertiary education and higher learning. Universities are usually larger and often contain multiple "colleges" within them. However, some of the top-ranked schools in the US have a name including "college" (ex. Dartmouth College). In other parts of the English-speaking world, the term "university" equates to the US use of "college" and the term "college" refers more to a trade or vocational school. Wikipedia has a page that describes the differences at wikipedia.org
Depends on the country you are in. In the UK, a university can award its own degrees and has a charter giving it various guarantees of independence. A college usually depends on a fully-fledged university validating its degrees, or may even be part of a university, as in Oxford or Cambridge colleges. Or a college may be little to do with degree-level education at all, such as a Further Education college.
Also don't forget Community Colleges. In that usage a college is very different than a University because a community college can't offer a 4 year degree (ie a B.A. or a B.S.). Community colleges can offer trade and technical certifications and training as well as the first 2 years of a four year program but they are unable to grant bachelors degrees.
The difference between a college and a university is that a college just offers a collection of degrees in one specific area, while a university is a collection of colleges. When you go to a university you are going to be graduating from one of their colleges, such as the business college. As to which is better, it depends on what you want. Single colleges tend to be smaller while universities are bigger, but universities are better known.
The main difference between a college and a university is that the university maintains research requirements for its instructors and that the university is, in essence, a more research focused institution.
Sometimes a college could have called themselves a university, but chooses not to for historical reasons and/or continuity of its name. The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, founded in 1693, could have long ago called itself a university, with studies available in many areas, undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate. However, to maintain the historical title that dates back to colonial times, the college has never adopted the title of university.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_college_and_university&alreadyAsked=1&rtitle=What_is_different_between_college_and_university
Colleges vs. Universities vs. Schools
The difference between a college and a university is that a college just offers a collection of degrees in one specific area, while a university is a collection of colleges. When you go to a university you are going to be graduating from one of their colleges, such as the business college. As to which is better, it depends on what you want. Single colleges tend to be smaller while universities are bigger, but universities are better known.
Explanations from other Contributors:
Be aware that there is a very distinct difference in terminology between the USA and the rest of the world. In the US, there is very little difference academically between a "college" and a "university". In the U.S. the terms are synonymous; other countries use "college" to refer to some secondary schools, but "university" is always used to mean an institution of tertiary education and higher learning. Universities are usually larger and often contain multiple "colleges" within them. However, some of the top-ranked schools in the US have a name including "college" (ex. Dartmouth College). In other parts of the English-speaking world, the term "university" equates to the US use of "college" and the term "college" refers more to a trade or vocational school. Wikipedia has a page that describes the differences at wikipedia.org
Depends on the country you are in. In the UK, a university can award its own degrees and has a charter giving it various guarantees of independence. A college usually depends on a fully-fledged university validating its degrees, or may even be part of a university, as in Oxford or Cambridge colleges. Or a college may be little to do with degree-level education at all, such as a Further Education college.
Also don't forget Community Colleges. In that usage a college is very different than a University because a community college can't offer a 4 year degree (ie a B.A. or a B.S.). Community colleges can offer trade and technical certifications and training as well as the first 2 years of a four year program but they are unable to grant bachelors degrees.
The difference between a college and a university is that a college just offers a collection of degrees in one specific area, while a university is a collection of colleges. When you go to a university you are going to be graduating from one of their colleges, such as the business college. As to which is better, it depends on what you want. Single colleges tend to be smaller while universities are bigger, but universities are better known.
The main difference between a college and a university is that the university maintains research requirements for its instructors and that the university is, in essence, a more research focused institution.
Sometimes a college could have called themselves a university, but chooses not to for historical reasons and/or continuity of its name. The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, founded in 1693, could have long ago called itself a university, with studies available in many areas, undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate. However, to maintain the historical title that dates back to colonial times, the college has never adopted the title of university.
Say What?!?! Glossary
Sign up for College Board at www.collegeboard.com if you haven´t already. They are the be all and end all of information, in my opinion, and what they don´t offer themselves, they have reliable links.
It takes years to fine tune the definitions for all the college lingo out there- and sometimes us professionals assume our listeners are totally picking up what we are putting down as fast as we are spitting it out. Not true! Also, in order to dig deep into matching colleges and students, there are a lot of meaningful differences out there to take into consideration.
