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College Admissions Glossary
Review our College Admissions Glossary to learn terms associated with preparing for and applying to college.
National College Match Glossary
| College Partners | Top colleges in the nation that have partnered with QuestBridge and are committed to supporting high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds. They are dedicated to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need. |
| College Prep Scholar | A high school junior selected by QuestBridge as a strong candidate for admission to our college partners through the National College Match. College Prep Scholars may also be considered for additional exclusive awards, including invitations to the National College Admissions Conference and scholarships to college summer programs. It is not required for a student to have been named a College Prep Scholar in order to apply for the National College Match. |
| Finalist | A National College Match applicant who has been selected by QuestBridge as a competitive candidate for the Match and our college partners. Finalists are eligible to participate in the ranking process to be considered for early admission and a Match Scholarship to our college partners. |
| Match | The Match is the process of ranking schools to be admitted early to a QuestBridge college partner with a full-four year scholarship. To match to a college partner means to be admitted to the highest school on a student's ranking list that was able to offer them a full four-year Match scholarship through the binding admissions process. |
| National College Match | A college admission and scholarship application process that helps high-achieving high-school seniors from low-income backgrounds gain admission and full four-year scholarships to the nation's most selective colleges. |
| QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship | Also referred to as the Match Scholarship. A full four-year scholarship for matched students worth over $325,000.* Our college partners use their own funds and state and federal aid to cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition, housing, and food. All Match Scholarships are loan-free and require no parental contribution. They may contain a student contribution in the form of work-study, summer contribution, and/or student savings. *Some schools may require students to submit financial information each year to qualify. |
| QuestBridge Regular Decision | The process through which Finalists who are not matched can apply to any of the QuestBridge college partners for free. Although the Match Scholarship is not offered through QuestBridge Regular Decision, Finalists can still receive generous financial aid, if admitted. Admission decisions and financial aid packages for QuestBridge Regular Decision are released by college partners in the spring. Non-Finalists may also be able to apply to select college partners via QuestBridge Regular Decision. |
| QuestBridge Scholar | A Finalist who attends any QuestBridge college partner through the Match, QuestBridge Regular Decision, or other admissions processes. |
| Ranking Colleges | The process through which students submit a list to QuestBridge of up to 15 college partners where they wish to be considered for the Match. Students rank up to 15 colleges in their preferred order based on where they would most like to attend. |
General College Admissions Glossary
| Acceptance Rate | The percentage of applicants accepted by a college. |
| Binding Admission | Requires students to withdraw all other applications and attend the college if admitted. This agreement is seen in Early Decision applications, and in binding QuestBridge college partners for the Match. |
| Core Subjects | Academic courses consisting of Math, Science, English, Social Studies, and Foreign Language. |
| Deferred | If a student is “deferred” when applying early to a college, they are neither accepted nor rejected. Deferred students are pushed into the Regular Decision applicant pool and evaluated at a later date. They will receive an admissions decision in the spring, with all Regular Decision applicants. Similarly, students who are not matched are deferred, not rejected, from the colleges they ranked. |
| Deferred Admission | The option for students to defer (or “delay”) their offer of admission for up to two years. Students must work with the admissions office to see if this is a possibility. |
| Early Action (EA) | A non-binding admissions process that allows students to apply to a college early in October or November. Typically, the admissions decision is given in December, and the student is offered admission, denied admission, or deferred. Single-Choice Early Action is a variant of Early Action (see definition below). |
| Early Decision (ED) | A binding admissions process that allows students to apply to a college early. Students are only allowed to apply to one college ED, and are obligated to attend that college if accepted. Some schools offer two different rounds of Early Decision (ED I and ED II) for applicants to consider. |
| First Generation | Students whose parents have not graduated from a 4-year college in the U.S. |
| Fly-in Program | Facilitated by each school, fly-in programs allow students to visit their college for free or a low cost on the basis of admission or selection to a pre-college program. |
| Likely School | A college where, based on the average GPA and test scores of accepted students, the likelihood of being admitted is very high. |
| Personal Statement | An essay, also known as the college application essay/biographical essay, that gives admissions officers insight into the student’s character, personality, motivation, and background. |
| PSAT | Pre-SAT test that is typically taken in 10th or 11th grade to help students prepare for the SAT. |
| Reach School | A college where admission might be more difficult, based on the average GPA, test scores of accepted students, and the college’s overall admission requirements. QuestBridge college partners are reach schools for most applicants. |
| Regular Decision | The non-binding college application process through which students apply by the colleges' published deadlines and typically receive admissions decisions in the spring. |
| Retention Rate | The percentage of students who return to a college for their second year. This is an indicator of student satisfaction. |
| Rolling Admission | Instead of waiting to evaluate all applications concurrently after a set deadline, colleges with rolling admission will review applications and determine acceptance status as applications are sent in. |
| SAT/ACT | Standardized college entrance tests that many 4-year colleges require for admission. |
| School Profile | Provides summary information about the high school's student body, curricular offerings, grading system, and more. |
| School Report | A report prepared by the student’s counselor that provides information about the student’s achievement within the context of the school. Includes room for optional recommendation letter. |
| Single-Choice Early Action (SCEA) | A non-binding early application option, also known as Restrictive Early Action. Students can only apply to one school through the SCEA application process. |
| Student-Faculty Ratio | The ratio of the number of students at a college compared to the number of faculty that is often seen as an indicator of class size and professor accessibility. |
| Target School | A college where, based on the average GPA and test scores of accepted students, admission is likely. |
| Waitlist | A list of students a college may eventually decide to admit if space becomes available. |
| Yield | The percentage of accepted students who matriculate (enroll) at that college. |