College Admissions Glossary: T-Z

If you're worried about all the words you don't recognize during the college application process, our admissions glossary is here to help. Review the glossary in full to make sure you're familiar with the terms.

Teaching Assistant (TA): A student who helps a professor, often by instructing some of a class, by running a tutorial or recitation section of a larger class. A TA may also grade assignments/tests and hold office hours.

Tenure: The permanent status a professor is granted after they teach for a certain length of time and meet specified requirements. A tenured professor will continue to be employed at a college or university until the professor chooses to retire. Tenured faculty have the academic freedom to explore and promote controversial subjects without fear of dismissal.

Terms: A period of the academic year. Academic terms include the semester, trimester and quarter systems.

Trade School: An academic institution designed to instruct students in gaining skills needed for specific jobs, like an electrician, construction worker, cosmetologist and more.

Transcript: An official record of classes, grades, honors, credits, certificates and degrees earned by a student.

Transfer Student: A student who has moved from one college to another.

Trimester: An academic term where the year is split into three parts, rather than two semesters or four quarters.

Tuition and Fees: The financial amount owed for taking classes at a college or university.

Undergraduate Student: A college student who has not yet earned a bachelor's degree. Undergraduate students may pursue certificates, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees.

Valedictorian: The student who has the highest GPA in a graduating class.

Waitlist: Students on a college waitlist are neither admitted nor rejected, but in a limbo state waiting for a final decision regarding their admission to a college or university.

Withdraw: When a student stops attending a class.

Work-Study: A financial aid program where students earn money for college through part-time employment, usually on campus. There are two main types of work-study programs, federal work-study and college work-study. With federal, funds for the job are provided by the government. With college, funds are provided by the college.

Yield: The percentage of admitted students who enroll in a college or university.