Do you want to go to university? You do? Which college at the university? SAY WHAT?!!?!
Are you applying Early Decision or Early Action? Or Rolling ? (Maybe the third one could be referring to your eyes as I state all this- but this stuff is typical and hard to keep straight!)
SATs or ACTs? AP or IB? City or state? Public or private? Co-ed or not? Community, 2-year, vocational, 4-year? International or home? Financial aid or scholarship?
EduPass.Org is a great source- I have posted the site and the info below. I will have more useful vocabulary links in other sections:
http://www.edupass.org/english/glossary.phtml
Academic Year
The period during which school is in session, consisting of at least 30 weeks of instructional time. The school year typically runs from the beginning of September through the end of May at most colleges and universities.
Accreditation
The US government does not monitor the quality of US colleges and universities, as does the ministry of education in other countries. Instead, the US Department of Education approves accrediting agencies. These accrediting agencies review a school's educational program for quality, and certify that the school meets a minimal set of standards. So it is important to be sure that the schools to which you are applying are accredited by a recognized accrediting agency, since schools without accreditation are likely to be of lesser quality.
American College Test. A standardized test offered by http://www.act.org/ to assess preparation for college. Similar in nature to the SAT. Required primarily by schools in the Western and Midwestern United States.
Alumni: Alumnus, Alumna, Alumni, Alumnae
Latin terms for graduates of a college or university. Alumnus is singular male, alumna is singular female, alumni is plural male, and alumnae is plural female. Alumnus and alumni are often used in a gender neutral fashion.
American
A US citizen, national, or permanent resident. Used interchangeably with "United States", "US", and "United States of America".
Asset
An asset is an item of value, such as a family's home, business, and farm equity, real estate, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, cash, certificates of deposit (CDs), bank accounts, trust funds, and other property and investments.
Associate's Degree
The degree awarded for completion of a two-year program at a community college, trade, or vocational school.
B-2 Visa Tourist visa. May not be used for studying in the US.
Bachelor's Degree, Baccalaureate
The degree awarded for completion of a four-year undergraduate program at a college or university.
Bursar
The bursar is the office where you pay the tuition bill. The office responsible for bursaries (scholarships) is the financial aid office.
Campus
A school's buildings, grounds, and other facilities collectively comprise its "campus".
Class Rank
In addition to reporting their secondary school. An international students may be asked to report their class rank. This is their standing relative to their classmates. It is reported on either an absolute (2nd in a class of 105) or percentage basis (top 5%).
College
An institution of higher education that awards primarily undergraduate degrees. Often used interchangeably with "University".
College Board
The College Board is a nonprofit educational association of colleges, universities, educational systems, and other educational institutions. For more information, see www.collegeboard.org
Conditional Admission
Admission to the school with the condition that you meet their requirements for English proficiency after arrival. The school may require you to enroll in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes when you arrive.
Cooperative Education
In a cooperative education program, the student spends some time engaged in employment related to their major in addition to regular classroom study.
Cosigner
A cosigner on a loan assumes responsibility for the loan if the borrower should fail to repay it.
County
A US government division that is larger than a single city but smaller than a state.
Curriculum Vitae (c.v.)
A resume of a student's education, employment, publications, and other activities. This term is usually used in connection with graduate students and faculty, not undergraduate students.
Deadline
The date when an activity must be completed. Failing to submit an application by the deadline will disqualify you from the selection process.
Dependent
A person who receives more than half their financial support from another, usually a parent or legal guardian. Most often a child or spouse, but occasionally includes other relatives.
Doctorate
One of several degrees granted by graduate schools.
Early Admission
US colleges and universities have two early admission programs, early action and early decision. Early decision commits the student to attending the school if admitted, early action doesn't. International students are generally not permitted to apply under early admission programs.
Elementary School
Grades K through 6.
Eligible Non-Citizen
Someone who is not a US citizen but is nevertheless eligible for Federal student aid. Eligible non-citizens include US permanent residents who are holders of valid green cards, US nationals, holders of form I-94 who have been granted refugee or asylum status, and certain other non-citizens. Non-citizens who hold a student visa or an exchange visitor visa are not eligible for Federal student aid.
ESL
English as a Second Language.
