Palmer Trinity School

palmertrinity.org 29 GR ADE POINT AVER AGE (GPA) A number that shows overall academic performance. It's computed by assigning a point value to each grade you earn. On a 4.0 scale, a 4.0 is equivalent to an "A" letter grade, a 3.0 is equivalent to a "B" letter grade, and so on. LEGACY APPLICANT A college applicant with a relative (usually a parent or grandparent) who graduated from that college. Some colleges give preference to legacy applicants (also called "legacies"). NEED-BLIND ADMISSION A policy of making admission decisions without considering the financial circumstances of applicants. Colleges that use this policy may not offer enough financial aid to meet a student's full need. OPEN ADMISSION A policy of accepting any high school graduate, no matter what his or her grades are, until all spaces in the incoming class are filled. Almost all two-year community colleges have an open-admission policy. However, a college with a general open- admission policy may have admission requirements for certain programs. PLACEMENT TESTS Tests that measure the academic skills needed for college- level work. ey cover reading, writing, math and sometimes other subjects. Placement test results help determine what courses you are ready for and whether you would benefit from remedial classes. PRIORITY DATE OR DEADLINE e date by which your application — whether it's for college admission, student housing or financial aid — must be received to be given the strongest consideration. REGULAR ADMISSION Deadlines for admission are in January and your decision will come on or after April 1st. ROLLING ADMISSION An admission policy of considering each application as soon as all required information (such as high school records and test scores) has been received, rather than setting an application deadline and reviewing applications in a batch. Colleges that use a rolling admission policy usually notify applicants of admission decisions quickly. SAT e College Board's standardized college admission test. Each section is scored out of 800 points. SOPHOMORE STANDING e status of a second-year student. A college may grant sophomore standing to an incoming freshman if he or she has earned college credits through courses, exams or other programs. TEST OPTIONAL A "test-optional" policy means the College allows all applicants to decide for themselves whether to submit test scores. Applicants are told, in essence, "If you think your scores are an accurate representation of your ability, feel free to submit them. If you feel they're not, don't." TEST-BLIND What does Test-blind mean? Test-blind admissions is exactly what it sounds like: whether or not a student decides to send their test scores, they won't be considered as part of the application evaluation. TR ANSCRIPT e official record of your course work at a school or college. Your high school transcript is usually required for college admission and for some financial aid packages. TR ANSFER STUDENT A student who enrolls in a college after having attended another college. UNDERGR ADUATE A college student who is working toward an associate or a bachelor's degree. WAITING LIST e list of applicants who may be admitted to a college if space becomes available. Colleges wait to hear if all the students they accepted decide to attend. If students don't enroll and there are empty spots, a college may fill them with students who are on the waiting list. WEIGHTED GR ADE POINT AVER AGE (GPA) A grade point average that's calculated using a system that assigns a higher point value to grades in more-difficult classes. For example, some high schools assign the value of 5.0 (instead of the standard 4.0) for an A earned in an AP class.

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