Admissions Lingo
At Mercer, we want to make sure you have all the information you need to make the best college choice for yourself and your family. To get started, we realize there are a lot of admissions terms that you may not be familiar with yet, so we thought we’d share a helpful list of common terms and what they mean.
ACT
College readiness exam consisting of English, Math, Reading, and Science sections; scored on a 36-point scale
Admission
Acceptance to a college or university
Application for Admission
The form and supporting materials you submit to be considered for admission to a college or university. Mercer accepts either the Mercer Application or The Common Application .
Class Rank
A student’s academic standing among peers in their graduating class
Credit Hour
Unit used to measure college classes, typically based on the number of hours spent in the classroom per week
Example: Psychology 101 is worth three college credits and you have class for one hour per day, three times per week.
College Credit
The total amount of credit hours that is used to evaluate a student’s eligibility to graduate
The Common Application
Students can use the Common Application to apply to multiple colleges and universities; not every institution uses this type of application.
Cost of Attendance
Total cost to attend an institution before any financial aid and scholarships have been applied; includes direct and indirect costs, such as tuition and fees, housing, and meal plan. The Department of Education requires all colleges and universities to provide this figure annually.
Defer
Term often referring to where a student defers their acceptance to a later time.
The meaning of the term varies among institutions, so check with the colleges and universities you are applying to for their definition.
Dual Enrollment Credit
Credit students receive for any college courses taken before high school/secondary school graduation, where they are enrolled both in high school/secondary school and college at the same time
Early Action
An admission practice where students can apply early to an institution to be considered for admission ahead of other students. Mercer’s Early Action deadline also qualifies students for consideration for the University’s most prestigious scholarships, ranging up to full tuition and beyond. Mercer’s Priority Scholarship deadline qualifies students for priority consideration for scholarships, ranging up to full tuition.
Early Decision
An admission practice where students who know exactly what college or university they want to attend can apply early to an institution to be considered for admission ahead of other students. Mercer does not practice Early Decision.
SAI
Student Aid Index, or the amount of money determined by the FAFSA that a family should be able to contribute to a student’s education; determines how need-based aid is awarded. The formula for the Student Aid Index is determined by federal law. Visit studentaid.gov to learn how SAI is calculated.
FAFSA
Free Application for Federal Student Aid; an application for financial aid that uses tax/income information to determine any scholarships, grants, work-study, or loans students are eligible to receive through state programs or the federal government
Financial Aid
The combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and federal work-study that can be used to pay for a student’s college education
GPA
Grade Point Average; the average of all a student’s official grades, typically calculated by adding their numerical grades and dividing that by the number of classes taken
Graduate Program
Advanced program of study available after a student completes a bachelor’s degree
Grant
Financial aid given, which most of the time does not have to be paid back
Higher Education
An optional academic avenue for individuals who have earned a high school/secondary school diploma or GED; also known as post-secondary education
Letter of Recommendation
A letter from someone who is not a relative and who can describe a student’s accomplishments, skills, and personality in a recommendation to a college or university
Loan
A sum of money borrowed that is required to be paid back, often with interest
Major
Primary area of study; typically comprises between one third and one half of courses students take
Minor
Secondary area of study; typically optional. The number of credit hours for a minor varies depending on the institution.
Need-Based Aid
Financial aid that is dependent upon financial need as determined by the SAI (Student Aid Index) calculated based on information provided in the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
Pre-Professional Track
Track of study that includes a combination of relevant coursework and specialized advising designed to prepare students for a professional program after completion of their bachelor’s degree; different from a major
Example: Political Science is a major, while Pre-Law is a track.
Prerequisite
Course that’s required in order to move into the next phase of study; often required for graduate programs or for an advanced level of study at the undergraduate level
Example: Biology 101 is required before you will be able to take Biology 201 because it is a prerequisite course.
Prospective Student
A potential applicant to a college or university who has usually shown demonstrated interest in that college or university
Rolling Admission
A process whereby decisions for acceptance are made and released on a constant basis throughout the year
SAT
College readiness exam consisting of Reading, Math, and Writing sections; scored on a 1600-point scale. Most schools, including Mercer, do not require or factor in the writing portion of the exam.
Scholarship
Financial aid given, often based on academic credentials, talent, need, or other award specific criteria. Most scholarships are gift aid and do not have to be paid back.
Subsidized Loan
Loans that do not accrue interest while a student is enrolled in college
Superscore
Process where a college or university takes the highest scores in each section of a student’s ACT or SAT, even if the scores are from different testing dates, and puts them together to create and count a student’s best overall score
Transcript
An official academic document displaying all courses a student has taken in high school/secondary school or college along with their grades; additional information on a transcript may include class rank, GPA, and dual enrollment credits
Unweighted GPA
A calculated GPA in which academic rigor is not factored in to “weight” the GPA
Unsubsidized Loan
Loans that begin to accrue interest the moment a student receives loan funds
Weighted GPA
A calculated GPA that involves adding “weight” to final course grades based on the course’s academic rigor
Examples might include AP courses, IB courses, or dual enrollment courses
Now, keep in mind that you still might run into things you don’t know! Let people know when you need help or are confused. Don’t be ashamed to ask questions, even if they you think they might sound silly, and know that you are never alone in this process! We are always here to help and cheer you on.