ETS
The organization produces and administers the SAT and other educational achievement tests.
F-1 Visa
Student visa for full-time study.
Faculty
In the US, the word "faculty" refers to a school's professors, lecturers, and instructors, not a division or department of the university.
FastWeb
FastWeb is the largest, most popular and most frequently updated free scholarship database on the World Wide Web.
Fellowship
A form of financial aid given to graduate students to help support their education. Some fellowships include a tuition waiver or a payment to the university in lieu of tuition. Most fellowships include a stipend to cover reasonable living expenses (e.g., just above the poverty line). Fellowships are a form of gift aid and do not have to be repaid.
FICA
FICA stands for "Federal Insurance Contribution Act", the name of the piece of federal legislation that established the Social Security payroll tax. The current FICA tax rate is 15%, half of which is paid by the employer and half by the employee. International students on a F-1 or J-1 visa who are non-resident aliens for tax purposes (have been in the US for less than 5 years) are exempt from FICA if their employment is directly related to their purpose for being in the US (e.g., practical training or academic training). Money earned by a J-2 dependent, however, is subject to FICA taxes.
FinAid
FinAid is the most popular and most highly respected site on the World Wide Web for information about student financial aid.
Financial Aid
Money provided to the student and the family to help them pay for the student's education. Major forms of financial aid include gift aid (grants and scholarships) and self help aid (loans and work).
Foreign Student
Synonymous with International Student, a student from a country other than the United States.
Freshman
A first-year undergraduate student.
Grade Point Average, a weighted sum of the student's grades. Each of a student's grades is converted to a number on a scale from 1.0 to 4.0, and weighted according to the number of credits received from the class. Typically, a 4.0 corresponds to an "A", a 3.0 to a "B", a 2.0 to a "C", a 1.0 to a "D", and 0.0 to an "E" or "F".
Graduate Student
A student pursuing a master's degree or doctoral degree.
Interest
Interest is an amount charged to the borrower for the privilege of using the lender's money. Interest is usually calculated as a percentage of the principal balance of the loan. The percentage rate may be fixed for the life of the loan, or it may be variable, depending on the terms of the loan.
International Student
A student who is a citizen of a country other than the United States.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the federal agency responsible for enforcing US tax laws and collecting taxes.
J-1 Visa
Exchange visitor visa.
Junior
A third-year undergraduate student.
Letter of Recommendation
A letter written by a teacher to evaluate a student's qualifications and abilities, often included as part of an application for admission to college or in support of an application for a scholarship or fellowship.
Loan
A loan is a type of financial aid which must be repaid, with interest.
M-1 Visa
Vocational student visa for students attending non-academic trade and vocational schools.
Major
The academic area or field of study in which a student's studies are concentrated.
Master's Degree
One of several degrees granted by graduate schools.
Middle School
Grades 7 and 8, also known as Junior High.
Need Analysis
The process of determining an individual's ability to pay. When ability to pay is subtracted from the cost of education, the difference is the student's financial need. It is synonymous with "means test".
Need-Blind
Under need-blind admissions, the school decides whether to make an offer of admission to a student without considering the student's financial situation. Most schools use a need-blind admissions process. A few schools will use financial need to decide whether to include marginal students in the wait list.
Need-Sensitive
Under need-sensitive admissions, the school does take the student's financial situation into account when deciding whether to admit him or her. Some schools use need-sensitive admissions when deciding to accept a borderline student or to pull a student off of the waiting list.
Nonrenewable Award
An award that is offered only once. This is in contrast to renewable awards, which are provided to a student annually for as long as the student is making satisfactory progress to the degree.
Postsecondary
Any education past grade 12 of the secondary school level.
Principal
The principal is the amount of money borrowed or remaining unpaid on a loan. Interest is charged as a percentage of the principal. Insurance and origination fees will be deducted from this amount before disbursement.
Professional Student
A student pursuing an advanced degree in law, business, or medicine.
Quarter
A division of the academic year into fourths.
Renewable Award
A renewable scholarship is a scholarship that is awarded for more than one year. Usually the student must maintain certain academic standards to be eligible for subsequent years of the award. Some renewable scholarships will require the student to reapply for the scholarship each year; others will just require a report on the student's progress to a degree.
Resume
A one-page summary of an individual's education, employment history, awards, and other accomplishments.
SASE
Self-addressed stamped envelope.Included with a request as a courtesy or to encourage a response.
SAT
Scholastic Aptitude Test. A standardized test offered by the Educational Testing Service to assess a student's preparation for college. Similar to the ACT.
School
In this site, used to refer to colleges and universities.
Secondary School
Also known as high school, grades 9 through 12.
Semester
A division of the academic year into spring and fall terms.
Senior
A fourth-year undergraduate student.
Sophomore
A second-year undergraduate student.
TEFL
Teaching of English as a Foreign Language
Term
Refers to any division of the academic year. The default is into two terms. (In British English the default interpretation is three terms per academic year.)
TOEFL
Test Of English As A Foreign Language. Most colleges and universities require international students to take this as part of their application for admission. The TOEFL evaluates a student's ability to communicate in and understand English.
Transcript
An official record of a student's academic work, including a list of courses taken, grades received, and credits awarded.
Transfer
To switch enrollment from one educational institution to another.
Trimester
A division of the academic year into thirds, adding a summer term to the fall and spring terms.
Tuition
The fees charged by a school to allow a student to register to take courses at the school.
Undergraduate Student
A student pursuing a bachelor's degree.
University
An institution of higher education that awards undergraduate and graduate degrees. Often used interchangeably with "College".
It takes years to fine tune the definitions for all the college lingo out there- and sometimes us professionals assume our listeners are totally picking up what we are putting down as fast as we are spitting it out. Not true! Also, in order to dig deep into matching colleges and students, there are a lot of meaningful differences out there to take into consideration.
Do you want to go to university? You do? Which college at the university? SAY WHAT?!!?!
Are you applying Early Decision or Early Action? Or Rolling ? (Maybe the third one could be referring to your eyes as I state all this- but this stuff is typical and hard to keep straight!)
SATs or ACTs? AP or IB? City or state? Public or private? Co-ed or not? Community, 2-year, vocational, 4-year? International or home? Financial aid or scholarship?
EduPass.Org is a great source- I have posted the site and the info below. I will have more useful vocabulary links in other sections:
http://www.edupass.org/english/glossary.phtml
Academic Year
The period during which school is in session, consisting of at least 30 weeks of instructional time. The school year typically runs from the beginning of September through the end of May at most colleges and universities.
Accreditation
The US government does not monitor the quality of US colleges and universities, as does the ministry of education in other countries. Instead, the US Department of Education approves accrediting agencies. These accrediting agencies review a school's educational program for quality, and certify that the school meets a minimal set of standards. So it is important to be sure that the schools to which you are applying are accredited by a recognized accrediting agency, since schools without accreditation are likely to be of lesser quality.
American College Test. A standardized test offered by http://www.act.org/ to assess preparation for college. Similar in nature to the SAT. Required primarily by schools in the Western and Midwestern United States.
Alumni: Alumnus, Alumna, Alumni, Alumnae
Latin terms for graduates of a college or university. Alumnus is singular male, alumna is singular female, alumni is plural male, and alumnae is plural female. Alumnus and alumni are often used in a gender neutral fashion.
American
A US citizen, national, or permanent resident. Used interchangeably with "United States", "US", and "United States of America".
Asset
An asset is an item of value, such as a family's home, business, and farm equity, real estate, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, cash, certificates of deposit (CDs), bank accounts, trust funds, and other property and investments.
Associate's Degree
The degree awarded for completion of a two-year program at a community college, trade, or vocational school.
B-2 Visa Tourist visa. May not be used for studying in the US.
Bachelor's Degree, Baccalaureate
The degree awarded for completion of a four-year undergraduate program at a college or university.
Bursar
The bursar is the office where you pay the tuition bill. The office responsible for bursaries (scholarships) is the financial aid office.
Campus
A school's buildings, grounds, and other facilities collectively comprise its "campus".
Class Rank
In addition to reporting their secondary school. An international students may be asked to report their class rank. This is their standing relative to their classmates. It is reported on either an absolute (2nd in a class of 105) or percentage basis (top 5%).
College
An institution of higher education that awards primarily undergraduate degrees. Often used interchangeably with "University".
College Board
The College Board is a nonprofit educational association of colleges, universities, educational systems, and other educational institutions. For more information, see www.collegeboard.org
Conditional Admission
Admission to the school with the condition that you meet their requirements for English proficiency after arrival. The school may require you to enroll in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes when you arrive.
Cooperative Education
In a cooperative education program, the student spends some time engaged in employment related to their major in addition to regular classroom study.
Cosigner
A cosigner on a loan assumes responsibility for the loan if the borrower should fail to repay it.
County
A US government division that is larger than a single city but smaller than a state.
Curriculum Vitae (c.v.)
A resume of a student's education, employment, publications, and other activities. This term is usually used in connection with graduate students and faculty, not undergraduate students.
Deadline
The date when an activity must be completed. Failing to submit an application by the deadline will disqualify you from the selection process.
Dependent
A person who receives more than half their financial support from another, usually a parent or legal guardian. Most often a child or spouse, but occasionally includes other relatives.
Doctorate
One of several degrees granted by graduate schools.
Early Admission
US colleges and universities have two early admission programs, early action and early decision. Early decision commits the student to attending the school if admitted, early action doesn't. International students are generally not permitted to apply under early admission programs.
Elementary School
Grades K through 6.
Eligible Non-Citizen
Someone who is not a US citizen but is nevertheless eligible for Federal student aid. Eligible non-citizens include US permanent residents who are holders of valid green cards, US nationals, holders of form I-94 who have been granted refugee or asylum status, and certain other non-citizens. Non-citizens who hold a student visa or an exchange visitor visa are not eligible for Federal student aid.
ESL
English as a Second Language.
ETS
The organization produces and administers the SAT and other educational achievement tests.
F-1 Visa
Student visa for full-time study.
Faculty
In the US, the word "faculty" refers to a school's professors, lecturers, and instructors, not a division or department of the university.
FastWeb
FastWeb is the largest, most popular and most frequently updated free scholarship database on the World Wide Web.
Fellowship
A form of financial aid given to graduate students to help support their education. Some fellowships include a tuition waiver or a payment to the university in lieu of tuition. Most fellowships include a stipend to cover reasonable living expenses (e.g., just above the poverty line). Fellowships are a form of gift aid and do not have to be repaid.
FICA
FICA stands for "Federal Insurance Contribution Act", the name of the piece of federal legislation that established the Social Security payroll tax. The current FICA tax rate is 15%, half of which is paid by the employer and half by the employee. International students on a F-1 or J-1 visa who are non-resident aliens for tax purposes (have been in the US for less than 5 years) are exempt from FICA if their employment is directly related to their purpose for being in the US (e.g., practical training or academic training). Money earned by a J-2 dependent, however, is subject to FICA taxes.
FinAid
FinAid is the most popular and most highly respected site on the World Wide Web for information about student financial aid.
Financial Aid
Money provided to the student and the family to help them pay for the student's education. Major forms of financial aid include gift aid (grants and scholarships) and self help aid (loans and work).
Foreign Student
Synonymous with International Student, a student from a country other than the United States.
Freshman
A first-year undergraduate student.
Grade Point Average, a weighted sum of the student's grades. Each of a student's grades is converted to a number on a scale from 1.0 to 4.0, and weighted according to the number of credits received from the class. Typically, a 4.0 corresponds to an "A", a 3.0 to a "B", a 2.0 to a "C", a 1.0 to a "D", and 0.0 to an "E" or "F".
Graduate Student
A student pursuing a master's degree or doctoral degree.
Interest
Interest is an amount charged to the borrower for the privilege of using the lender's money. Interest is usually calculated as a percentage of the principal balance of the loan. The percentage rate may be fixed for the life of the loan, or it may be variable, depending on the terms of the loan.
International Student
A student who is a citizen of a country other than the United States.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the federal agency responsible for enforcing US tax laws and collecting taxes.
J-1 Visa
Exchange visitor visa.
Junior
A third-year undergraduate student.
Letter of Recommendation
A letter written by a teacher to evaluate a student's qualifications and abilities, often included as part of an application for admission to college or in support of an application for a scholarship or fellowship.
Loan
A loan is a type of financial aid which must be repaid, with interest.
M-1 Visa
Vocational student visa for students attending non-academic trade and vocational schools.
Major
The academic area or field of study in which a student's studies are concentrated.
Master's Degree
One of several degrees granted by graduate schools.
Middle School
Grades 7 and 8, also known as Junior High.
Need Analysis
The process of determining an individual's ability to pay. When ability to pay is subtracted from the cost of education, the difference is the student's financial need. It is synonymous with "means test".
Need-Blind
Under need-blind admissions, the school decides whether to make an offer of admission to a student without considering the student's financial situation. Most schools use a need-blind admissions process. A few schools will use financial need to decide whether to include marginal students in the wait list.
Need-Sensitive
Under need-sensitive admissions, the school does take the student's financial situation into account when deciding whether to admit him or her. Some schools use need-sensitive admissions when deciding to accept a borderline student or to pull a student off of the waiting list.
Nonrenewable Award
An award that is offered only once. This is in contrast to renewable awards, which are provided to a student annually for as long as the student is making satisfactory progress to the degree.
Postsecondary
Any education past grade 12 of the secondary school level.
Principal
The principal is the amount of money borrowed or remaining unpaid on a loan. Interest is charged as a percentage of the principal. Insurance and origination fees will be deducted from this amount before disbursement.
Professional Student
A student pursuing an advanced degree in law, business, or medicine.
Quarter
A division of the academic year into fourths.
Renewable Award
A renewable scholarship is a scholarship that is awarded for more than one year. Usually the student must maintain certain academic standards to be eligible for subsequent years of the award. Some renewable scholarships will require the student to reapply for the scholarship each year; others will just require a report on the student's progress to a degree.
Resume
A one-page summary of an individual's education, employment history, awards, and other accomplishments.
SASE
Self-addressed stamped envelope.Included with a request as a courtesy or to encourage a response.
SAT
Scholastic Aptitude Test. A standardized test offered by the Educational Testing Service to assess a student's preparation for college. Similar to the ACT.
School
In this site, used to refer to colleges and universities.
Secondary School
Also known as high school, grades 9 through 12.
Semester
A division of the academic year into spring and fall terms.
Senior
A fourth-year undergraduate student.
Sophomore
A second-year undergraduate student.
TEFL
Teaching of English as a Foreign Language
Term
Refers to any division of the academic year. The default is into two terms. (In British English the default interpretation is three terms per academic year.)
TOEFL
Test Of English As A Foreign Language. Most colleges and universities require international students to take this as part of their application for admission. The TOEFL evaluates a student's ability to communicate in and understand English.
Transcript
An official record of a student's academic work, including a list of courses taken, grades received, and credits awarded.
Transfer
To switch enrollment from one educational institution to another.
Trimester
A division of the academic year into thirds, adding a summer term to the fall and spring terms.
Tuition
The fees charged by a school to allow a student to register to take courses at the school.
Undergraduate Student
A student pursuing a bachelor's degree.
University
An institution of higher education that awards undergraduate and graduate degrees. Often used interchangeably with "College".
Learning How To Learn
Often the journey to finding the right college match is obscured by the hows, whens, whys, wheres, how muchs (big one), and HUHs?!?!?!. Truthfully, this journey should build confidence and skills as well as relationships and strong foundations. If you find you are not excited about your college, get the sweats, or don´t know enough to even THINK about college, I hope these topics will at least give you some tools to use to jumpstart a positive experience.
Many years ago, my Dad told me my job was to go to college and learn how to learn. I wasn´t sure what this advice really meant- what could be more important than going to a school near the beach with a good reputation and eventually getting a diploma? Was I really supposed to figure out how to make the best use of my abilities by choosing a place that matched my needs? B-O-R-I-N-G. Later I ended up using Daddy´s deep theme of wisdom for my college essays (yes, we will go over how to do those too) and found out that there really was an aspect of self-reflection and processes that make this experience enlightening. Not to mention the types of essays those admissions officers really dig.
I have been using college research assignments in the classroom for English writing for over 10 years and hold the position as a college counselor as well as a college (again) student. Hopefully this blog will serve to help others map out their trip from starting the college search, to narrowing down college matches that complement the learner (your addiction to brand names may not be what is good for you. Would you wear a mermaid gown on a pear shaped body? Black dress shoes with white socks? I think not.), to basic ideas like the difference between a college and a university.
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